Durham Birding (47 Viewers)

[NeilF]

Your directions where fine. I managed to find Daisy Hill reserve. However when you come out of the gate do you turn left or right. If you turn right there is an old rusty bridge. If you turn left there is a little wooden bridge and a big bridge. Do I turn left or right when I come out of the kissing gate from Daisy Hill nature reserve?

If it's where I'm thinking of, then left, follow the telepraph poles to an area of gorse, follow the burn to the bridge. Here you are out in the open between two area of wood's where GW's fly to/from.
Part of the enjoyment of going somewhere new is to just explore the place yourself without the use of directions, frequent visits over time will teach you which areas are best for birds. :t:
Don't know if you've already seen it but an excellent site guide to Daisy Hill NR is available on the Durham Bird Club website.

 

[degsy_safc]

PS....is there a photography thread on this forum...............................?

:-O:-O Yeah there is, but i guess if its good enough for moderators to post pictures on the Durham thread, then its good enough for the rest of the photographers to do it :-O:-O

 

[StevieEvans]

Hi Steve - i don't condone people disturbing the birds at nest building stage and i totally agree with you on that point.
However you started the topic by labelling photographers as the cause for the Dippers to move on - is it not a combination of birders and photographers?
Why single out one group of people?

Personally i don't have an us and them issue, i like taking pictures of wildlife and have met some really helpful friendly birders along the way - but i find it difficult to take when one set of people are singled out for criticism.

....<snip>..... but how can you criticise one group of people when others are doing exactly the same thing.

There is undoubtedly double standards going on, i.e. it is always the photographers who are tagged as the wrongdoers - yet there is clear photographic evidence of supposed respected people doing things they vocally criticise here.

degsy_safc
You/We can argue right & wrong till the cows come home
Lets stick to the specific instance, that has generated this debate.....

Several bird photographers who post on this thread, made lengthy visits to photograph Dippers at incredibly close range & in a very open aspect, while they were nest building.

The activities of these photographers resulted in the birds abandoning their breeding attempt.

Hopefully these few posts will serve to raise awareness of the stress that some have caused

At least we can agree on that :t:.

and hopefully it wont be the likes of Peregrine or Barns Owl that are the next subjects to suffer from this type of crass over-exposure.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Patch 09

A productive day on the patch with RM's producing its first Sand Martins & Dunlin of the year
Close to home, 10 Waxwings feeding on Crab apples, Siskins moving over & jammed in on todays large Whooper movement with one over the garden.

 

[degsy_safc]

Several bird photographers who post on this thread, made lengthy visits to photograph Dippers at incredibly close range & in a very open aspect, while they were nest building.

The activities of these photographers resulted in the birds abandoning their breeding attempt.[/FONT]

Steve,

Perhaps you may be right and i agree that this action is unacceptable. But are you watching the site 24x7, is it just the photographers that are visiting the site at such a close range - i probably doubt it. As a result i guess their involvement has contributed to the birds abandoning the site, but i suspect they are not solely responsible.

Similarly - i have heard rumours that some birders have been employing rather unscrupulous tactics to prevent Owls roosting at a Durham site in the hope that they discourage the scenes that went on last year..

Not too sure how well founded these rumours are - but i guess it will be interesting to see if anyone else chips in with more facts.

 

[IanF]

Wow! Go away for a week and come back to find people falling out yet again!

I don't think there'll ever be an equable solution to this issue. It's all to easy to apportion blame to account for something that's happened - whether it be 'blame the photographers' or 'blame the birdwatchers' or just as likely a combination of both. Just as it's easy to blame dog walkers or groups of rowdy youths. It's also easy to pretend nest disturbance is justified in the interests of bird population surveys.

To my mind the only way to avoid disturbance is to take up another hobby and leave the birds well alone.

At the end of the day whether photographers or bird watchers - some even regard themselves as doing both :eek!: - have got to act responsibly. They're responsible for their own actions whether something is done deliberately or through ignorance.

Meanwhile why not just get back to discussing what birds are being seen around the County!

 

[great bustard]

Similarly - i have heard rumours that some birders have been employing rather unscrupulous tactics to prevent Owls roosting at a Durham site in the hope that they discourage the scenes that went on last year..

I heard a rumour that these rumours were started by unscrupulous photgraphers who could not get foetoes of the owls on demand.
(I am ASSUMING the owls being talked about are SEO?) There certainly are not the numbers of SEO about as there was last year however there are still plenty of Owls about if your out and about when its a gettin dark and in the bad light....

PS... its the easiest thing in the world to start a RUMOUR

 

[Auntystatic]

I agree with Steve on his main point, there is no excuse for disturbing the birds to the point they abandon their choosen nest site.

It does raise a question with me, how many "birdwatchers" are photographers and vice versa, big grey patch there I think.

Last year I had to stay with my parents down south, I wanted to photograph dippers there so got info on lathkill dale in derbyshire, I was horrified to find out that a photographer, had been in the stream moving rocks around to provide a better photo opportunity, this resulted in the pair abandoning their chicks. :C

I refused to go there after that and found my own spot, in a different part of the county well away from the hordes. The pair I found had a nest under a bridge, I went there once a week watching from the car, then very early in the morning while the adults were away, I set up a camouflaged position near the bridge.

Took some great photos of the adults hunting, until a fly fisherman popped along, he didn't see me for quite a while and was a little startled, but for the hour and a half he was there the adults could not feed their young, standing off just up stream with a beak full of grubs, the young got impatient and started to call, the adults replied. The fisherman left and as he did one of the chicks fell or jumped out of the nest, followed by 2 more. :flyaway:

Now I was stuck there like it or not, I couldn't move incase the adults left, slowly but surely the chicks began to adjust to their new surroundings, it only took about 15 mins before they too started to bob up and down like the adults, within an hour they were hunting in the shallows, the call from the adults drew them up stream and I was able to pack up and watch them move further up stream from the car. :stuck:

I'm not sure whether or not they would have left the nest if the fisherman had not been there, but I had watched the adults from first light feeding about every 10 mins or so, and for the 1 1/2 hours the fisherman was there they couldn't feed.

The pictures "wow they stretch" "woohoo, so this is where the food is" "this stuffs cold, how do I get back up"

 

[IanF]

Otters on Teesmouth.

Maybe of interest to others as well -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7949474.stm

Looks like it was on the news on 17th March. I've heard a few mentions of them being on Greenabella Marsh and even saw one at Cowpen Bewley WPk last summer. Also sightings around Dormans Pool.

 

[barnstormer]

This arguement between birders and photographers happened last year too and nearly wrecked the thread and cost the thread a few good contributors to leave so please enough is enough.

 

[StevieEvans]

final word / Houghton Local Patch

Wow! Go away for a week and come back to find people falling out yet again!
I don't think there'll ever be an equable solution to this issue. It's all to easy to apportion blame to account for something that's happened - whether it be 'blame the photographers' or 'blame the birdwatchers' or just as likely a combination of both. Just as it's easy to blame dog walkers or groups of rowdy youths. It's also easy to pretend nest disturbance is justified in the interests of bird population surveys.
To my mind the only way to avoid disturbance is to take up another hobby and leave the birds well alone.
At the end of the day whether photographers or bird watchers - some even regard themselves as doing both :eek!: - have got to act responsibly. They're responsible for their own actions whether something is done deliberately or through ignorance.

Meanwhile why not just get back to discussing what birds are being seen around the County!

Ian
Once again we have aired a tricky subject, but i dont see than anyone has fallen out with anyone.....

I would imagine that contributors would expect you, as Forum Moderator ( & expert camera man) to take a tough stance on this type of topic, (after all BF has strict guidelines on not posting pics of eggs & nests).

In the specific instance which i have brought up, a pair of breeding wild birds have been harassed by "people with cameras"
Then Tom, Dick & Harry, who seemingly can't find Dippers on their local patch all get in on the act, wade in & the breeding birds become the centre of a distasteful "circus".................to the point of abandonment of their nests.....
then the pictures of these same birds are posted on this thread......



Hopefully this debate will highlight the potential consequences to many beginner "cameramen" out there (birders & non-birders alike - myself included ! :t, aspiring to achieve quality bird photo's.
I suppose the bottom line is :- if you havnt much experience or fieldcraft then, for their sakes.... keep away from nesting birds.


-------------------------------------

Anyway, as you say back to the birds, or more specifically the Local Patch.

Heres some photos of a herd of wild Whooper swans on their way back to Iceland, but forced to shelter at Herrington Country Park due to the strengthening NW wind.
They'd also been noted over Houghton at 9AM

Steve Evans
Mob: 07979 60 1231

 

[NeilF]

local patch

Washington WWT;
40+ Shelduck, 1m Gadwall, 1m Shoveler, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3pr Oystercatcher, 60+ Redshank, 1pr+1 LBB Gull, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Jay.
Closest I got to a Whooper Swan today was this unidentified snoozing 'White Goose' next to a deceased Greylag :eek!:

Sand & House Martin through Lamesley this weekend.

 

[IanF]

Copied from TBC web site

RSPB SALTHOLME - STOLEN OPTICS
Six items of optical equipment were stolen from the RSPB shop at Saltholme on Saturday 21st March:-

RSPB HD 10x42 binoculars (with the strap housing broken); Viking Vistron 10x42 binoculars; AG 80 digiscoping set; AG 88 spotting scope body; AG 60 spotting scope body; Viking A66 ED scope body.

Someone may try to sell these items to members and we would be very grateful for any information on this matter. We will also be watching out on eBay. If you have any information please telephone 01642 542070

Many Thanks
Dave Braithwaite
Site Manager,RSPB Saltholme

 

[Alan Tilmouth]

Daily Regional summary now available at http://birdneast.blogspot.com/2009/03/bird-reports-22-march.html

 

[MalR]

Whooper swans still at Herrington Country Park at 7.15 this morning, when I called in on my way to work. They were keeping to the south west corner of the main lake.

Cheers to Stevie Evans for posting yesterday. I wouldn't have known about them otherwise.:t:

Malcolm

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Local Patch 09

Whooper swans still at Herrington Country Park at 7.15 this morning, when I called in on my way to work. They were keeping to the south west corner of the main lake.

Cheers to Stevie Evans for posting yesterday. I wouldn't have known about them otherwise.:t:

Malcolm

Malcolm, Good to see they're still there!
JimmyW from Penshaw was first to put the word out yestday @ midday.

We have a local grapevine ( a Text message to multiple recipients, sharp spreads the word :t. Drop me your number if you like.

Other Houghton Patch news from yestday includes Wheatears, Hen Harrier & PFGoose at Seaton Pond, White Wag at Warden Law, LRP & 20Wigeon at Ho'Gate, 10+Waxwings at Ho'ton Burnside, 3Chiffchaff & 4Whoopers at Hetton Bogs, 2Sand Martin & 2+Chiffchaff at Rainton Meadows.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ALFIE TEMPLE]

82 Whooper at Herrington 9-00am

 

[tel boy]

Blue bird

On tuesday at hamsterley photographed this pheasant could someone tel me y it is blue.

 

[NeilF]

A few pictures from the local patch & beyond today;

 

[will@bill]

Just Heard Stevie Has Got Some Snipe Pics To Stick On Here So Lets See Who Is Top Dog Snapper
But No Snipping At The Loser:-o