Durham Birding (5 Viewers)

[geordie graham]

At Saltholme today unaware it was official opening day.Here`s a few decent bird shots.

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Graham

 

[oncebittern]

At Saltholme today unaware it was official opening day.Here`s a few decent bird shots.

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Graham

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[StevieEvans]

Cracking shots Steve. I am puzzled what does "pr" mean. I have seen birders using it I was wondering if you could tell me what it means. cheers, Andrew K

Andrew ive told you a million times, "pr" is the shortened version of the call of the Turtle Dove.
it can also stand for "pretty rare" or more often "pretty regular"
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Did anyone see if the kids play area was completed / open at Saltholme ?

 

[serenade]

Saltholme play area

Steve,

No, it is still knee deep in mud, the signs do say 'opening soon' though, all of the paths around the reserve are open, as are the hides. The Chris Beardshaw garden is apparently going to open June/July but it actually looked finished (I assume someone has told him that he has planted the trees upside down )

Ray

 

[Ray.Scott]

Had to go to Gateshead so called at Clara Vale and Far Pastures again:

Same birds at Clara plus the kingfisher put on a good show, fishing in all the ponds and using all perches, even the one just outside the hide where the feeders are :t:.

Called at Far Pastures:
Nothing on the water other than coots & moorehens and 4 red kites high above. On the way out a single red kite in the field which kept landing, as if hunting for something, until a helicopter flew over & flushed It.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Plus a couple of the Red Kite:

For anyone interested It's number 33.

 

[Boy Wonder]

Hi Steve,

Will try and update you as best I can on the play area. Structurally we are complete but we need to put the safety matting down so the grass grows through it. This is hugely weather dependant and as such can't put a specific date on completion. Sorry for the delay but hopefully you'll enjoy the swings soon

 

[barnstormer]

It may stay or it may move on. They should be returning about now but it could be one from another area just passing through - maybe even Washington WWT. Hopefully it's one of the birds from last year returning here to breed again.

Looking forward to seeing them at jarrow slake (port of tyne) we had a few down there last year.......

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Rainton Meadows

Had a good day today at Ratinton Meadows today bumped into Hills and I finally had a short chat with MH who seemed a very canny person.

Pool 2
Herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Common Gull, Goldeneye, Little Grebe, Teal, Mallard, Coot, 2pr Shelduck, Redshank, 45+ Lapwing, Tufted Duck, Canada Goose, Moorhen, 2 Cormorant, 17 Oystercatcher.

Joe's
Willow tit, Bullfinch, Blackbird, Chaffinch, Dunnock, Pheasant, Robin, Long tailed tit, Great Black Backed gull or Lesser I am really bad on those two if I don't see there legs, Woodpigeon, Great tit, Mute Swan, Mallard.

Pool 1
Mute Swan, Coot, and Grey Heron.

Andrew K

Was hopeing for a Ice, or Med gull for the year list. :-C

 

[Auntystatic]

Scuzz great kingfisher pic's, looks like he has a deformed lower beak (near the end) as it doesn't seem to close fully, it doesnt stop him fishing though, and don't you find your self with a smile on your face when they get so close ||

 

[IanF]

The Bean Goose was giving pretty good views late afternoon from Belasis Avenue, Billingham. Closest I've seen it so far.

In amongst around 30 each of Greylag and Canada Geese.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Gate

Nice selection again today.
5PFGeese, 11Shelduck, 1Dunlin, 1Snipe, 1Golden Plover, 2Redshank, 2Oystercatcher, 145Lapwing, 500Starling.

Its picked up recently, the farmer had been going into field each day over the winter to put bales out for the beast.

Perhaps best known for the large winter Curlew flock, 4figure flocks of spring passage Golden Plover & an excellent density of breeding Lapwings, its certainly worthy of a little more attention - we dont have many decent water bodies inland, that you can view from your car !

Certainly worth a look if your passing

Cheers
Steve

 

[AndyMc]

Photography Rights

Followed a trail of disgarded ham & peas pudding sarnies to a Barny roost yesterday. Arrived at the layby 6.30am, just as it was leaving for breakfast :flyaway:. Assuming it would return, I waited in anticipation . Come 9.00 my feet were numb in the morning frost thinking I might have been outwitted by the wise one.
Along comes Mr. Farmer ''who gave you permission to take photographs on my land'' ''I was in a public layby'' ''The trees on my land'' etc etc. After some discussion, I decided to retreat a car park further down the road as I probably wasn't getting anywhere :-C. Pulling up in the car park, what flies across my windscreen & down to the tree hole? Damn it!!!!:C

Has this sort of situation happened to anyone else & who is in the right? Not that I'm going to push this particular one as I have a plan B:smoke:.

:t:Andy

 

[oncebittern]

Along comes Mr. Farmer ''who gave you permission to take photographs on my land'' ''I was in a public layby'' ''The trees on my land'' etc etc.
Has this sort of situation happened to anyone else & who is in the right? Not that I'm going to push this particular one as I have a plan B:smoke:.
:t:Andy

Seems to me that if you were in a public place, and were not 'invading his privacy' by climbing a ladder to photograph over a wall or something, then he has no authority whatsoever to tell you which way you can or cannot point your camera.

If that were the case, then that would make almost every landscape photo ever taken 'illegal'.

 

[JBee]

Followed a trail of disgarded ham & peas pudding sarnies to a Barny roost yesterday. Arrived at the layby 6.30am, just as it was leaving for breakfast :flyaway:. Assuming it would return, I waited in anticipation . Come 9.00 my feet were numb in the morning frost thinking I might have been outwitted by the wise one.
Along comes Mr. Farmer ''who gave you permission to take photographs on my land'' ''I was in a public layby'' ''The trees on my land'' etc etc. After some discussion, I decided to retreat a car park further down the road as I probably wasn't getting anywhere :-C. Pulling up in the car park, what flies across my windscreen & down to the tree hole? Damn it!!!!:C

Has this sort of situation happened to anyone else & who is in the right? Not that I'm going to push this particular one as I have a plan B:smoke:.

:t:Andy

Yes Andy - I had the exact same attitude from him and the exact words.
It was fairly amicable but he wouldn't accept the fact I was on public property.
I wasn't 100% certain of the law but told him I had already travelled there so I was staying - he accepted that.
Once I got home I talked to IanF (ex policeman) to get the facts.
Basically there is FA the guy can do as long as you don't trespass on his land or invade his privacy.
Scuzz and I have decided that we will go again and if the guy confronts us we will politely tell him to sod off.
If he continued to bother me/us I would even be tempted to ring the police and report him for harassment.
It is tricky though as he could make it difficult by parking his van at the end of the lane or even standing around there, though I think that could get him into bother for disturbing a scheduled bird.
I'm sure IanF will add to and clarify this.

 

[IanF]

It's a pity this situation has developed. However technically since viewing is from a layby on a public road and there's no question of invading privacy there's not a lot he can do about it legally.

Just be aware though that time is getting on and Barn Owl is a Schedule 1 species. Many owls are starting to nest now. I doubt they'd use that tree as there's barely enough room for one owl let alone a family - but there's still a chance they might and the claim could always be made regardless.

Maybe viewing from the car park would be better where they're seen each evening - often flying over the cars themselves.

 

[Ray.Scott]

:-O

Scuzz great kingfisher pic's, looks like he has a deformed lower beak (near the end) as it doesn't seem to close fully, it doesnt stop him fishing though, and don't you find your self with a smile on your face when they get so close ||

Cheers, I was wondering the same about the beak, Its the same on the other hundred or so photo's I took :-O.

 

[AndyMc]

It's a pity this situation has developed. However technically since viewing is from a layby on a public road and there's no question of invading privacy there's not a lot he can do about it legally.

Just be aware though that time is getting on and Barn Owl is a Schedule 1 species. Many owls are starting to nest now. I doubt they'd use that tree as there's barely enough room for one owl let alone a family - but there's still a chance they might and the claim could always be made regardless.

Maybe viewing from the car park would be better where they're seen each evening - often flying over the cars themselves.

I was a bit concerned that he may phone the police himself, claiming I was the disturber & that it is actually was a nest. I also did not want to create a situation whereby he wouldn't allow access onto his land for any 'official' owl business such as ringing. Could he do that?
Plan B would be to hide from the farmer as well as the owl .

Until I heard about JBee being apprehended, I was starting to feel victimised. I was on the moors a couple of weeks ago being harrassed by a gamekeeper. Every time my camera went out the window, he 'kindly' pulled his landrover in front of me :C. When I got out to 'have a go' he pulled away. This happened enough times for me to give up as the birds were upping & off.

:t:Andy

 

[balvert]

Hi according to the weather forecast its going to be very windy on Sunday not ideal weather for looking for LS Woodpeckers.Good tip when looking for LSW is to look at the outer and upper branches of trees they are rarely seen close to the trunk.Hope you see one.

Thanks Martin. Car got broken into last night so the LSW search would've been cancelled with or without the wind. :C :C :C

 

[IanF]

I was a bit concerned that he may phone the police himself, claiming I was the disturber & that it is actually was a nest. I also did not want to create a situation whereby he wouldn't allow access onto his land for any 'official' owl business such as ringing. Could he do that?
Plan B would be to hide from the farmer as well as the owl .

Until I heard about JBee being apprehended, I was starting to feel victimised. I was on the moors a couple of weeks ago being harrassed by a gamekeeper. Every time my camera went out the window, he 'kindly' pulled his landrover in front of me :C. When I got out to 'have a go' he pulled away. This happened enough times for me to give up as the birds were upping & off.

:t:Andy

Since the tree is on his land he can bar access to anyone and even chop the tree down for that matter - though from what JBee told me about the situation he likes having the owl around himself. I think he claimed they actually nest in an old water tower - assuming it's the same bird. I was informed the owls here are ringed each year but I do wonder now if it's the same farm. Ringing is really a skilled hobby rather than a right and there's no right of access to any land to do it - you need the permission and usually good will of the land owner.

I had thought Jbee's encounter maybe a one off - obviously not though since you've experience the same. I've been a couple of times myself and had no problems.