Durham Birding (1 Viewer)

[Mark Newsome]

I had a nice couple of hours at Washington WWT this afternoon. The Avocet pair were still present and other waders on Wader Lake included 6 Redshanks, 2 Little Ringed Plovers and a Green Sandpiper. A 1st summer Little Gull had been present earlier in the afternoon, but must have seen me and my camera coming...
Grey Herons were quite active, including this one photographed. It was peacefully cooling down in the lake, partially submerged, not far from the Common Tern island. It must have come a few inches too close, as virtually all the islands terns got up at once and mobbed it, dive bombing and depositing a few well aimed 'bombs' until it quickly retreated. Having been up to the Farnes on Thursday, I know what it felt like!

At home, a Hobby drifted north over the garden at 14.20 - a nice house tick. Other bird reported in the Whitburn area today included a male Blue-headed Wagtail briefly at the SAFC Academy Pools and a Great Northern Diver fly-by.

 

[rayl]

Muggleswick, Pied Fly 1male 2 female, Redstart, Cuckoo.
Waskerly reservoir, Ring Ouzel first year female, Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush. 4 Wheatear, Common Sand.

Ray

 

[johnmichael]

i personally can't foresee any circumstances in which i would use a tape to attract birds.

in fact the last time i played a carpenters tape to my girlfriend it had the opposite effect!

there was a most obliging woodcock,plus 2 seperate nightjars audible from the southern aspect(roadside) of hamsterley forest sat ~midnight.couldn't see them though.

sunday mid afternoon looked like ww3 had broken out over Eggleston common.
2 red kites were in pitch battle with 5 c.buzzards.

later, a kite chanced its luck by pouncing on an unsuspecting cock pheasant
snuggling down in the dying sunlight.the pheasant shrieked and flew one way,the kite shrieked and flew the other way obviously out of its depth!

 

[StevieEvans]

there was a most obliging woodcock,plus 2 seperate nightjars audible from the southern aspect(roadside) of hamsterley forest sat ~midnight.couldn't see them though.

sunday mid afternoon looked like ww3 had broken out over Eggleston common.
2 red kites were in pitch battle with 5 c.buzzards.

later, a kite chanced its luck by pouncing on an unsuspecting cock pheasant
snuggling down in the dying sunlight.the pheasant shrieked and flew one way,the kite shrieked and flew the other way obviously out of its depth!

Hi johnmichael
nice reports, wouldnt of minded seeing those Kites, i thought all they ate was worms & dead stuff....
sounds like you're getting closer to those N'jars !

SE

 

[DaveB]

Etherley Moor and the Dales

At least three Corn Buntings were seen at Etherley Moor at 9am along with good numbers of Linnet.

A total of nineteen male Black Grouse were seen in upper Teesdale at three seperate locations (12, 6 & 1). Three Ring Ouzel and at least five Northern Wheatears were found in one of those locations.

A single Woodcock showed itself very well. A Common Sandpiper was on the River Tees. A Raven was seen amongst rocks towards the upper end of the Tees and a wing tagged Red Kite was seen being mobbed by Curlew, Common Redshank, Lapwing and Oystercatcher.

Kestrel (1), Pheasant (3), Grey Partridge (4), Golden Plover (1), Common Snipe (3), Black-headed Gull (3), Woodpigeon (1), Cuckoo (1 heard), Grey Wagtail (2), Dipper (1 juvenile), Wren (1), Blackbird (1), Song Thrush (2), Carrion Crow (3), Starling (10+), House Sparrow (2 males), Swallow (10+), House Martin (1), Meadow Pipit (10+) and Skylark (3+) were also seen in the area.

Red Grouse (2), Pied Wagtail (1), Sand Martin (10+) and Willow Warbler (2) were added to the list at Bollihope during the afternoon.

Good numbers of Small Heath butterflies were seen throughout the day. Painted Lady (5 at one location), Small White (10 at two seperate locations) and Green Veigned White (1 at Bollihope) were other butterflies seen. At least thirty Common Blue Damselflies were in Bollihope Quarry along with at least two Blue Tailed Damselflies.

 

[IanF]

Washington WWT

We had a run up to Washington WWT this morning mainly to see the Avocet. Sure enough they on the riverside ponds, quite active at times, feeding, flying and preening.

Also on the ponds were Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Redshank, Shelduck, Heron, Teal, Oystercatcher and Lapwing. At one point the Avocet, Terns and Lapwing all went up in the air as a Sparrowhawk made the mistake of a leisurely pass over the pond - it didn't hang around!

The trees and bushes along the riverside also held quite a few young Whitethroat, Pheasant and a few Treecreeper.

Hawthorn Wood feeding station didn't have the numbers of birds you get in Winter, but still quite a few came in. We saw Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Dunnock, Bullfinches with young, Great Spotted Wodpecker, Robin and Chaffinch. A couple of deformed Coal Tits were regualr visitors as well. Chiffchaff and Willow warbler were still singing as well.

Saltholme Ponds - Teesside

Pectoral Sandpiper still present on the roadside pool of Back Saltholme and this evening a Black Swan and Little Stint reported.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Cut

Had an hour looking out for Hobby (without success) from this good viewpoint but saw 1 Peregrine, 6+ Kestrel, 3 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard species over Pittington, 1 Red Kite high over Washington/Birtley also 1 Cormorant, 1 Canada Goose, 1ad GBBGull, 7 LBBGull, 2 Heron, 1 Corn Bunting singing in distance, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Pied Wag, 3 Sand Martin, 36 Swift, 12 House Martin, juvvy Starlings finding easy pickings in tip, pr Stock Dove with 2 fledged young, Magpie pr with 5 just out of nest, a pair of Whitethroat with fledglings with another male singing & another male carrying food - in one 300m stretch.
Not great when it comes to butterflys but single Painted Lady & Peacock, stopped counting Small Heaths after a dozen, also several Wall ? Browns.
SE

 

[rokermartin]

Hi Steve quite a lot of Wall Browns on the wing at the moment .Had two Painted Lady and Red Admiral in the garden yesterday and Silver Y moths are starting to appear.Very quite for birds at the moment in the Whitburn area.Think we will have to wait a while for anything to turn up.Had Holly Blues in the garden last month had them in the garden last 4 years, good butterflies to see.

 

[StevieEvans]

Hi Steve quite a lot of Wall Browns on the wing at the............... good butterflies to see.

Thanks Martin
Had a check of a couple more owl sites last night, Little Owl juvvy out of the nest at one & small juvvy Long-eareds calling from nest at another.
Plenty of young Tawnies at the moment but the season seems delayed this year.
Quail calling again from the regular site at Acornclose Lane (country lane running up hill, directly west of Witton Gilbert), good chance of all 4 owls in this area.
A Woodcock flushed from roadside verge at Charlaw Fell & another Badger on the road at Long Edge.



5+pr of Tawnys at Elemore Hall with 5 GSW & a Common Buzzard.
and finally...

a report of someone taking home "an abandoned" egg they found in a field................only to discover it hatched when they got home!
Hopefully the Lapwing chick is safely back in its field....

Steve

 

[Bonsaibirder]

Noticed this on Surfbirds today:

12:22 14/06/06 Cetti's Warbler Durham Shibdon Pond

Good record if true - but it had a question mark in front of it - not sure what that signifies in Birdguides parlance.

Any ideas?

Steve

 

[Mark Newsome]

Noticed this on Surfbirds today:
12:22 14/06/06 Cetti's Warbler Durham Shibdon Pond
Good record if true - but it had a question mark in front of it - not sure what that signifies in Birdguides parlance. Any ideas? Steve

I think it'll mean that it's a 'second hand' report - ie the person who rang the message in wasn't the one who had actually heard the bird (the actual wording is "one reported singing this morning "). Like you say, it would be a fantastic record, hot on the heels of the first for Durham at Dorman's Pool last year. Presuming it's correct, there should be a good chance it'll hang around and being a male, will sing a bit more to let you know which bush its skulking in.

 

[June Atkinson]

Historic news for Northern Kites

Please go to Birds of Prey for Press Releases - success for the birds! :clap:

 

[patmartin]

Marsh Harrier

Female Marsh Harrier flying north this morning over Hebburn,South Tyneside at 0730.

 

[Daz]

This might not make sense, but for the past 2 days I have had a yellow Greenfinch in my garden. It's definitely not a Canary, it has all the same features as a Greenfinch, it is feeding on sunflower seeds with 7 other Greenfinches, it walks like a Greenfinch and it flies like a Greenfinch. Is this possible to have a yellow Greenfinch?

 

[thembwoman]

Hi
Can anyone tell me where I could see a rough-legged buzzard? I notice from my bird book that they are on the east coast of Britain, including the NE. I live near Durham.

 

[mosstrooper]

Hi
Can anyone tell me where I could see a rough-legged buzzard? I notice from my bird book that they are on the east coast of Britain, including the NE. I live near Durham.

RL Buzzards generally are found in Autumn, sometimes on coastal areas, but generally overwinter in Upland sites. They can involve small movements but these are irregular and RL buzzards remain a fairly rare visitor in our part of the UK.

As to your vicinity I'm sure the local lads will be able to offer a few areas worth checking out.

Regards mossy.

 

[skywatcher1]

rough legged buzzard

Te best area to see rough legged buzzards is on the north yorkshire moors.
Reports indicate the best place to see them is on Guisborough Moor and further accross on the moors around Brandsdale during the winter months.

I have seen them a couple of times whilst out walking on the moors in them areas.

cheers.

 

[skywatcher1]

rough legged buzzards.

The best place to see rough legged buzzards is on Guisborough Moor or Brandsdale moor on on the north york moors.
I have seen them whilst walking ,they are regular visitors but roam a large area in winter.
cheers

 

[IanF]

I had a run down to Saltholme Ponds first thing this morning and met the guy who'd found the Lesser Wwhite-fronted Goose last night - no sign of it today nor the Turtle Dove. He and a friend had been to Swainby last night and had good views of two Nightjar displaying from 9:20pm.

I then went to Seaton Snook to check out the Terns - only Common Tern present. c.100 Oystercatcather on the beach.

On the Powerstation fence were Linnet, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Skylark,
Stonechat and around 60 Starlings.

In Greatham Creek - Eider x11, Oystercatcher x21, Common Tern and Cormorant.

In the bushes and along the fences behind the sand extraction site were Stonechat x6 and a single Whinchat - a very wary bird. A Snipe was heard but not seen.

Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit were well spread out amongst the dunes.

 

[Stewart J.]

Yo Ian, as always nice report enhanced with superb pics.

Stewart