Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[IanF]

Waxwings still around in Stockton-on-Tees today with 26 in Sheraton Street.

 

[rayl]

River Team, Riding Lane

2xCanada, Cormorant, Teal, Mistle Thrush, Siskin, Kingfisher, 4 pairs Dipper, Kestrel, Sparwk, 30xFieldfare, Heron, Curlew displaying, Goldcrest, Linnet singing, 400xWoodies.


Ray,

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Waxwings still around in Stockton-on-Tees today with 26 in Sheraton Street.

Great shots Ian! are you sure the third one is a waxwing? looks more like elvis to me!
Steve

 

[stew the smew]

excellent pics Ian.

me and kit were down looking for the egret last monday and it was fifteen minutes late! we nearly left without seeing it but fortunately a local stopped to chat and delayed us long enough to see it coming in to roost. it hid fairly quickly though.

those waxwing shots are great too.

 

[rokermartin]

Talking about new birds for the county there are several birds that are well over due to make another appearance in the county.Such as Little Bittern,BW Teal,WT Eagle,Little Bustard,Collared Prat,Great Snipe,Terek Sand,Ivory Gull,Dusky Warbler,Tawny Pipit,Desert Wheatear,LG Shrike to name but a few.I am very surprised that we have not had Dusky Warbler or Desert Wheatear in the county in the last few years because Northumberland has had few records of both of those in the last few years.I think Northumberland does better for certain rarities like Wheatears than county Durham.So i think this year Teeside is going to get a well over due Terek Sandpiper this spring.

 

[Ross Ahmed]

Talking about new birds for the county there are several birds that are well over due to make another appearance in the county.Such as Little Bittern,BW Teal,WT Eagle,Little Bustard,Collared Prat,Great Snipe,Terek Sand,Ivory Gull,Dusky Warbler,Tawny Pipit,Desert Wheatear,LG Shrike to name but a few.I am very surprised that we have not had Dusky Warbler or Desert Wheatear in the county in the last few years because Northumberland has had few records of both of those in the last few years.I think Northumberland does better for certain rarities like Wheatears than county Durham.So i think this year Teeside is going to get a well over due Terek Sandpiper this spring.

Aye were you saying the last Dusky Warbler was 1984? That's crazy - what went wrong!

Surely Long-billed Dowitcher this year as well. Having Short-billed on the list but not Long-billed is a rather dubious acolade!

 

[rokermartin]

Hi Ross yes i think the last Dusky Warbler was in 1984.Again Dusky Warbler is a bird that Northumberland seems to get and we miss out on them.Find it very strange that we dont get them especially that Cleveland and Yorkshire gets them nearly every year.

 

[Mark Newsome]

There's quite a few birds which have come extremely close to Durham, at either end of the county. South Gare has had some cracking birds, and even closer is Tynemouth. You can almost 'scope the trees at Tynemouth from South Shields and there's been such megas as Lanceolated Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler and Chimney Swift there (which would all be new to the county), plus plenty of ultra-rare Durham birds like Pallid Swift, Pied Wheatear and Arctic Warbler. And not forgetting a certain large dark-rumped Storm-petrel...

 

[rokermartin]

Very surprised that we did not see any Pallid Swifts in the county last autumn I think Northumberland had at least three.Had excellent views of one at Newbiggin flying over birders heads about 20ft up.

 

[Ross Ahmed]

There's quite a few birds which have come extremely close to Durham, at either end of the county. South Gare has had some cracking birds, and even closer is Tynemouth. You can almost 'scope the trees at Tynemouth from South Shields and there's been such megas as Lanceolated Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler and Chimney Swift there (which would all be new to the county), plus plenty of ultra-rare Durham birds like Pallid Swift, Pied Wheatear and Arctic Warbler. And not forgetting a certain large dark-rumped Storm-petrel...

Aye I've tried scoping both Great Reed Warbler and Pied Wheatear at Tynemouth from the end of Shields pier. Failed on both however and ended up having to twitch them!

Birds like rare wheatears are fairly obvious birds and therefore our lack of records is fairly inexplicable.

However, birds like Lanceolated Warblers are obviously fraught with identification difficulties and therefore the fact we haven't had one is more understandable.

Locustellas are little buggas. We were certain we had a Pallas's Gropper on the Farnes in mid-Oct. After chasing the bird round for nearly a full morning with crap flight views, it finally perched right out in the open for nearly a minute to reveal itself as a Gropper...couldn't believe it!

 

[john gardiner]

Buzzard this morning between Brasside and C-L-S, also pair of displaying Sparrowhawk & Kestrel at Waldridge Fell and Sparrowhawk hunting nr Earl's House Hospital.

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Ross,

That sounds very exciting, even though it was dissappointing in the end!

Saddinall

Locustellas are little buggas. We were certain we had a Pallas's Gropper on the Farnes in mid-Oct. After chasing the bird round for nearly a full morning with crap flight views, it finally perched right out in the open for nearly a minute to reveal itself as a Gropper...couldn't believe it!

 

[rokermartin]

I think lanceolated Warblers go undected on the east coast because there is so much cover for them to hide in.Not like up on Shetland and Fair Isle.I have seen two of them on Fair Isle both in ditchers one of them showed with in 4 feet of the birders.As with Pallas's Gropper i think they go undected as well.Again Northumberland has had them and Norfolk so i think it is just a matter of time before we get one.But they will be very difficult birds to get good views of because there is so much long grass and nettle patches and other thick cover on our coast for them to hide in.I think the best bet would be if one was trapped in a mist net.Just been thinking of two more birds which have not occurred in the county for years Bonaparte'sGull and Arctic Redpoll.Surprised that we have' nt had Arctic Redpoll in the County this winter.There has been several seen else where in the uk this winter with big numbers of Mealy Redpoll.

 

[Mark Newsome]

78 Waxwings reported via Whitburn Birding near Concorde, Washington, this morning. 12 were also there yesterday. I'm unsure of any exact directions - can anyone help?

 

[rokermartin]

What has been the best ever rarity in Durham in terms of views etc.I have two candiates for the title.The Baillon's Crake at Mowbray Park and the Isabelline Shrike at Marsden.The day i saw the shrike it was showing down to 6ft catching bees and hovering above the ground in front of birders amazing views. As for the crake amazing views again of it walking along the side of the pond and birders feeding it worms.Has any other county birders got a rarity that they think is the all time best for the county.

 

[Ross Ahmed]

For the first time this spring, got the feeling a few migrants were about. A new Stonechat, 2 Magpies and a Blackbird on the Leas were all defo migrants. A Coal Tit and Stonechat along Quarry Lane, and 10 Redwings in Harton Cemy all may have been migrants as well.

News of a Sand Martin over the mouth of the Tyne very encouraging.

White-spotted Bluethroat anyone...

 

[IanF]

Seaton Snook 15th March 2006

An overcast cold afternoon but being fine I decided to see what was about down at Seaton Snook.

Seaton Common beside Zinc Works Road held 300+ Golden Plover with Curlew x70 a few Greylag Goose and Canada Goose x3 and Pheasant x7.

Walking along the top of the sand dunes towards Seaton Snook the power station field despite being a massive size was carpeted with birds. There'd be well over x500 Golden Plover, several hundred Starlings, Oystercatcher c.70, Red Knot c.30, Skylark x7 and several Magpies.

Nearing the Snook itself the Twite arrived, initially 25 but they were joined by another group that had been drinking in the puddles on the power station field. In all there were around 45. The settled into the sea grass disappearing from view.

The Creek was pretty full as it was around two hours before high tide with a stiff easterly wind pushing it in. Sheltering close in to the Snook were 37 Red-breasted Merganser and Eurasian Wigeon x15. A single Common Scoter was in it's usual place by the red buoy by the concrete block house. Several Cormorants were on the water. In the corner by the old slipway that was used when the power station was constructed Oystercatcher x40 were sheltering with a few more Wigeon, RB Merganser and Redshank.

I was surprised to see a young Seal lounging the other side of the pier. I thought at first it was trapped by the wire of the cages that confine the stones, but when I went to see if I could help, it shuffled off into the water. A shame I didn't have a short range zoom with me as it was a real cutie.

Walking back towards the Snook I was treated to a bit of Peregrine action as it repeatedly dived in to the Golden Plover which filled the sky after wach sortie. It did get one in the end but with the dull conditions it was hard to pick out on the ground. I was a bit surprised to see the remaining Golden Plover settle down almost straight away no more than 50 yards from it. It seemed like they accepted it's presence as a fact of life!

Back on the beach the Twite were still twittering away in amongst the sea grass - very hard to spot and if they kept quiet you'd never have known they were there. Every few minutes though they'd take off, circle and return to feed.

Walking along the beach below the edge of the dunes back towards the sand extaction site I came across Ringed Plover x27 sheltering in hollows across the silty sand an area that becomes a shallow bay as the tide comes in. They were gradually getting pushed back towards the little shingle mound where they can usually be seen on high high-tides. They'd scuttle back 10' and settle down for five minutes until the tide encroached again and then do the same - eventually ending up on the mound.

On the sea shore itself there were good number so waders around x300 in total comprising Red Knot x200, Grey Plover x17, Dunlin, Redshank and Turnstone. Several Red Knot and Grey Plover were ringed - as is the lower one in the photo attached below. I've noted the colour rings from three birds, two Grey Plover and a Red Knot so I'll have to send them off to find when they were ringed.

As I reached the sand extraction site where it joins the beach I spotted a flock of small birds 100 yards further along the beach having landed at the base of the dunes. I walked a bit closer only to find they were Snow Bunting x12. That's the first time I've seen them north of the river. Of course that was the moment a dog raced onto the beach from out of the dunes followed by it's owner. Needless to say the Snow Bunting were up and away! Still it was nice to see them.

 

[rokermartin]

One Sand Martin this afternoon flying over the tyne and South Shields

 

[rokermartin]

2 Iceland Gulls today one at Boldon Flats ,Roker Beach and 1 Chiffchaff in a garden at Roker.

 

[Boldon Buzzard]

It's good to see the DBC making approaches to SAFC about management of the Academy Pools. I think what's needed is a simple management plan where all interests and concerns can be addressed. It's a super site for dragonflys and the phragmites, which is colonising some of the pools rapidly, is mentioned in the Durham BAP. Incidentally, in the south of the county, has any one checked that large reed bed off the Wynyard Road?