Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[StevieEvans]

CHORES......I thought you might have learned by now!

i'll certainly learn that CHORUS, if you send me the words....
although somehow i feel Wear not all gonna be singing from the same hymn sheet.......

Out and about today on my local patch and found a pool I had previously overlooked. It was great to see that the farmer has put his old digger to good use and it appears he has created a wonderful new pool!
<..snip>...... best of all, a pair of redshanks with 2 tiny fluffball chicks with tinyweeny matchstick legs

Thanks for further info:t:. I had a quick look at the pool today, very interesting. cant think of anywhere else in the City of Durham area where Redshank breeds.....?
Pair of Tree Sparrows there too today & close to former Quail site... Certainly has good chance of attracting a range of species - another one i'll be keeping an eye on, a bit easier to see than at Ho'gate too.

hi all, do we have many patches in the durham area that hold quail? I have never seen one or even heard one singing. If so where are they?...<snip>.....

Seems to be no real pattern to locations holding birds
NeilF's been trying in a decent area on the Gateshead / Derwentside boundary area, just south & east of the Tanfield Railway (had 2 here 1.5km apart couple year ago).
I hear birds each year off the A181 between Durham City & Wheatley Hill, although traffic noise can be a hindrance. (Two or maybe 3 in the Shadforth / Witch Hill / Running Waters area in 2005).
Witton Gilbert (between D'ham & Lanchester) is a traditional area for them, either in the R.Browney valley or in the farmland area NW of the village.
Seaton Pond / Sharpley area (SW of Seaham) usually has a singing bird & the same applies for the West Rainton / East Rainton area.
Picked one up singing in Derek.C country last year...maybe he'll be able to put you onto one good luck

 

[JBee]

My attention is almost entirely on macro now but it's nice to be kept company by the odd bird now and again as I drag my weary legs along my local footpath scouring the vegetation.
L-R - Dunnock, Linnet, LTT, 2 x Sedge Warbler.

 

[wongifer]

Seems to be no real pattern to locations holding birds
NeilF's been trying in a decent area on the Gateshead / Derwentside boundary area, just south & east of the Tanfield Railway (had 2 here 1.5km apart couple year ago).
I hear birds each year off the A181 between Durham City & Wheatley Hill, although traffic noise can be a hindrance. (Two or maybe 3 in the Shadforth / Witch Hill / Running Waters area in 2005).
Witton Gilbert (between D'ham & Lanchester) is a traditional area for them, either in the R.Browney valley or in the farmland area NW of the village.
Seaton Pond / Sharpley area (SW of Seaham) usually has a singing bird & the same applies for the West Rainton / East Rainton area.
Picked one up singing in Derek.C country last year...maybe he'll be able to put you onto one good luck[/QUOTE]

Thanks very much mate, will do.

 

[wongifer]

Had a trip up to galloway.

Very enjoyable 3 days over 80 species seen, but to be honest apart from black guillemot everything we saw could of been seen in durham (just goes to show how spoilt we are with our birds).

Highlights for my dad was watching a peregrine nestsite that we found last year, they had nested in exactly the same place. They femal was sitting and the male came in occassionaly to drop off food. Three kites fighting over scraps and a male merlin flying fast over the moors as we fought off migies on a nightjar watch that we heard nightjars but didnt see.

My highlights were watching 2 pair of pied flycatchers going in and out of nest boxes 30 foot away from eachother. The male landing on a tree branch less than six ft away from us and the females bickiring as they crossed paths coming out of the nestboxes. The chaffinches were so tame in the car park off the ken-dee marshes reserve that they were jumping up onto the car window while you were in the car.

All in all a great trip.

 

[John Olley]

Hi Jen im very interested in the locality of this new pool close to Durham as Steve said breeding Redshank in lowland Durham is very scarce and the site is worth keeping an eye on for future breeding birds and for DBC and BTO records. If you wish to keep the site locality details please send a private message.

John.

 

[NeilF]

Seems to be no real pattern to locations holding birds
NeilF's been trying in a decent area on the Gateshead / Derwentside boundary area, just south & east of the Tanfield Railway (had 2 here 1.5km apart couple year ago).
I hear birds each year off the A181 between Durham City & Wheatley Hill, although traffic noise can be a hindrance. (Two or maybe 3 in the Shadforth / Witch Hill / Running Waters area in 2005).
Witton Gilbert (between D'ham & Lanchester) is a traditional area for them, either in the R.Browney valley or in the farmland area NW of the village.
Seaton Pond / Sharpley area (SW of Seaham) usually has a singing bird & the same applies for the West Rainton / East Rainton area.
Picked one up singing in Derek.C country last year...maybe he'll be able to put you onto one good luck

Hoping to have a more thorough search later this week Steve, hopefully we might have lost this cool north-easterly wind by then |8||

 

[great bustard]

50 or so Swift flying over river at Chester Le Street on the way to H'ton Gate.... Not alot different from other visits, Loads of Greylag and a few Canada Geese. 4 Shelduck flew in along with a Curlew. Pied Wagtail hovering along the poolside.

A speed look into the Meadows...2 Sedge Warblers heard at either side of Pool 1. Pool 2 buzzing with 60 (ish) House Martins, Swallows, Sand Martins and majority Swifts, (im sure you all know its difficult to count these bad boys as they certainly dont keep still!) Common Sandpiper still on far bank.

The End (for a week)

arrivederci mon petit chou fleurs :t:

 

[ted hilland]

how do you know the swifts were on the way to houghton gate??? , birders these days are gettin better all the time , im happy to be able to ID them let alone anything else, lol. Hope everyones enjoyin their birding as i still love to log on to this site cos thats about the only chance to keep in touch.. never get the time to get out these days so thanks for keepling me in touch regards ted.

 

[IanF]

A pretty good day down my way today apart from the weather which was pretty dull and misty following rain this morning.

Seaton Common - pm - Red-backed Shrike - a really pretty bird with a lovely rosy pink breast, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat (fem).

North Gare - Wheatear x9 and Cuckoo.

Hartlepool Headland - Icterine Warbler, Subalpine Warbler and an Arctic Skua off the Heugh Pier chasing terns plus Litte Tern c.12 feeding over harbour.

 

[DenBee]

Local Patch (SP)

Thought I would pop over to Seaton Pond area after been away for couple of weeks. Not a lot about, unfortunately the Greylag which had 9 fledglings a few weeks ago are down to four goslings now, although there are two new fledglings scurrying around a another pair of Greylag.
Kestrel flying around pond edge, also took the opportunity to check B.O boxes in the area, pleased to see that one that was damaged has been repaired ( hope this is due to a visit from Mr E), no obvious signs of usage at the other three.
Hope to get back on track with further posts in the near future

 

[malcolm hobbs]

Hartlepool Headland

A caveat to Ian's post if you are thinikng of heading to Hartlepool headland tomorrow. The Subalpine is at the back of the Doctor's Garden which you can only view if the gate is unlocked and you are allowed entry. To my knowledge the Icterine was only seen briefly 3 times in flight between 14.00 and 17.00 and there are no online reports of it after that.

Malcolm.

A pretty good day down my way today apart from the weather which was pretty dull and misty following rain this morning.

Seaton Common - pm - Red-backed Shrike - a really pretty bird with a lovely rosy pink breast, Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat (fem).

North Gare - Wheatear x9 and Cuckoo.

Hartlepool Headland - Icterine Warbler, Subalpine Warbler and an Arctic Skua off the Heugh Pier chasing terns plus Litte Tern c.12 feeding over harbour.

 

[StevieEvans]

teatime duck feeding session at Herrington C.P
2 broods of cygnets (9 & 6), Little Grebe incubating, only a single Common Tern (still no Black Tern...). Hirundine/Swift no's low as weather improved from 16:30.
The "pied" Moorhen hatched on site last year is now looking splendid - it has to be seen to be believed, (East end of main Boating Lake pool) perhaps "pie-bald" is a more accurate description....?

Ho'Gate
Later this evening, flighty Green Sandpiper (most years we are lucky enough to see this species every month of the year). At least one of the Redshank pairs had a youngster, although we already have a small group of failed adult Lapwings loafing about. Close by a female Ruddy has just recently appeared.

S.

 

[StevieEvans]

map link re remnant Corn Bunt population

Corn Bunting
(NB. A Heads up for any local patchers based in the Stanley / Chester-le-Street area.
Our local Corn Bunt reminds me i had a conversation with a birder who had several territorial male CB's in the arable farmland area between High Urpeth & Ouston, last summer - will post map link later... not a stones throw from the Gateshead Borough, where the species is all but gone...... or is it ? )

heres map link to cut & paste:-
http://www.multimap.com/maps/#map=54.88104,-1.61962|14|4&dp=841&loc=GB:54.88107:-1.61968:14|NZ245541|NZ245541
all 4 regularly breeding owls can be found very close by.
S

 

[IanF]

A caveat to Ian's post if you are thinikng of heading to Hartlepool headland tomorrow. The Subalpine is at the back of the Doctor's Garden which you can only view if the gate is unlocked and you are allowed entry. To my knowledge the Icterine was only seen briefly 3 times in flight between 14.00 and 17.00 and there are no online reports of it after that.

Malcolm.

Whilst I was there when in view the Subalpine was in the large sycamore in the Doctor's Garden and sometimes in the bare tree beside it in view for 3-4 minutes at a time - though mostly low down out of sight.

The Icterine was in bushes and trees by the Putting Green and Croft - though mostly out of sight. In the morning one had been around the bowling green.

Despite the small amount of vegetation in the area there were quite a lot of birds around - mostly Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch, Starling and Tree Sparrow.

 

[John Olley]

heres map link to cut & paste:-
http://www.multimap.com/maps/#map=54.88104,-1.61962|14|4&dp=841&loc=GB:54.88107:-1.61968:14|NZ245541|NZ245541
all 4 regularly breeding owls can be found very close by.
S

Very interesting Corn Bunting locality Steve not heard of any from this area they are obviously just hanging on and a very important find to say the least, i wonder if the farm is under some sort of stewardship. Hope to have a visit in the next few weeks

John.

 

[DEREK.C.]

Had a nice hour this morning watching the Little Terns . 32 pair there in total, with a few pair giving a nice show , only 20 yards away near the tide line. 18 Ringed Plover also about.

 

[IanF]

Seaton Common/Golf Course - am - Common Rosefinch 1st summer showing well on and off along buckthorn bushes but mobile. Heard calling quite often but seldom in view and then only 30-60 seconds at a time.

Also Spotted Flycatcher x2 and Wheatear x3. Loads of Linnet, Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit.

No sign of the Red-backed Shrike today.

North Gare - Ringed Plover, Cormorant, Common Tern, Sandwich Tern x1.

Greatham Creek - Little Ringed Plover x2 and Avocet x3, Shelduck x2, Oystercatcher x2, Common Tern x1, Redshank.

Not bad three lifers in two days! Icterine Warbler, Subalpine Warbler and Common Rosefinch.

Photos: 1.&2. Common Rosefinch - 3. Spotted Flycatcher - 4. Ringed Plover - 5. Little Ringed Plover

 

[Ray.Scott]

Spent the afternoon at Hetton Bogs today:

Very quiet with only a few of the common tits, the odd reed bunting, a very short visit from the jay, and a grey heron landed in the dead tree to the rear of the station which was mobbed by crows and flew of towards RM's.
White throat appeared to the rear of the station just before I left.

 

[NeilF]

Ventured up to Burdon Moor again this evening, though a couple of hours is hardly giving the area justice, especially as I spent most of the time around the pond's as this is were most of the birds were concentrated.
On the ponds were a Grey Heron, a brace of drake Mallards, the odd Redshank & two Moorhen's one of which conveniently flushed the drake Mandarin out into the open allowing a distant but longer view than last time. This individual looks rather untidy & is not in any kind of what you would call typical summer plumage.
The area around the ponds also contained Swift, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, a Sedge Warbler singing & allowing close views, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer & Reed Bunting.
The moor itself was again dominated by Lapwing and Skylark, also seen were a pair of Mallard, four overflying Oystercatcher's together, only a single sp Golden Plover, another drumming Snipe, Curlew, a pair of Stonechat scalding me for getting too close & a few Brown Hare's.
But to no avail with the Quail.

 

[Ross Ahmed]

I mean no kind of offence, but I'm amazed when birders persist at inland sites when there's a fall on the coast. For me, there is little to rival the sight of a recently arrived migrant which you know has just crossed the North Sea.

Each to their own however!