Ray.Scott
Well-known member
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Durham Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Skelly
- Start date
StevieEvans
Well-known member
no sign of Bittern from the hide at Rainton, untill just after 16:00
the front edge of the phragmite reedbed having 'collapsed' with the weight of snow.
http://s-evans.blogspot.com/
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the front edge of the phragmite reedbed having 'collapsed' with the weight of snow.
http://s-evans.blogspot.com/
.
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JBee
Well-known member
No sign of it at all between 10am and 3pm while I was there.
Most birds I have seen on the (partly frozen) lake for a long time though.
Anyone visiting the freezer for more than 10 minutes should go equipped with a full survival kit.
IanF
Moderator
A Sparrowhawk was back in our garden as well this afternoon. We've had a very pale brown backed one a couple of times over the last week but it always sits well under cover in a dense bush. A different one turned up today. I've not seen one with quite such a reddish brown front before. It seemed a little desperate for food as it chased after everything it thought moved. I'm sure it was chasing snow flakes at one point as all the birds had left the garden by then.
We've quite a good number of birds coming to the feeders greatly increased with the snow the last few days. Around 60+ birds at a time visiting the feeders with Goldfinch c.20, House Sparrow 20+, Chaffinch c.12, Greenfinch x6, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Robin, Dunnock and Blackbird.
BF TV Sparrowhawk video clip
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We've quite a good number of birds coming to the feeders greatly increased with the snow the last few days. Around 60+ birds at a time visiting the feeders with Goldfinch c.20, House Sparrow 20+, Chaffinch c.12, Greenfinch x6, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Robin, Dunnock and Blackbird.
BF TV Sparrowhawk video clip
.
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Michael A
Well-known member
Ever tried feeding Sparrowhawk with raw chicken?
IanF
Moderator
No we just leave them to their own devices. Might be an idea though as it would maybe save a few garden birds!
Ray.Scott
Well-known member
Garden Birds
Couple of hours in the garden today.
Good selection of birds including, Chaffinch, goldfinch, blackbird male & fem, blue, great and coal tit, wren, collard dove, wood pigeon, ferral pigeon, loads of dunnock & house sparrows, robin, starlings, jackdaws and a first for the garden when a common gull landed to feed amongst the starlings etc.
Only regular bird not seen was the Sparrow Hawk, having said that, there was only one goldfinch. Hope the hawk hasn't eaten the others.
Couple of hours in the garden today.
Good selection of birds including, Chaffinch, goldfinch, blackbird male & fem, blue, great and coal tit, wren, collard dove, wood pigeon, ferral pigeon, loads of dunnock & house sparrows, robin, starlings, jackdaws and a first for the garden when a common gull landed to feed amongst the starlings etc.
Only regular bird not seen was the Sparrow Hawk, having said that, there was only one goldfinch. Hope the hawk hasn't eaten the others.
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StevieEvans
Well-known member
Rainton Bittern sunning itself early afternoon providing good photo opp for DA et al.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48181104@N06/5214750518/
I managed to get there for the last 30 mins of light & DM kindly back tracked through the 10" of snow, where i enjoyed brief scope views of it as a certain small person enjoyed throwing snow in my ear & face.
Despite my snowball launching imp, we had superb views of a Woodcock feeding amongst the trees, with Jack Snipe, Snipe & Woodcock all seen with ease as the light went around the pool 3/4 area.
A small wader, rushing about on the tiny ice free areas remained unidentified in the half light - hopefully a Sanderling, but perhaps just a Dunlin ?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48181104@N06/5214750518/
I managed to get there for the last 30 mins of light & DM kindly back tracked through the 10" of snow, where i enjoyed brief scope views of it as a certain small person enjoyed throwing snow in my ear & face.
Despite my snowball launching imp, we had superb views of a Woodcock feeding amongst the trees, with Jack Snipe, Snipe & Woodcock all seen with ease as the light went around the pool 3/4 area.
A small wader, rushing about on the tiny ice free areas remained unidentified in the half light - hopefully a Sanderling, but perhaps just a Dunlin ?
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jason-t-71
An admirer of Kelly Brooks' talents.
Had an excellent day in the snow today. Had a lovely walk around Hawthorn Dene with my brother, and we both felt like Bear Grylls! Highlights birdwise were a couple of Marsh Tits in the Tit flock, a few GS Woodies, loads of Redwings, 4 Nuthatches, a pair of Bullfinches, and a million Treecreepers. Admittedly, a million may be a slight exageration, but there were definately loads. We also noticed loads of Deer tracks.
Andy Atkinson
Druridge Bayer
Hoopoe in Durham
Birdguides are reporting a Hoopoe at County Hall in Durham for its
2nd day. Not exactly the first bird you think of in conditions like this !!!!
They say access is being sought. Better get there quick before it freezes to death.
Birdguides are reporting a Hoopoe at County Hall in Durham for its
2nd day. Not exactly the first bird you think of in conditions like this !!!!
They say access is being sought. Better get there quick before it freezes to death.
FoghornKinghorn
Durham Recorder
Its been taken into care. Its in a very poor way and probably won't survive. Sad times.
StevieEvans
Well-known member
yeah, lets all ski over there & make sure we get it ticked off before it dies. sad ####s. :C
ColinSev
Well-known member
Waxwings
Saw 2 flocks of waxwings in Darlington, about 25 in Salters Lane almost opposite Harrowgate Hill Club in the tall trees. Also a flock of about 40 flew over my house on Harrowgate Farm. Looked like they were searching for somewhere to feed.
Couple of waxwing pics from yesterday from Billingham.
Saw 2 flocks of waxwings in Darlington, about 25 in Salters Lane almost opposite Harrowgate Hill Club in the tall trees. Also a flock of about 40 flew over my house on Harrowgate Farm. Looked like they were searching for somewhere to feed.
Couple of waxwing pics from yesterday from Billingham.
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ColinSev
Well-known member
Hoopoe
Shame about the hoopoe, just shows (like the squacco heron) that when a bird gets out of its range it really struggles - but its natures way.
Now I am not really a twitcher and don't know the rules but surely the hoopoe is now captive and can't be ticked - if this is not true then I know a few places that have captive birds.
Shame about the hoopoe, just shows (like the squacco heron) that when a bird gets out of its range it really struggles - but its natures way.
Now I am not really a twitcher and don't know the rules but surely the hoopoe is now captive and can't be ticked - if this is not true then I know a few places that have captive birds.
JBee
Well-known member
Digging the car out of 5 days worth of snow was, to be honest, a bit mental seeing as the sole purpose for doing so was a visit to the Rainton Meadows freezer to see if I could get on the bittern which had given me the slip last week.
Once I had arrived and done my Scott of the Antarctic impersionation getting to the hide the first thing I spotted moving about in the reeds was the aformentioned bird.
Getting photos through the heavily falling snow was impossible but as the morning progressed the snow stopped and the sun broke cover intermittently.
Gary (agammyheron) turned up shortly after the bittern had been wandering about in the open but he didn't have to wait long for it to re-appear.
Great views.
At one point I was saying to Gary - the bird is going back into the reeds and Gary was saying - no it isn't it is sat out in the open.
No it's not said I - I'm photographing it going into the reeds at the moment.
It's definitley sat out in the open - I've got it in the scope - said Gary.
TWO BIRDS.
Once home I spotted both birds in one of the photos - unfortunatley I had been waiting for the bird to come out of the reeds and not noticed the second bird appearing into the left of frame.
Had I just caught it in the corner of my eye I could have got both in the frame properly.
This must have been the moment Gary and I were looking at different birds.
One of the bitterns has an easily spotted white feather on the left wing.
By the way Rainton locked the gates at 1.30pm because of the weather (pleased I'd had enough by then and was heading back to the car or else a long night at Rainton could have followed). It may be wise, if you intend going, to check with them to see if they are open - the road along to the centre is bad.
Once I had arrived and done my Scott of the Antarctic impersionation getting to the hide the first thing I spotted moving about in the reeds was the aformentioned bird.
Getting photos through the heavily falling snow was impossible but as the morning progressed the snow stopped and the sun broke cover intermittently.
Gary (agammyheron) turned up shortly after the bittern had been wandering about in the open but he didn't have to wait long for it to re-appear.
Great views.
At one point I was saying to Gary - the bird is going back into the reeds and Gary was saying - no it isn't it is sat out in the open.
No it's not said I - I'm photographing it going into the reeds at the moment.
It's definitley sat out in the open - I've got it in the scope - said Gary.
TWO BIRDS.
Once home I spotted both birds in one of the photos - unfortunatley I had been waiting for the bird to come out of the reeds and not noticed the second bird appearing into the left of frame.
Had I just caught it in the corner of my eye I could have got both in the frame properly.
This must have been the moment Gary and I were looking at different birds.
One of the bitterns has an easily spotted white feather on the left wing.
By the way Rainton locked the gates at 1.30pm because of the weather (pleased I'd had enough by then and was heading back to the car or else a long night at Rainton could have followed). It may be wise, if you intend going, to check with them to see if they are open - the road along to the centre is bad.
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AndyMc
Well-known member
Bugger. Missed them by less than a mile. Have been out 2 days looking in the hope................
A flock of 100 odd redwings + a flock of 30 yellowhammer rummaging about around Skerningham. Decided to turn back towards Barmpton rather than a circular via Green Lane. Looks like a bad decision then :-C.
