Durham Birding (2 Viewers)

[Michael A]

Butterfly is a speckled wood

 

[2slo]

Lol, okay thanks, I know even less about butterfly I.D. than bird I.D., another snapper walking round told me it was a wall brown.

 

[MalR]

Early morning surprise

I was lying awake at about five this morning, listening to the familiar birds outside when I heard something I didn't recognise.

I opened the bedroom window and set up my camera in video mode to record the sound. Then I saw a small game bird running down our street, and the next thing, it was sitting on our front wall calling constantly.

It was obviously some sort of quail, but not being a global birder, I didn't recognise it. A bit of online research revealed it to be a northern bobwhite quail.

A nice surprise to start the day, but somehow I don't think I'll be submitting a description.

Anyway, a short video here, for anyone interested.

http://youtu.be/A5IUKJD-vy8

Malcolm

 

[The Liverbirder]

I was very interested. The video clip's class. The bird's a belter. Well done!

 

[MalR]

Thanks, Gordon. Now, if only a common quail would come and perch on our front wall.

Malcolm

 

[A W Gregory]

Hamsterley

A few from today.

 

[A W Gregory]

Moorland wildlife

A few pics from after work today.

 

[2slo]

Greedy kids are never satisfied!

Three noisy juv GTs following their parent around and begging for food in Wolsingham this afternoon:

 

[2slo]

Durham Dales & moors

A pleasant couple of hours today on the Durham moors. L to R, (I think!) Red-legged partridge, Lapwing chick, Common sandpiper, Ringed plover and Whimbrel:

 

[Lee.S]

When everyone refers to the Durham moors, is there anywhere in particular that they're going on about?
I've had a look on the map and the moorland in Durham seems massive. ||

 

[2slo]

When everyone refers to the Durham moors, is there anywhere in particular that they're going on about?
I've had a look on the map and the moorland in Durham seems massive. ||

It is a large area with variations in altitude, type of terrain, wet and dry etc. That's a good thing of course as it supports a diverse population of birds.

Some from yesterday. Oystercatchers, Whimbrel, Red grouse chicks and Pied wagtail:

 

[dampflippers]

Black bird like.
Pippit? sized.
Sleek black all over with white bars on wings and possibly back of neck.
On field fence post near Richmond yesterday.
Any ideas?

 

[LowellMills]

Depends how much of a look at it you managed to get, e.g. were you in a car? My first thoughts are Pied Wagtail, or Ring Ouzel? No wing bars but a white stripe.

Also great pics 2slo. I dare say some fieldcraft was required to snap those grouse juvs. I think your Whimbrel is a Curlew myself, based on bill curvature and unmarked head. In June, I think Whimbrels would normally be on the breeding grounds (at a minimum latitude of the north of Scotland), but I could be wrong.

 

[dampflippers]

We drove past in car.
I didn't notice any tail wagging, and know a pied wagtail.
My first thought was ring ouzel, but it definitely had white on its wing.
I have been looking through a reference book and the nearest, but too small, possibly a flycatcher (I've never seen one).
Location just driving out of Marygate (on east side after ford). Actually, is this N Yorks not Durham?

 

[LowellMills]

It sounds like N Yorks to me yeh. Habitat? White in the wing on a bird that size would fit Chaffinch, Pied Flycatcher, Snow Bunting, Crossbill and Hawfinch. Obviously the minority of those species would perch on a fencepost by a road! However, I wonder if you've considered a shrike species of any sort? Not common in summer, but a Woodchat Shrike has been found on Dartmoor this week....

 

[2slo]

Also great pics 2slo. I dare say some fieldcraft was required to snap those grouse juvs. I think your Whimbrel is a Curlew myself, based on bill curvature and unmarked head. In June, I think Whimbrels would normally be on the breeding grounds (at a minimum latitude of the north of Scotland), but I could be wrong.

Thanks and I dare say you're probably right, if there was money to be made in mis-identifying birds I'd be rich by now! Thanks for pointing that out |=)| Not too difficult to approach the Grouse TBH, took about 5 minutes slowly moving forward to get those.

 

[dampflippers]

It sounds like N Yorks to me yeh. Habitat? White in the wing on a bird that size would fit Chaffinch, Pied Flycatcher, Snow Bunting, Crossbill and Hawfinch. Obviously the minority of those species would perch on a fencepost by a road! However, I wonder if you've considered a shrike species of any sort? Not common in summer, but a Woodchat Shrike has been found on Dartmoor this week....

Thanks.
Not woodchat shrike. Not Chaffinch.

Looking through books again, the nearest seem to be Pied Flycatcher (although it looked bigger and slimmer) or one of the wagtails (though not wagging to my memory). Maybe I just didn't expect to see one not on the ground!

 

[Adam W]

Thanks.
Not woodchat shrike. Not Chaffinch.

Looking through books again, the nearest seem to be Pied Flycatcher (although it looked bigger and slimmer) or one of the wagtails (though not wagging to my memory). Maybe I just didn't expect to see one not on the ground!

I would say a big slim Pied Flycatcher actually sounds like a pretty good description of a Pied Wagtail.

 

[LowellMills]

Well a summer male yarellii Pied Wagtail would look jet black over much of its mantle, and I was stopped in my tracks this week by the 'blackness' of just such a bird outside office window. Wouldn't rule out Pied Fly completely though. They've got to perch in open sometimes!

 

[lazza]

Fabulous to see a male Hen Harrier as I drove through upper Teesdale yesterday :t: