Durham Birding (42 Viewers)

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Local Patch 09

Managed a couple of hours birding nr Seaton Pond this evening.

Couple each of Barn & Long-eared Owls hunting from 21:00.

Viewing from range with a scope, the Barn Owls went into a large deciduous where the male followed his mate, chasing & flying within the canopy.
Quite comical at times - he grasped the trunk with bill & talons - walking up steep angled limbs like a juvenile, while fluttering his wings.
Turned through 180 degrees while watching the BO's, to see a Long-eared hunting within 20 metres of us - i inadvertently made a noise with my tripod, the owl looked round gave a female type alarm call in flight, continuing to hunt, circling back to come past us again.

Others inc:- numerous Grasshopper Warblers reeling, 1 Cuckoo singing, fledged Lapwings beating about, several Herons

cheers
Steve

 

[barnstormer]

Just a quick question,where's the best place in the durham area to see any species of buzzard.

 

[ian hamilton]

Timber Beach 0545-0700;
Cormorant
2 Mute Swan
pr Shelduck with 4 ducklings near the crethauser also upto 4prs at claxheugh rock
pr Oystercatcher
3 Curlew
Herring Gull
3prs Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Common Tern
Woodpigeon
Wren
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Song Thrush
m Blackcap
Lesser Whitethroat
2 Common Whitethroat
4 Willow Warbler
2 Chiffchaff
Long Tailed Tit
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Goldfinch
m Reed Bunting
Grey Squirrel seen only briefly

 

[IanF]

Just a quick question,where's the best place in the durham area to see any species of buzzard.

They're becoming pretty widespread nowadays. Not sure if its the best area but in the areas I visit Teesdale is pretty reliable for them nowadays on the moors anywhere around Hamsterley Forest - Eggleston Common- above Middleton-in-Teesdale. Likewise the west side of the dale.

They're even in residence down my corner of the County at a couple of locations.

 

[StevieEvans]

Had a look up Weardale today, very difficult woodland birding in the heat of the day.
Managed to see Pairs of Redstart & Pied Flycatcher attending nests.
Others seen included Green Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher, pathside Woodcock, Cuckoo, male Siskin, Buzzard, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, GCGrebe, Common Sandpiper.

Closer to home we saw a couple of these Banded Demoiselle dragonflys at close range (pic DK)

 

[Jonathan Hare]

Speckled Headed Blackbird

While waiting for my dad today. I was outside of Stranton Church, Hartlepool at about 2ish. I saw this blackbird fly towards me. Luckily it was foraging around for food for a couple of mins so I was able to grab 2 shots. Here is one of the images, cropped in so to bring the detail out.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Local Patch 09

Speckled Headed Blackbird

While waiting for my dad today. I was outside of Stranton Church, Hartlepool at about 2ish. I saw this blackbird fly towards me. Luckily it was foraging around for food for a couple of mins so I was able to grab 2 shots. Here is one of the images, cropped in so to bring the detail out.

We have a White Rumped Blackbird which would appear to have aspirations of pretending to be a rare wheatear species.

Quail singing close to Seaton Pond this evening (SE / AS / IS)

 

[great bustard]

We have a White Rumped Blackbird which would appear to have aspirations of pretending to be a rare wheatear species.

Quail singing close to Seaton Pond this evening (SE / AS / IS)

IL

 

[StevieEvans]

IL

Sorry to hear you're Ill marra

"IS" ? how did i manage that ? musta mistook you for that flukey bloke from Sacriston

While we're on the topic of Initials, Its a pity i dont know the initials of the person whose been ringing my home phone at 3 & 4 in the morning . . .

20mins at DBC's Castle Lake Hide this aftnoon

3Teal passing through
3LRP
half a dozen Tree Sparrows in the farmyard
5Shoveller
cock Linnet feeding his mate
various Yellow Wagtails bounding about in several directions
pair of Kestrel soaring together
male Corn Bunting at the hide
Common Whitethroat in display flight in front of hide
good nos of hirundines including a couple of family parties of Sand Martin - amazing to see the adult twist its head & feed the accompanying fledged young in full flight.

 

[andyg]

Garden Ticks

Will be moving from Lanchester very soon, just thought i'd list the birds we've had in the garden over the last 4 years.

Blue,Great, Coal, Long Tail Tits
Gold, Green, Chaff, Bullfinches
Siskin, nuthatch, Treecreeper
Dunnock, Song Thrush, Blackbird
Robin, Wren, Starling
Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie
WoodPigeon, Collared Dove
Goldcrest, Chiff Chaff, Redpoll
Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

and the tenuous ones.

Waxwings in the shrubs just outside the garden
Swift and Canada Geese in our air space
Tawny and Little Owl possibly calling from our trees rather than ones a little further away.

Looking forward to see what we can attract to our new garden

 

[MalR]

painted lady butterflies

Apologies for a non-birding question, but it does relate to our area. I was watching Springwatch tonight and there was an item about the well-publicised "invasion" of the UK by painted lady butterflies. It was described as a once in a lifetime event. I just wondered if anyone has seen signs of it in our part of the country, or is it a southern phenomenon?

Malcolm

 

[StevieEvans]

Apologies for a non-birding question, but it does relate to our area. I was watching Springwatch tonight and there was an item about the well-publicised "invasion" of the UK by painted lady butterflies. It was described as a once in a lifetime event. I just wondered if anyone has seen signs of it in our part of the country, or is it a southern phenomenon?

Malcolm

2 raggy looking ones in a garden at Ford Estate, Sunderland this morning.
last 2 days have had only singles at Houghton, Bollihope quarry, Tunstall Reservoir.
Perhaps Roker Martian will have a good idea what the story is ?

( Malcolm, Your Castle Lake key should be with you tomorrow:t: )

 

[rokermartin]

Apologies for a non-birding question, but it does relate to our area. I was watching Springwatch tonight and there was an item about the well-publicised "invasion" of the UK by painted lady butterflies. It was described as a once in a lifetime event. I just wondered if anyone has seen signs of it in our part of the country, or is it a southern phenomenon?

Malcolm

I have seen a few Painted Lady butterflies around recently.The last big influx i can recall was about 20yrs or so go.There were thousands all over the country i can remember seeing 50+ in the garden one day.At the moment the females will be laying there eggs on thistles and stinging nettles there should be huge numbers of them flying around in August and September.

 

[IanF]

Apologies for a non-birding question, but it does relate to our area. I was watching Springwatch tonight and there was an item about the well-publicised "invasion" of the UK by painted lady butterflies. It was described as a once in a lifetime event. I just wondered if anyone has seen signs of it in our part of the country, or is it a southern phenomenon?

Malcolm

They've been well spread around my area now. Most I've seen is 20+ a Dormans Pool a couple of evenings ago with afew along the cinder embankment plus many more sat around along the tracks. Around a dozen at Cowpen Bewley WPk on Tuesday morning.

 

[MalR]

Thanks for those (very quick) replies. It doesn't sound as if we're exactly being overrun with them up here, despite the influx. I haven't come across any when I've been out and about, although I haven't especially been looking for them. As Martin says, it will be interesting to see what numbers are like in the autumn.

Cheers for posting out the key, Steve.:t: I'm looking forward to seeing the new hide, which by all accounts is a great new facility.

Malcolm

 

[IanF]

We had a ride through to Barnard Castle today but the only birdwatching was when sat on the Bandstand for a picnic lunch. A pair of Nuthatch collecting food and taking it to the nest hole in an oak tree. Wren, Blue Tit and Great Tit likewise gathering food. On the river Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Swallow, Swift, House Martin and a single Spotted Flycatcher. Blackcap and Willow Warbler calling in the woods.

We returned home via Kinninvie/Hamsterly - seeing Redshank, Oystercatcher, Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Common Buzzard.

 

[IanF]

Dormans Pool this evening - Swift 400-500 mostly over Rec Pond. Common Tern, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Shelduck regularly overhead passing between the pools. Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe in pool below top car park. Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler still singing.

Black-tailed Skimmer x2 males along track plus Common Blue, Wall, Small Heath and two tatty looking Painted Lady butterflies.

Still lots of activity around Greatham Creek/Saline Lagoon with Lapwing, Redshank, Shelduck, Common Tern and Avocets.

 

[StevieEvans]

Spur of the moment trip over the dales this evening
We had 4-5 Short-eared Owls, similar number of singing Tree Pipit, drumming Snipe, Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, a male Merlin, Curlew with chicks, Buzzard, pr Kestrel nesting in barn.
Later we called at Hamsterley & within moments had a male Nightjar give 3 short burst of 'churring' before flying out to catch a moth right above our heads. He came back 5 mins later to sit on a bare branch, before flying off low over the heather.
Close by an adult Woodcock flew out over open ground being closely tailed by 3 of her offspring.
In another area Njar were heard churring, + we ended up with one sitting on the track

 

[andyg]

Apologies for a non-birding question, but it does relate to our area. I was watching Springwatch tonight and there was an item about the well-publicised "invasion" of the UK by painted lady butterflies. It was described as a once in a lifetime event. I just wondered if anyone has seen signs of it in our part of the country, or is it a southern phenomenon?

Malcolm

Lots seen between Low and High force on Monday

 

[AndyMc]

Out of curiousity:
As it's raining on yet another 'enforced' day off :-C, going through last years photos, I noticed how much cleaner the saline lagoon island looked last year.
I was wondering who usually does the gardening here & whether the island has been left overgrown for a purpose.
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:t:Andy