Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[StevieEvans]

wet

A very wet visit to Castle Lake and Saltholme today with S.E on a very dull wet day!...............

Too wet for my mobile fone im afraid.... it went off at the weekend & ive lost ALL my numbers
So, if youre one of those people who hate it when i call, - then lucky you ! :t:

I'm struggling with Long-eared news this "Summer"... anyone got anything....?

 

[rokermartin]

Mostly a wet miserable day but this afternoon the skies cleared for about an hour.

A quick visit to Calor Gas Pool just to check the Terek Sandpiper was still there - it was but very distant still and then along to Greatham Creek.

Plenty of activity on the Saline Lagoon with more Common Tern chicks to feed. The Little Ringer Plover seemed to be getting annoyed with the Common Terns as they were constantly chasing them.

A Common Sandpiper briefly dropped onto the island but only for a few seconds before heading over to the Creek itself. Three Common Sandpiper altogether. Several Redshank and Curlew along the Creek.

Avocets all still present on Tidal Pool along with Shelduck c.20, Curlew c.20, Ringed Plover x3, Heron x1, Oystercatcher x7 though also a flock of 23 Oystercatcher passed overhead travelling south-west towards Saltholme Ponds.

Families of Whitethroat, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Swallow and Starling along the creek side footpath fences.

18 Common Seal adults plus 10 pups hauled out close to the road bridge though more were arriving as I came away when a torrential downpour hit.

Black-tailed Godwit x9 - a few possibly Icelandic birds?

Yes you are right they are Icelandic birds.

 

[joe1969]

castle lake,yesterday
greenshank,3 common sandpiper,3green sandpiper,6little ringed plover plus one chick,
2 corn bunting,pair of shellduck with 9 ducklings and a pair of yellow wagtails with 5-6 juveniles.large amounts of hirundines plus approx 80 lapwing

 

[IanF]

Greatham Creek this evening - Black-tailed Godwit x3, Curlew x6, Redshank 12+, Ringed Plover x2, Little Ringed Plover x6, Common Tern c.20, Common Sandpiper x3. Linnet, Swallow and Reed bunting along footpath fence. Avocet all present.

Zinc Works Road - Goldfinch, Swallow, Stonechat, Reed Bunting along fence all with young.

No sign of the Cuckoo today.

Seaton Snook/Seaton Channel very quiet with just a few Cormorant, Bar-tailed Godwit x3, Oystercatcher x2 and a single Common Tern.

Photos: 1. Avocet chicks - 2. Black-tailed Godwit - 3. Stonechat - 4.&5. Bar-tailed Godwit

 

[DenBee]

Upgrade of Nose Point/Dawdon Blast beach

Wandered down this area today as they have been doing a lot of alterations over the past few months. What a change dry stone walling at Nose point with a lot more new seating, ideal as the wall provides some protection from Westerly Wind for sitting doing a bit of Sea Watching. New footpaths right along the cliffs to Hawthorn Hive, at the commencement of the path at Seaham end just over the new small bridge they have created a small scrape on the right just as you go through the metal gate towards Hawthorn Hive.
The old track down to the blast beach has been fenced off, however they have created a new set of steps down to the beach between Nose Point and Hawthorn Hive, this area is now proving more popular and WORTH A VISIT. all we can hope now is the local scallywags leave well alone.
Birds seen on visit small colony of KITTIWAKE on the cliff side of Nose Pointwith new fledgelings and some still on incubating, viewable from the left handside of the old track down to blast beach COMMON TERN, FULMAR, Assorted Gulls the usual varieties also seen ie Goldfinch. Linnet etc

 

[IanF]

A very brief visit to Hardwick Hall Country Park this morning. I had planned on staying longer but got called away.

I didn't have enough time to see that much. On the Serpentine were Coot, Moorhen, Mallard.

The main lake held families of Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Mallard. Mute Swan and Moorhen. Quite a few Swallow and Sand Martin feeding over the lake.

Not ideal weather for dragonflies with a stiff cold breeze, bright overcast skies with some sunshine but there were still a few around. Black-tailed Skimmer x3 along the edge in front of the Hall comprising two males and an ovipositing female. Just one Emperor Dragonfly. Loads of Common Blue Damselfly and Blue-tailed Damselfly and a few Azure Damselfly.

Only a few butterflies mostly Ringlet plus one Red Admiral.

Photos: 1. Grey Heron - 2.&3. Black-tailed Skimmer - 4.&5. Common Blue Damselfly

 

[IanF]

Greatham Creek Avocets revisited today. Still all seven chicks though only one adult with the three oldest ones and two with the younger ones.

Interesting to see the three oldest ones going very much their separate ways to feed with each taking a corner in a large triangular pond c.50yds apart but still sleeping together.

The family of four still eat and sleep together with the adults keeping close watch and shepherding them around.

Dunlin x7 flew in but were encouraged to keep thier distance by the adult Avocets.

Photos : 1.&2. Avocet chicks 37 days old - 3.&4. Avocets chicks 33 days old - 5. Dunlin

 

[jason-t-71]

Ian, the cuckoo was in the migrant bushes yesterday. I was there around 7.30 last night.

 

[IanF]

Ian, the cuckoo was in the migrant bushes yesterday. I was there around 7.30 last night.

Good to hear it's still present. It's usually around now that the young ones appear down there - it was 10th July last year.

 

[ColinSev]

Castle Lake - Tues morn

Had a walk right around the Castle Lake yesterday morning had 3 Corn Buntings, 2 protective Yellow Wagtails down by the river 6 herons on lake, GC Grebe, Little Grebe, +usual ducks, redshank, and a Whinchat by fence on the western side of the lake - Also seen by 2 other birders. Also 30 or so Lapwing, nothing else in the way of waders.

 

[IanF]

The Greatham Creek Avocets could be on the move.

This afternoon there was no sign at all of the eldest family with three chicks. The family with four chicks spent a good while on the Long Drag Pools a fair distance away from their usual place. Around 3:00pm though they flew in a group back onto Tidal Pool - two adults and four chicks - struggling quite a bit against the strong winds. After feeding a while they flew across the pool again and went to sleep in amongst the Shelduck and several Common Tern.

Not a great deal else to see - a single Little Ringed Plover, a few Redshank, Dunlin, Cormorant and a Common Sandpiper.

Zinc Works Road - Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Reed Bunting and Swallow.

 

[DenBee]

Kittiwake at Nose Point

As Whitburn Mark has stated in a previous mail on DBC Forum,I think some of the Marsden Kittiwake Colony may be taken a short vacation this season at Nose Point Seaham.
As mentioned in my mail of yesterday approx 19 inc fledglings at this spot.
have included a few pics from yesterdays swaree.
Could some kind person please ID the moth for me as these are to be seen in large numbers along the cliff tops

 

[Ray.Scott]

Could some kind person please ID the moth for me as these are to be seen in large numbers along the cliff tops

Nice pics DenBee.

The moth is a Bernet Moth.

 

[rokermartin]

As Whitburn Mark has stated in a previous mail on DBC Forum,I think some of the Marsden Kittiwake Colony may be taken a short vacation this season at Nose Point Seaham.
As mentioned in my mail of yesterday approx 19 inc fledglings at this spot.
have included a few pics from yesterdays swaree.
Could some kind person please ID the moth for me as these are to be seen in large numbers along the cliff tops

The moth is a Five-spot Burnet .

 

[[email protected]]

woodnt be nice

Could some kind person please ID the moth for me as these are to be seen in large numbers along the cliff tops

has there been good year for them never seen as many??
down lamesley reed beds today.. kingfisher and green woody. could hear the woody low down in a tree and sneeked up on it but couldnt see it and got within 10ft and my phone went off and so did the woody:-C almost put the camera on macro for the shot:-O

 

[DenBee]

The moth is a Five-spot Burnet .

Thanks Martin and Scuzz, I am still trying to get into this entomoligy, theres a big word for this time of night

 

[harry eales]

Thanks Martin and Scuzz, I am still trying to get into this entomoligy, theres a big word for this time of night

To be absolutely precise, the Moth is a Narrow-bordered five-spot Burnet. Not at all uncommon in certain parts of Co. Durham and Northumberland.

Harry

 

[The Liverbirder]

Entomology and philosphy in one posting! Superb! I particularly like the middle sentence - and I don't even have a dog!!!!!!

 

[IanF]

Whimbrel x5 in amongst the Curlew on the field by Seal Sands Road/A178 Tees Road.

Avocets all back on Tidal Pool.

Cuckoo x2 surrounded by Meadow Pipits along fence line behind dunes between Zinc Works Road-North Gare - both adults. One with missing primaries that's been prestn since around 25th June. c.25 Swift/Swallow and House Martin feeding in same area.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Hetton bogs for 3 or 4 hours today.
As far as bird life goes, It's the least active I've seen It with just a few of the regular Tits, reed bunting and mallards etc.
Oh! also a spider with one leg missing.
No sign of the kingfisher or the water rail.