Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

A superb photo Mark, about the best I have seen of this species :t:

 

[IanF]

A short stop off on the way home this afternoon brought -

Zinc Works Road
Merlin
Sparrowhawk
Snipe
Stonechat
Curlew
Mallard
Lapwing
Grey Partridge
Pheasant

Holme Fleet
Greylag Goose x100
Canada Goose x50
Curlew x50
Mute Swan x11
Tufted duck
Coot
Moorhen
Kestrel

 

[One Man and His Dog]

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.

hi mark
great shot! as ian said "best shot of this species seen" very well done!
steve

 

[One Man and His Dog]

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.

hi ian
some cracking shots of the little egrets you got there! you never no one day i might get them myself! fingers crossed for next time.
steve

 

[russkie]

this morning at Cassop Vale

kestrel
sparrowhawk
water rail [heard]
jack snipe x3
grey partridge

lovely walk in the sun and out of the wind.

Nigel

 

[rokermartin]

Sunderland Harbour 2 Iceland Gull one ad and 2ndw this afternoon.

 

[Skelly]

5 Pink Footed Geese at Herrington CP yesterday. Seemed quite tame and looked like they may take bread from the hand.

Also single Wigeon, Pochard and Grey Heron.

B

 

[StevieEvans]

Long-eared Owls.....

3 sites checked this evening & 3 pairs active.

Site A (Dusk)
Female calling for 30 mins; every 3 seconds or so from 18:00 onwards (audible at approx 70metres)
Heard the wing-clapping of the male as he came in silhouetted overhead, he broke off his display & dropped as if going for prey, but another large bird moved... seconds later the male was chasing after a 3rd Leo !
He used exadurated wing beats & 4 seperate claps to drive off the interloper, the birds rose to approx 80'-90'.
The sub-dominant individual kept above the male at all time, after a short while they broke off & the male returned wing clapping again, to land out of sight & call 3 times.
All this time the female remained in-situ calling constantly, but the rate of her calls increased the closer the male was. (& to a lesser degree the tone)
Most of the literature available comments that the species is not aggressive nor territorial.

Site B
From car - Female calling intermitantly & 3-4 wing claps heard but nil seen.

Site C
From car - Male singing & it or another across road when leaving site

SE

 

[DenBee]

Dalton Moor

After been stuck indoors all week at work and it been a sunny morning decided to stretch the old legs and check the local fields out once again.
Pleased to see an increase in Tree Sparrows from last weeks tally of 4 to a small flock of 10 intermixed with a flock of 20 Reed Bunting.
There is still quite an abundance of Linnet and Yellowhammer along the hedges of the Stackyard area of Dalton Moor.
The overall sightings today were:-
Grt Tit x 3
Dunnock x1
Wren x 1
Yellowhammer x c100
Bluetit x 4
BlkBird x 2
Magpie x 2
Wood Pigeon x c30
Skylark x 2
Blk headed Gull x 30
Bullfinch x 3 (Male/ 2 Female)
Reed Bunting x 20
Tree Sparrow x 10
Chaffinch x 2
Grey Partridge x 2
Linnet x c50 ( Decline in past numbers)
Crow x 6
Greenfinch x 2
Robin x 1

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Greta Bridge

Hi All,

Had a great walk along the river between Greta Bridge and Brignall Mill on Sunday:

highlights were

6 Marsh Tits
3 Woodcock
3 Common Buzzard
2 Green Woodpecker
3 GS Woodpecker
3 Dipper

Cheers,

Saddinall

 

[russkie]

nice list sadinall

 

[IanF]

Very good indeed. It's a good few years since I last had a walk around Greta Bridge and Brignall Banks. It used to be on of my favourite walks when I lived in Barnard Castle.

Green Woodpecker is especially good as they don't seem to be in the same numbers in the area that they once were.

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Greta Bridge

Thanks for that Ian and Russkie,

The Greta Bridge area was interesting - I was quite surprised by the Woodcock. I think we were the first to pass along the path that morning. Two of the Buzzards were displaying/talon grappling with each other.

I was interested that the forest in that area is quite sparce and wondered if it has always been that way or is it in decline?

I am a reluctant walker but my wife loves it - so I gave her the DBC recording area map and said "I'll walk anywhere in there". So I am finding out all about my new local county that way! :-O

Cheers,

Saddinall

 

[IanF]

Lol! I like your style with the DBC recording area :t:

It's certainly a pretty area. It's at least 15 years since I last wandered down that way but even then it was always pretty sparse mature mixed woodland, especially this time of year it will look barren. By summer the undergrowth will be very dense off the main paths. Downsteam from Abbey Bridge on the Durham side is very pretty in the Spring as it's a dense bluebell wood which I'm sure your wife will love. That section used to be good for Flycatchers, Kingfisher and Woodpeckers as well. Towards Brignall you came across pretty much what there should be. The 'Meeting of the Waters' where the River Greta joins the Tees used to be good for Goosander and Grey Wagtail but they're more common now.

Above Barney is my main haunt nowadays and Green Woodpecker used to be fairly common a number of years ago but seldom seen nowadays. I only saw one last year. I think Brignall Banks still holds LSW - but I'd have to check on that to be sure.

 

[IanF]

We called in at Low Barns today after visiting Barnard Castle ourselves - didn't go down the woods though.

I even renewed our DWT membership. I must have gotten over my annoyance at the 'conservation' clearance extravagances.

There was at least food in the feeding station though non of them were full. At least there were plenty of birds visiting, though nothing special. We had Long-tailed-Tit, Nuthatch x1, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Marsh Tit, Robin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Pheasant and GSW over but didn't drop in.

West Pond - Wren, Pheasant, Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Canada Goose x2, Wigeon, Hooded Crow, Crow, Rook, Mute Swan.

Paths - Goldcrest

Marston Lake - Goldeneye x7, Coot, Pochard, Moorhen, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Mallard and Teal. First time I've seen the new shingle island.

 

[Stewart J.]

Lovely pics Ian.

Stewart

 

[DaveB]

Barn Owl showed very well on the outskirts of West Auckland, as I was passing on my way to work (17:35).

Ian,

Like stewart says, 'lovely pics'. Dissapointed that I couldn't get out today, as the light was so good.

 

[StevieEvans]

...... an increase in Tree Sparrows from last weeks tally of 4 to a small flock of 10 intermixed with a flock of 20 Reed Bunting.......an abundance of Linnet and Yellowhammer along the hedges of the Stackyard area of Dalton Moor.

Hi Dennis
Had an hour late afternoon, birds everywhere.....
pair of Brambling & 10-12 Tree Sparrows in your hedge at Stackyard.
Closer to Dalton Moor Fm nice to see at least 3 Corn Bunting with 75 Yellowhammers & 20+ Reed Bunts. They all scattered & went off over High Eldons towards the A19.
4 pair plus 5 in a group Grey Partridge in Waltons Meadow alone.
A Little Owl & 8 Stock Dove at north end of Leatherbelly
A male Sparrowhawk busy plucking a Linnet at SE corner of Far Grass with a Great Tit & Goldcrest nearby.

Approx Totals 100 Reed Bunting inc 1 singing, 260 Yellowhammer, 220 Linnet many smaller groups, 7 Skylark, 18 Grey Partridge, 1 Greenfinch, 13 Chaffinch, nil Goldfinch

Another 4 Tree Spars at Haverley House with a Lapwings on territory, a single Redshank, 7 Swans & a pr of Gadwall on Seaton Pond, despite ice.

-

At dusk had my first roding Woodcock of the year, while watching a male Leo wing clapping, literaly only 1' above the path.
Driving home i thought i had a Bittern flying over north near Sedgeletch.... (?)
SE

 

[LSB]

We called in at Low Barns today after visiting Barnard Castle ourselves - didn't go down the woods though.

I even renewed our DWT membership. I must have gotten over my annoyance at the 'conservation' clearance extravagances.

There was at least food in the feeding station though non of them were full. At least there were plenty of birds visiting, though nothing special. We had Long-tailed-Tit, Nuthatch x1, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Marsh Tit, Robin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Pheasant and GSW over but didn't drop in.

West Pond - Wren, Pheasant, Teal, Mallard, Moorhen, Canada Goose x2, Wigeon, Hooded Crow, Crow, Rook, Mute Swan.

Paths - Goldcrest

Marston Lake - Goldeneye x7, Coot, Pochard, Moorhen, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Mallard and Teal. First time I've seen the new shingle island.

Nothing Special
Hooded Crow is a Lifer for me..lol
Great Pics Ian....

 

[DenBee]

Had an hour late afternoon, birds everywhere.....
pair of Brambling & 10-12 Tree Sparrows in your hedge at Stackyard.
Closer to Dalton Moor Fm nice to see at least 3 Corn Bunting with 75 Yellowhammers & 20+ Reed Bunts. They all scattered & went off over High Eldons towards the A19.
-

SE

Hi Stevie
Will try and get over with more feed soon, nice to see that we are starting to attract Corning Bunting as well as Tree sparrows back into the area.
I am starting to find that the wooded area between Times Inn and East Moor is begining to produce