Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[DaveB]

Green Sandpiper on the outskirts of Bishops Park.

Also there:

Tree Sparrow (1)
Treecreeper (2)
Robin (3)
Blackbird (2)
BH Gull (3)
Magpie (2)
Chaffinch (10+)
Great Tit (10+)
Blue Tit (10+)
Coal Tit (1)
Grey Partridge (2)
Song Thrush (1)
Pheasant (1)


Lapwing and Skylark (displaying/singing at Etherley Moor).

 

[One Man and His Dog]

lesser sightings

H'lo Steve
good to hear of another LSW; thats 6 well spaced locations reporting birds so far this year.

Maybe some Little Auks passing in next few days......?
SE

hi stevie
there is quite a few LSW sightings at the moment is'nt there! still can't spot barn owl let alone photograph one! i think i might be cheeky soon and ask for your expertise to find one, or maybe you could drop one off at mine next time your passing! you seem to find a lot and there's me can't even get a sniff of one.
cheers stevie

 

[Skelly]

3 Goosander at Sunderland Bridge this morning.

Also, Long Tailed Tit, Yellowhammer, Skylark, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and Goldcrest.

200+ Golden Plover at Chester Moor, in fields to the left of the Church Mouse roundabout.

 

[Mark Newsome]

Green Sandpiper on the outskirts of Bishops Park.
Also there:
Tree Sparrow (1)
Treecreeper (2)
Robin (3)
Blackbird (2)
BH Gull (3)
Magpie (2)
Chaffinch (10+)
Great Tit (10+)
Blue Tit (10+)
Coal Tit (1)
Grey Partridge (2)
Song Thrush (1)
Pheasant (1)
Lapwing and Skylark (displaying/singing at Etherley Moor).

Some good counts there Dave - hope you're sending them in to DBC. When writing the annual reports, it's amazing to see how few common birds are actually reported, so it makes it very difficult to get a feel of the abundance of birds in the county. It's amazing what we find out about birds in the county once everyone starts 'pulling in the same direction'. Who'd have thought we've got well over 180 Little Owl territories in the county!
With new projects and surveys taking placer this year, it's more important than ever to send in records of birds like Grey Partridges.

 

[Skelly]

White Pheasant in fields at Chester Moor this lunchtime. Unusual looking bird if anyone's interested.

B

 

[StevieEvans]

Some good counts there Dave - hope you're sending them in to DBC. When writing the annual reports, it's amazing to see how few common birds are actually reported, so it makes it very difficult to get a feel of the abundance of birds in the county. It's amazing what we find out about birds in the county once everyone starts 'pulling in the same direction'. Who'd have thought we've got well over 180 Little Owl territories in the county!
With new projects and surveys taking placer this year, it's more important than ever to send in records of birds like Grey Partridges.

e'yup whitburnmark
Re Little Owl
quite possibly 1 to add to that 180.....
Little Owl calling over a two hour period last night at South Hylton, Sunderland. (tetrad not marked on 2000 summer Atlas).

Projects, Surveys & fieldwork Meeting on 19:30 Thursday night at the usual Durham venue.
Very good chance that copies of the latest Annual Report will be available on the night.

All welcome, including non-members.
SE

 

[Mark Newsome]

Had a good check of gulls from Sunderland to Shields this afternoon but the coast was very quiet (and flipping freezing!). An adult Iceland was at Boldon Flats mid-afternoon (photo below), and the 1st winter Iceland was reported today in the Tyne (visible from South Shields, opposite fish quay).

 

[Skelly]

Rainton Meadows this morning

Redshank
Ringed Plover
20 Oystercatcher
30+ Canada Goose
Bullfinch
Tufted Duck
Greylag Goose

 

[rayl]

River Team and Riding Lane.

6 Greylag, 2 Canada Geese, Kingfisher, Dipper x 2 pair, Kestrel, Sparwk, LTT x 10, Fieldfare x 20, Woodies x 200, small flock 15 Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Song Thrush, pair Grey Partridge.

Geese were sheltering in valley.
Spent an entertaining 20 minutes watching a Dipper exploring rock pools and rapids.

Gateshead Council have installed some nice information boards around Ousebrough Woods showing local history and wildlife. It will be interesting to see how long they last before some idiot defaces them.

Ray

 

[IanF]

North Tees Marshes.

A short visit this afternoon as I was passing. Saltholme west was virtually 100% iced over with very little in view. Most birds seemed to be over Back Saltholme including the juvenile Peregrine which was putting up the waders. After sitting a while on the ground it once again headed off to the Transporter Bridge where it alighted on the northern end. I've seen it land a few times there now.

Saltholme east was a bit better off with only a few patches of ice. It was nice to see one of the Little Egret on the main pond. Of late they've been mainly out of sight in the ditches or on Holme Fleet at the top end. The male and female Smew were still giving good views - though non too close.

 

[Mark Newsome]

Had a nice hour at the Hawthorn Wood hide at Washington WWT at lunchtime. Plenty happening all the time I was there, with 2 GS Woodpeckers, c10 Siskin, 15-20 Bullfinch and 2 Willow Tits. One Willow Tit had an all pale tail and looked very odd when flying away!
I liked the last photo, with Great Spot on one side of the fat and a cheeky Long-tailed Tit on the other. Must have fancied its luck with the bars in between!
Short-eared Owl still showing well by the Cattery at Boldon Flats this evening, also Jack Snipe there.

 

[rayl]

North of the county, 3 Buzzard, brief but superb display flights.
Garden feeders, unsuccessful raid by male Sparwk.

Super pic. Mark, would make an ideal candidate for one of those caption competitions.

Ray

 

[Skelly]

15 Golden Plover at Chester Moor

Just moved to Sacriston and decided to have a walk into the woods there.

Good numbers of Yellowhammer, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jay, Robin and Dunnock

B

 

[StevieEvans]

Just moved to Sacriston and decided to have a walk into the woods there.
B

Hi Ian - look forward to hearing what you get through there.......
PS i had Barn & Long-eared on my garden list at Sacriston ;-)
SE

 

[Skelly]

Hi Ian - look forward to hearing what you get through there.......
PS i had Barn & Long-eared on my garden list at Sacriston ;-)
SE

Jackdaw is all I have on the garden list at the new house.

Hopefully will get some better birds, don't know about Owls though.

Pair of Goosanders on the river at CLS park this afternoon.

:loveme:

 

[IanF]

I called in at Rossmere Park, Hartlepool this afternoon hoping the Little Egrets would come into roost. I arrived at 4.00pm on the dot and spent the next half hour walking around the pond watching the Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot and Canada Goose. Most of the pond was frozen over with just a narrow strip of ice free water.

I'd just nicely sat down on one of the benches when a Sparrowhawk flew across the water in front of me heading onto the island. A few minutes later a Grey Heron landed on what I believe is a Weeping Willow on the island which is the tree used by the Egrets. After a few minutes preening it went to sleep.

Come 4.50pm with heavy cloud having returned and with my bum going rather numb from sat on the cold metal benches I looked up to see a Little Egret pass overhead. I grabbed the camera and took a few shots as it circled before coming into land chasing the Heron away. At 5.00pm a second Little Egret flew in straight into the same tree without any flypast and displaced the first one which hopped a few branches away. I waited another 20 minutes but no more birds turned up.

 

[salty]

stevie - been trying to contact you!


PM me matey.

 

[russkie]

hi all

had a song thrush singing in the garden all week and now had a lovely pair feeding.
hopefully theyll nest here this year

heres a pic of one of them

Nigel

 

[russkie]

another welcome back to my favourite garden bird

 

[Mark Newsome]

Iceland Gull still in Tyne, mainly hanging around North Shields fish quay. (I know, not technically Durham, but it does fly around the middle of the river into 'Durham waters' and you easily see it from South Shields if you need a year tick!)
Common Buzzard flew south over West Pastures early afternoon (very infrequent in South Tyneside), but not a day for owls - none flying at West Pastures or Boldon Flats.
58 Golden Plovers on St Josephs School football pitch, Hebburn, included quite a few in full summer plumage - looked excellent in the snow.