Durham Birding (5 Viewers)

[IanF]

I'm confused with names of places and where the places are...
I'm an idiot, Help!

It's alright I've lived here a while and I still am as well. Different people have different names for the same places.

Here's a few map links - arrows mark the spots where these birds were - just click on the names.

Hartlepool Headland - waders are all along the shore at anything other than high tide when they become concentrated - here, along Heugh Pier and tha the north end of Marine drive. Also Newburn Bridge car park is a very good spot for close view plus of course the resident Med Gull.

Seaton Common (North Gare) - around high tide and late afternoon can be good for waders and ducks and late afternoon and early mornings for the owls of course.

Zinc Works Road - pretty hit and miss. Varying times of the day with no particular pattern.

Seaton Snook - particularly good an hour or so before high tide as waders roost on the end and on the north side on the beach.

 

[rokermartin]

What is this bird.
Im thinking Common Sandpiper or Little Stint?
Can anyone confirm what it is for me?
They where very small.
If you can help me it would be greatly appreciated.

Certainly not Common Sandpipers or Little Stints.The two waders are juv Dunlins.Adult Dunlins will be in winter plumage now.

 

[durham giant]

Thanks Ian.
I've been to seaton common and i've neever realised that that was it.
THanks!

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Quite a good turn out for the DBC visit to RSPB Saltholme today. I didn't count heads but I'd say there were around 20 present braving the high winds and low temperatures.

A bit of a shaky start to the day. We met up for a 9:30 start though most were there well before. 30 minutes later we were still stood around in the car park and no RSPB staff. Fortunately I remembered where they're based off site and managed to interrupt their coffee break. To be fair they thought it was a 10:30 start and did arrive within 10 minutes after that. No wonder the reserve is so far behind schedule

The new visitor centre is still very much a building site. The exterior looks just about complete but I think they'll be struggling to keep to the revised opening date of 21st January 2009. The official opening is 5th March.

Access paths and cycleways to the rest of the site have yet to be finished as well. Likewise the new hides which are little more than shells. Paddy's Hole hide with it's metal roof was very noisy in the high winds.

Not too many birds around today either - likely due to the weather conditions. I noted - Northern Pintail, Mute Swan, Teal, Wigeon, Pintail, Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Curlew, Kestrel, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Cormorant. I think someone noted a distant Whooper Swan - but through the binos I wouldn't like to say for sure. Apparently a few days ago a female Ruddy Duck with three chicks was in front of the hide at Paddy's Hole. A few Goldfinch and Linnet were by the car park/visitor centre and Shoveler on the pool behind the fire station.

On the bright side bird wise we're not missing much in the mean time. Greater numbers of birds and a greater variety of species and closer views can be had from the existing viewing points along the A178.

I'd hoped to feel a little more upbeat about the new reserve by now but I'm more than a little disappointed by what I saw today.

Glad I finally met you Ian it was good chatting to you. Zinc Works road didn't produce the Merlin.:-C
Oh and yeah it was a Whooper Swan by the cows.:t:
I am on holiday for a whole week in Scotland birding. So bye everyone for now.
Andrew K

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Thank you to all who helped ID the wader.
So it was a Dunlin.
I feel silly now ha ha.

 

[rokermartin]

Thank you to all who helped ID the wader.
So it was a Dunlin.
I feel silly now ha ha.

Well you need'nt feel silly even the expert birders get bird id wrong.It happens to us all now and again.

 

[smitsel]

Barmston Pond and surrounding area.

Made the most of the warm sunshine this morning, and met up with my brother at Barmston Pond. Pretty much the same as usual on the water with Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Shoveler, Mute Swan, Dabchick, Tufted Duck, Greylag Geese, Coot, Moorhen, Common and Herring Gull also the White Goose still there.
Then along the path towards the seven houses birds seen were, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great and Willow Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Reed Bunting, Goldcrest, Redwing, Song and Mistle Thrush and Siskin. While walking back to the cars we saw Yellowhammer, heard Long Tailed Tits and what i can now safely say as a Yellow Browed Warbler, heard but not seen. Another quick look on the pond before we left same as before, but there was 4 volunteers with somebody from Sunderland Council lopping down the trees. Now off to watch the match, come on the Reds. :t:

 

[IanF]

A bit of a rove around the SE corner of the county this morning.

Seaton Common - Kestrel x2, Black-tailed Godwit c.30, Wigeon c.30, Teal c.20, Curlew c.20, Grey Heron x1, Little Egret x3.

Ward Jackson Park, Hartlepool - Ring-necked Parakeet 7-12.

Hart - Peregrine

Hurworth Burn - feeding station back in operation - Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit x2, Long-tailed Tit c.12, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird.

Along the cycleway to the picnic benches at the top end - Redwing c.12, Goldcrest x1, Bullfinch x4, Tree Sparrow x5, Greenfinch x8, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Long-tailed Tit.

On the water - Goldeneye drake x2, Cormorant x7, Great Crested Grebe x7 including two juveniles, Canada Goose c.100, Greylag Goose c.100, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard, Coot c.30, Moorhen.

 

[Jumpin 4 Joy]

Who needs Seaton Common . . .

JBee, Scuzz etc - no need travelling down to Seaton Common to get photos of the Short Eared Owls - one is in deepest, darkest Rainton . . .somewhere.

Coming home from the Durham City football match in Hetton, we went past the Beehive pub and the fields adjacent to the aforementioned public house, I managed to glimpse a large bird on a fence post. At first, I thought it may be a magpie or a crow but as I got closer, the distinctive features of a Short eared owl were clearly identifiable before flying away into the darkness towards the house where that guy who gambled excessive amounts of money then blamed the bookies for leading him on lived.

 

[StevieEvans]

Arent the dark nights GREAT !

JBee, Scuzz etc - no need travelling down to Seaton Common to get photos of the Short Eared Owls - one is in deepest, darkest Rainton . . .somewhere.

Coming home from the Durham City football match in Hetton, we went past the Beehive pub and the fields adjacent to the aforementioned public house, I managed to glimpse a large bird on a fence post. At first, I thought it may be a magpie or a crow but as I got closer, the distinctive features of a Short eared owl were clearly identifiable before flying away into the darkness towards the house where that guy who gambled excessive amounts of money then blamed the bookies for leading him on lived.

Good spot:t:
Not Rainton though. Sunniside area of Houghton -
Where it flew off to is called Sedgeletch.... where theres been a single Shortie on & off for several weeks.

Pair of Barn Owls hunting set-a-side in NZ34 tonight ffrom 17:05
& another this morning nr Stoneygate garages on A690
cheers
Steve

 

[IanF]

Revisit to Seaton Common this evening. Short-eared Owl x2, Black-tailed Godwit x27, Whooper Swan x5. Several flights of Black-tailed Godwit but not sure whether the same ones moving around or others coming in. Lapwing and Curlew were quite mobile this evening.

 

[Ray.Scott]

A few from RM's today.

Nothing different on pond 2 other than a single GBB gull, fly over of the SpHawk and Jay.

Joe's pond pretty much the same 5 little grebe, swans and signets etc, also SpHawk flew over a couple of times. No sign of the shovelers.

 

[NeilF]

at Barmston Pond.
and what i can now safely say as a Yellow Browed Warbler, heard but not seen.

Nice one Pete, I'll have to pay another visit & try to get a better look :t:
And your team got a bit of a result too!

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

Please could someone please PM me the best place to try and photograph the SEOs?

Thanks

 

[IanF]

Please could someone please PM me the best place to try and photograph the SEOs?

Thanks

PM Sent :t:

Seaton Common - 9:50am - SEO x1, Black-tailed Godwit x29, Teal Wigeon, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Kestrel x2, Curlew, Lawping.

Dormans Pool - Whooper Swan x7, Northern Pintail x3.

Saltholme Pools - Canada Goose 100+, Greylag Goose 100+, Whooper Swan x5, Little Egret x3, Shoveler 20+, Teal Wigeon, Gadwall, Snipe.

 

[Jumpin 4 Joy]

Good spot:t:
Not Rainton though. Sunniside area of Houghton -
Where it flew off to is called Sedgeletch.... where theres been a single Shortie on & off for several weeks.

You seem to know your stuff about that area. Is there any good sites apart from RM's around there ?

 

[Jumpin 4 Joy]

Went to RM's this afternoon and saw 1 Jack Snipe amongst 6 Common Snipe. Also, a shopping list for a Daily Mirror, juice, milk, coffee, cake, naan bread, pop, curry powder, an indian takeaway, stir fry sauce, carrots and petrol.

 

[NeilF]

Also, a shopping list for a Daily Mirror, juice, milk, coffee, cake, naan bread, pop, curry powder, an indian takeaway, stir fry sauce, carrots and petrol.

Is there any particular reason your telling us this? :h?:

 

[IanF]

Whooper Swan x7 still present on Dorman's Pool this afternoon.

Seaton Snook - pm - Grey Plover c.30, Dunlin c.30, Bar-tailed Godwit x2. Windsurfer in the bay was constantly disturbing the waders.

Seaton Common this evening - at least two SEO present, Black-tailed Godwit c.30, Merlin along the fence between North Gare car park and Zinc Works Road.

It was good to see Marcus made it for a visit as well.

 

[Jumpin 4 Joy]

Is there any particular reason your telling us this? :h?:

For one unlucky person, they have dropped their shopping list in which could contain items that are very important. What I tried to do, before I was shot down, was to help someone retrieve those items without having to go back and try and remember.
Those items may not be yours, so therefore the snappy response, but I feel in life being nice to each other is a NECESSARY thing to do and if those things were yours, would you still come out with that response ?