Durham Birding (2 Viewers)

[IanF]

Marsh Harrier present at Dormans Pool yesterday morning at 9.30 am - 10.10am though repeatedly mobbed by a pair of Crows. Stonechat on the fence around the lower car park.

Whinchat x4 and Stonechat x6 still on Greenabella Marsh by the sub-station with Reed Bunting and Whitethroat.

Pink-footed Goose on RSPB Saltholme in front of Saltholme hide plus Greenshank, Snipe and two Ruff. Still lots of Sand Martin around the main pool, plus the BN Grebe, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Little Gull and Yellow and Pied Wagtails and now Citrine Wagtail in front of the Centre! Didn't see it though in the morning :C

 

[ian hamilton]

Timber Beach,0615-0815;
9 Grey Heron
3 juv Shelduck
1m+5F Mallard
50 Lapwing
3 Black Tailed Godwit
28 Curlew
140 Redshank
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Collared Dove
Bullfinch calling

 

[StevieEvans]

DBC Castle Lake Nature Reserve

DBC's Castle Lake Nature Reserve at Bishop Middleham

Doing very well for waders at present with 11 species visible from the hide today, including an impressive 15Greenshank - a flock of 10 circling the lake calling during a Sparrowhawk attack was quite a spectacle !

selected species counts include:-

1Curlew Sandpiper
12Black tailed Godwit
15Ruff
1Green Sandpiper
1Ringed Plover
3Common Sandpiper

also
3Common Buzzard 1Peregrine, 3Sparrowhawk, 4Kestrel
All 3 wagtail species feeding together below the hide.
1Kingfisher.
etc
etc

phone / text or Email if you would like a Hide key :- 079 79 60 1231 / stevieevans AT btinternet.com
keys cost £6 & available to all wild bird enthusiasts.
Steve

 

[Ross Ahmed]

Pelagic off South Shields 6th Sept - two places left

A couple of places left on pelagic next Sunday. Trip on 20th September now fully booked. The details are below. Note the change to the distance the boat sails out to sea - a maximum of 12 miles offshore.


Booked for Sun 6th Sept leaving from Mill Dam, South Shields. Sailing will be 8am-4pm up to 12 miles offshore.

Trips weather dependent and will be cancelled if poor weather, but may be able to be rearranged.

Price is £27.50 per person. Please send full amount to me to reserve place. First 11 payments received will get places (can't think of a better way to do it than that?). If only paying for one trip, please let me know which trip you want to go on. Could arrange more trips if high demand.

Easiest way to pay is to send money to my paypal account. Send to email address [email protected] Otherwise send cheque to 23 Rede Avenue, Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, NE31 1QT.

Trips open to all including non-DBC members.

To book or if any questions, pm or email.

 

[Auntystatic]

Spoke to Tony Crease at foxglove covert about the use of tapes during ringing sessions, he told me it was common practice amongst many groups, but never during the breeding seasons, mainly it is used during the migration season to attract birds.

Normally at foxglove they only use them occasionally, but during the recent ringing training week they did use taped bird calls, an article was in the yorkshire post about ringing today http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/country-view/Military-intelligence-keeps-a-strategic.5599101.jp

I don't normally do this but I entered a photographic competition, and am in the running to win, if you would like to vote for my butterfly picture I would be grateful http://cde.cerosmedia.com/Portrait-Masterclass-Nikon-D3000-Review/1L4a7aa6af96aec012.cde/page/12 Printers like this are out of my reach price wise, if anyone wants a chance at one the next months competition is "animal portraits" its free to enter and there are many good photo's on here that could win.

Cheers

Dani

 

[ColinSev]

Saltholme / Dormans Pool / Greatham Creek

Auntystatic - its the best of 3 pics - you have my vote - looks like your winning too. Let us know if you win please.

Had a good morning with Peregrine, Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel around Greatham Creek and Saltholme. Plenty of Yellow Wagtails about too, never saw the Black Necked Grebe though.

As for the BTO sound playbacks, dunno if they fooled the birds but they fooled me. Still think they shouldnt play a continous loop of bird song whether they are BTO or not - if its good enough for them..........etc.

 

[Auntystatic]

Thanks for the vote Colin, I'm undecided about the tapes, I can see the benefit of calling down migrants to get recorded as it can show migratory paths, but it just seems a bit like cheating really.

 

[June Atkinson]

Osprey alert

The second osprey chick from Loch Garten has begun her migration, She flew east of Edinburgh and into Northumberland, passing over Bamburgh and at 9pm last evening she was at Longhoughton.
She may well be heading into Durham, so look out in suitable places....

The other chick, Rothes, is in the Gironde are of western France, near a Sturgeon farm!
Follow their migration (and also that of Beatrice) here

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgartenospreys/index.asp

http://roydennis.org/osprey/index.asp?id=86

 

[AndyMc]

The second osprey chick from Loch Garten has begun her migration, She flew east of Edinburgh and into Northumberland, passing over Bamburgh and at 9pm last evening she was at Longhoughton.
She may well be heading into Durham, so look out in suitable places....

Follow their migration (and also that of Beatrice) here

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgartenospreys/index.asp

http://roydennis.org/osprey/index.asp?id=86

Typical,
Looked like it was taking more of a coastal route - wrong :C. Peeled off to fly over the 'Toon' & flew down the centre of the county. Directly over Bishop, crossed the Tees near High Conny. Oh well.:-C

 

[Auntystatic]

Yeah and stopped for the evening to fish right near my house, wonder where it is now, yesterday there was mention of an osprey on the yorkshire thread.

 

[ian hamilton]

Timber Beach,0600-0730;
5-6 Grey Heron
3 juv Shelduck
m+f Mallard
23 Lapwing
2 Dunlin
c12 Curlew
70 Redshank
1 Turnstone
Bullfinch calling

 

[AndyMc]

Yeah and stopped for the evening to fish right near my house, wonder where it is now, yesterday there was mention of an osprey on the yorkshire thread.

Gloating only allowed if you actually saw it out of your bedroom window

 

[StevieEvans]

Ospreys strike twice

The second osprey chick from Loch Garten has begun her migration, She flew east of Edinburgh and into Northumberland, passing over Bamburgh and at 9pm last evening she was at Longhoughton.
She may well be heading into Durham, so look out in suitable places....

The other chick, Rothes, is in the Gironde are of western France, near a Sturgeon farm!
Follow their migration (and also that of Beatrice) here

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgartenospreys/index.asp

http://roydennis.org/osprey/index.asp?id=86

Hi June
Thanks for the 'heads up' on that.
I remember you posted a similar message last year . . .

Amazingly, one of this years birds "Mallachie" has crossed the R.Wear at Bishop Auckland at the same spot as "Nethy" did last year.

Gloating only allowed if you actually saw it out of your bedroom window

Watched one go north from the comfort of our garden lounger this spring:king:
Steve

 

[StevieEvans]

patch on foot

A new month & signs of a new season too . . .

A Jay & a small Redpoll flock between the plantations at Rainton were the first for many months, & a couple of Goldcrest on the railway line together with a light passage of Meadow Pipits & a handful of Golden Plover with the Lapwings, gave a subtle taste of that Autumn's on its way.

Certainly lots of birds on the move at the moment, could hear Meadow Pipit going over as i locked my front door.

Highlights for the non-motorised local patchers in Houghton / Hetton / Finchale area today (full days & evening sessions) included :-

HoneyBuzzard Ruff GreenSandpiper Shoveller YellowWagtail Swift Garganey SpottedFlycatcher Greenshank BarnOwl LesserRedpoll Jay Wigeon LittleOwl RedLeggedPartridge PeregrineFalcon Redstart Wheatear Kingfisher Gadwall CommonBuzzards LesserWhitethroat SedgeWarbler TreeSparrow Nuthatch etc

 

[JBee]

HoneyBuzzard Ruff GreenSandpiper Shoveller YellowWagtail Swift Garganey SpottedFlycatcher Greenshank BarnOwl LesserRedpoll Jay Wigeon LittleOwl RedLeggedPartridge PeregrineFalcon Redstart Wheatear Kingfisher Gadwall CommonBuzzards LesserWhitethroat SedgeWarbler TreeSparrow Nuthatch etc

No Uncle Tom Cobblies then

 

[StevieEvans]

No Uncle Tom Cobblies then

No, but there was an unconfirmed report of a Kitchen Sink at Sedgeletch

 

[JBee]

No, but there was an unconfirmed report of a Kitchen Sink at Sedgeletch

There was a toilet there the other day but someone flushed it

 

[StevieEvans]

There was a toilet there the other day but someone flushed it

Better call it a night there John, else folk 'll be saying that the threads gone to the Bogs :smoke:

 

[Auntystatic]

I haven't been to the bogs in a year now 3

 

[JBee]

I haven't been to the bogs i a year now 3

Have you been finding things hard aunty