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Durham Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Skelly
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IanF
Moderator
I had another look up Teesdale today. I started at Barnard Castle with another walk up Teesbanks Wood. Grey and Pied Wagtail were feeding on the bandstand and it was nice to see a Goosander with seven young in tow.
Once past Waterboatman's Island I came across three singing male Pied Flycatcher one of which was a new pair to me collecting flies and taking them into a nest hole in a tree right on the edge of the path.
Upstream from the viaduct there were several Common Sandpiper, another Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Blackcap and Spotted Flycather.
Once back down at the 'pipe bridge' I had a quick walk up Deepdale. I came across Garden Warbler, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Bullfinch all within 100 yds of the gate.
In the afternoon I had a ride up to Langdon Beck. No the best time of day for Black Grouse but a couple were seen though hard to spot in the long grass. The road through Harwood yielded Dipper, Grey Partridge, Grey Wagtail, Lapwing, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Snipe and the best find of the day a Woodcock which was sunning itself in the open on a large boulder.
It's quite pleasant up there at the moment with all the wild flowers blooming in amongst the grassy fields.
Once past Waterboatman's Island I came across three singing male Pied Flycatcher one of which was a new pair to me collecting flies and taking them into a nest hole in a tree right on the edge of the path.
Upstream from the viaduct there were several Common Sandpiper, another Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler, Blackcap and Spotted Flycather.
Once back down at the 'pipe bridge' I had a quick walk up Deepdale. I came across Garden Warbler, Treecreeper, Long-tailed Tit, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Bullfinch all within 100 yds of the gate.
In the afternoon I had a ride up to Langdon Beck. No the best time of day for Black Grouse but a couple were seen though hard to spot in the long grass. The road through Harwood yielded Dipper, Grey Partridge, Grey Wagtail, Lapwing, Curlew, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Snipe and the best find of the day a Woodcock which was sunning itself in the open on a large boulder.
It's quite pleasant up there at the moment with all the wild flowers blooming in amongst the grassy fields.
Attachments
malcolm hobbs
Mind the G.A.P......
IanF said:
That is a rare shot of a Woodcock, not many on this forum and none better on Surfbirds or Birdguides. Great!
Malcolm.
IanF
Moderator
I'm sure DBC would be able to give a better picture but from my own visits of the last few years I'd say they were certainly holding their own and even increasing slightly and spreading out more with several 'mini-leks' in addition to the main one. I've certainly seen more in the last two years than in the years prior to that.MalR said:
One thing I did note today were the lack of Lapwings. They were about, many with young, but nothing like the numbers of previous years.
Malcom - the Woodcock posing so well was a real treat. You do see them up there, but more often as flyovers if disturbed. It's about five years since I had such good views of one and that was in a more usual habitat in Hamsterly Forest.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
malcolm hobbs said:
Re Cow Green -
Take an extra coat whenever you go....
We were birding there one winters day & the RAF had to chopper a visitor out of there (hypothermia) !
Quite a reference! will have to try that, thanks Malcolm.
SE
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StevieEvans
Well-known member
Durham Bird Club Quarterly Journal - The LEK
The LEK.
The number of people submitting reports & articles is rising with each issue, & we're happy to say the number of sightings/observations has trebbled over the last year.
We are still very keen to receive contributions from any DBC members on pretty much any bird related topic.
For the next issue, we are particularly keen to see some more Bird Notes &/or letters.
These may be an account of a bird you never expected to see or maybe stumbled upon in a strange place. An odd piece of behaviour/activity or a funny story.
We look forward to hearing from you. (by end of June)
LEK Team.
The LEK.
The number of people submitting reports & articles is rising with each issue, & we're happy to say the number of sightings/observations has trebbled over the last year.
We are still very keen to receive contributions from any DBC members on pretty much any bird related topic.
For the next issue, we are particularly keen to see some more Bird Notes &/or letters.
These may be an account of a bird you never expected to see or maybe stumbled upon in a strange place. An odd piece of behaviour/activity or a funny story.
We look forward to hearing from you. (by end of June)
LEK Team.
Mark Newsome
Born to seawatch...
Ruddy Ducks
I've just been reading a bit of info about the ongoing DEFRA Ruddy Duck cull. It makes shocking reading - eg shooting is going on now in some southern England marshes and obviously disturbing many breeding species. Most ridiculous was that the White-headed Duck around Hertfordshire earlier in the year was apparently clipped by shot during a shoot and lost its tail, and is now missing, almost certainly dead. This is the bird that the cull is supposed to be benefitting...
Has anyone seen any evidence of the DEFRA cull going on in our area? I know we haven't got loads of breeding sites for Ruddy Ducks, but there is a decent population on the Tees marshes. Maybe they're starting in southern England and working north? It'll be a sad sight when Saltholme Pools are echoing to the sound of gunfire with wildfowl flying everywhere.
I've just been reading a bit of info about the ongoing DEFRA Ruddy Duck cull. It makes shocking reading - eg shooting is going on now in some southern England marshes and obviously disturbing many breeding species. Most ridiculous was that the White-headed Duck around Hertfordshire earlier in the year was apparently clipped by shot during a shoot and lost its tail, and is now missing, almost certainly dead. This is the bird that the cull is supposed to be benefitting...
Has anyone seen any evidence of the DEFRA cull going on in our area? I know we haven't got loads of breeding sites for Ruddy Ducks, but there is a decent population on the Tees marshes. Maybe they're starting in southern England and working north? It'll be a sad sight when Saltholme Pools are echoing to the sound of gunfire with wildfowl flying everywhere.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
whitburnmark said:
Can't say i've heard of anything local, but numbers of Ruddy Duck are well down this year at Rainton, Brasside & Bishop Middleham....
what about elsewhere....?
It would seem the winter shooting in the south is has done in some of our birds already ?
SE
Mark Newsome
Born to seawatch...
StevieEvans said:
Very good point Steve. Especially when you think about what 'our' White-headed Duck did, flying from the south of England to Teesside in one day. Possibly many of our breeding Ruddy Ducks winter further south and have suffered at the hands of the shooters. If DEFRA have no immediate plans of a north-east shoot, maybe the Ruddy Ducks which are left might alter their movement patterns and spend more time up here instead of down there.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Reccy for Nightjars
Had a look up to try to find a good vantage point at a more easily accessed site (avoiding Hamsterleys steep banks), after hearing positive reports recently.
On the walk there had 2 singing Tree Pipit, 1 Red Grouse, 2 juvvy Crossbill perched on a small birch, 1 calling Cuckoo .
It looked prime owl habitat & i checked a few stick nests with bins. On nearing the end of a likely looking quite open Scots Pine compartment, an adult Long-eared Owl was easily visible to the naked eye, on a thin trunckside perch at 15'. He had seen me first & flew to another perch before looking back & then floating off, melting into the canopy.
The first roding Woodcock went straight overhead at 21:00, he was distinctive with a primary feather missing, it was interesting to see how many different flight paths he had during his circuits. At least 2 others were roding.
Closer to a decidious area two or three adult Hares were active on the forest tracks with Garden Warbler singing.
I chose (what i thought was) a perfect looking area - clear fell & young trees on the forest edge, but didn't hear any churring till 10 mins later than other birders (text msg) who were less than half a mile away!
I moved to a different area & no sooner had i done so when Nightjar churring started from my initial vantage point!.... & another started up further down the slope. A couple of Pippistrelles were active, but thankfully midges were few.
Then had another 2 birds churring & then calling while wing clapping over the path (by this time as silhouettes only), with a Roe Buck & an adult Tawny making a racket too. A very active juvvy Tawny called from near a farm & 2 much younger juvs were heard on the walk back.
A fifth Nightjar was churring south of the road & a Leveret kept ahead of me for 200metres at 25mph.
The drive home was uneventfull apart from a Badger out across the road nr Tow Law.
This time of year, the forest at night is allways an excellent experience, but this wasnt the best of Nightjar nights.... (PS. See the North'd Thread for a masterclass in Nightjar watching ;-)
Steve.
Had a Oystercatcher as a garden yr tick & a Skylark in sub-song going south over the garden on Wednesday.
Had an additional Corn Bunting singing at the bottom of Sherburn Hill (north side of road) whilst driving past with windows down.
Thursday had Tree Sparrow taking food to the nest in a crevise in a working quarry along with 100+ Sand Martin seen there (100+ holes)
Bird news today includes the Avocets at Washington WWT & Black Tern & a male Montagu's Harrier in the Saltholme / Port Clarence area.
Had a look up to try to find a good vantage point at a more easily accessed site (avoiding Hamsterleys steep banks), after hearing positive reports recently.
On the walk there had 2 singing Tree Pipit, 1 Red Grouse, 2 juvvy Crossbill perched on a small birch, 1 calling Cuckoo .
It looked prime owl habitat & i checked a few stick nests with bins. On nearing the end of a likely looking quite open Scots Pine compartment, an adult Long-eared Owl was easily visible to the naked eye, on a thin trunckside perch at 15'. He had seen me first & flew to another perch before looking back & then floating off, melting into the canopy.
The first roding Woodcock went straight overhead at 21:00, he was distinctive with a primary feather missing, it was interesting to see how many different flight paths he had during his circuits. At least 2 others were roding.
Closer to a decidious area two or three adult Hares were active on the forest tracks with Garden Warbler singing.
I chose (what i thought was) a perfect looking area - clear fell & young trees on the forest edge, but didn't hear any churring till 10 mins later than other birders (text msg) who were less than half a mile away!
I moved to a different area & no sooner had i done so when Nightjar churring started from my initial vantage point!.... & another started up further down the slope. A couple of Pippistrelles were active, but thankfully midges were few.
Then had another 2 birds churring & then calling while wing clapping over the path (by this time as silhouettes only), with a Roe Buck & an adult Tawny making a racket too. A very active juvvy Tawny called from near a farm & 2 much younger juvs were heard on the walk back.
A fifth Nightjar was churring south of the road & a Leveret kept ahead of me for 200metres at 25mph.
The drive home was uneventfull apart from a Badger out across the road nr Tow Law.
This time of year, the forest at night is allways an excellent experience, but this wasnt the best of Nightjar nights.... (PS. See the North'd Thread for a masterclass in Nightjar watching ;-)
Steve.
Had a Oystercatcher as a garden yr tick & a Skylark in sub-song going south over the garden on Wednesday.
Had an additional Corn Bunting singing at the bottom of Sherburn Hill (north side of road) whilst driving past with windows down.
Thursday had Tree Sparrow taking food to the nest in a crevise in a working quarry along with 100+ Sand Martin seen there (100+ holes)
Bird news today includes the Avocets at Washington WWT & Black Tern & a male Montagu's Harrier in the Saltholme / Port Clarence area.
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Hi Steve,sounds like you had a good night out last night,the fog is as thick as pea soup out here,not good for me,supposed to be off today but the choppers are grounded in Aberdeen at the moment,however we did have a female Kestrel land under the helideck this morning.Pat
johnmichael
Well-known member
great report steve.
i am not ashamed to say nightjars would represent a life tick for me
i will be out for them again tonight!
an experienced birder offered me a tape recorder of them churring,to bring them out half an hour earlier,but as i have a 'pass' out of the house till midnight this shouldn't be a problem!
there was a single red kite over eggleston friday afternoon,along with a singing cuckoo
i am not ashamed to say nightjars would represent a life tick for me
i will be out for them again tonight!
an experienced birder offered me a tape recorder of them churring,to bring them out half an hour earlier,but as i have a 'pass' out of the house till midnight this shouldn't be a problem!
there was a single red kite over eggleston friday afternoon,along with a singing cuckoo
rokermartin
Well-known member
The experienced birder should be ashamed of himself for offering the tape to you.Most birders are against using tapes to see birds especially on the breeding grounds.Nightjars are normally easy to see you just have to be wait for them to start churring.Playing tapes can cause birds a lot of unwanted stress.johnmichael said:
john gardiner
Well-known member
2 Fat fledged Tawny owl chicks at Chester Moor tonight also pr GSW. Waldridge Fell had Little Owl, roding Woodcock & 3 reeling Grasshopper Warblers.
Bonsaibirder
http://mobro.co/saddinall
Well said Martin. I think the use of tapes in that case would not be justified.
:clap:rokermartin said:
StevieEvans
Well-known member
johnmichael said:
Hi john michael
i dont think for one minute that you'll need that recording, after all you had the patience to find your own Long-eared :t:
It seems tape playing is a no-go area nowadays & after all its worth remembering Nightjar is a Schedule 1 protected species.
After several very unsavoury incidents recently :C ; the DBC are considering drafting up a County Durham Code of Conduct to give help, advice & guidance to birdwatchers, at a time when many of our wild birds are under a variety of increasing pressures.
There are of course stories of birders sat playing tapes to one another - trying to lure each other out ! :h?:
Steve
rokermartin
Well-known member
As i said there is no need at ALL for playing tapes to attract birds especially rare breeding birds and even migrants.I can remember years ago i was in Norfolk.there was a Thrush Nightingale at Walsey Hills.When my mate and i arrived there were about forty birders looking in the scrub for the bird we could hear it singing very well but was'nt showing.A well known birder and his mate decided to play a tape to attract it out,they had the tape going for about 3 minute bursts .Each time when the bird heard the tape its song got louder and it was getting more stressed.I was thinking the bird was going to blow up into a ball of feathers.Playing the tape did'nt really bring the bird out in the open we had brief views of it.I was really sorry for the bird.The next morning the Thrush Nightingale showed quite well without a use of a tape.I have to say i have been on many birdwatching holidays and all the leaders use tapes to attracted birds.I was in Finland a few years ago and our Finnish leader played a tape of a Willow Grouse and after 2 mins one flew over our heads and landed right in front of us and give excellent views.Once we had good views of the bird we left it alone and the Finnish leader did'nt play the tape again.One good thing the holidays i have been on the leaders dont play the tape over and over once the group has seen the bird it is left alone.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
Bird News.
x3 Hobby 1 west over Seaton Pond area late AM; 1 at Bishop Middleham & 1 at Lockhaugh in the Derwent Valley.
Avocet pair still active at Washington.
Quail at Hurworth Burn
Goosander with brood at Low Barns.
x3 Hobby 1 west over Seaton Pond area late AM; 1 at Bishop Middleham & 1 at Lockhaugh in the Derwent Valley.
Avocet pair still active at Washington.
Quail at Hurworth Burn
Goosander with brood at Low Barns.
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