Hedleyhope (1 Viewer)

[CharleyBird]

Had a lovely circular walk this morning around the Durham wildlife trust area at Hedleyhope Common and fields above. Sunny blue skies though windy and wet underfoot, no one else around 7-9.30! Set off from the minor road to the N-E half way down the hill, though the main parking is at the top or bottom.

Saw pair kestrels, crows, Herring gulls, barn swallows, large flock 100 Lapwing, flock of 30 starling, pair pied wagtails, skylarks, pair chaffinch, robin, blue tit, curlew, think willow warblers and wood warblers, pheasants, pair magpies, moorhen. Nearly ran over 10 young pheasants driving back at East Hedeyhope.
Very pleasant area.

Anyone got a list of what is likely to/can be seen in the area?

 

[NeilF]

Although I don't do that much birding in Weardale these day's when I did go through I often called in to Hedleyhope Fell on the way home, it has some excellent areas of habitat and great for exploring.
Looking through my notebooks here are some of the species seen on previous visits;

6/8/07 Kestrel, Grey Partridge, Green Sandpiper(2 on the small pond which has the burn running through it), Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Coal Tit, Goldfinch, Linnet and Yellowhammer.

14/4/08 Kestrel, Curlew, Song Thrush, Willow Tit, Bullfinch.

24/6/08 Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Stonechat, Reed Bunting.

16/8/08 Golden Plover, Cuckoo, Green Woodpecker, Blackcap.

18/5/09 Lapwing, Cuckoo, Stonechat, Garden Warbler.

27/4/10 Snipe, Wheatear (5+), Ring Ouzel (3), Grasshopper Warbler.

Here's a link which may be of interest;
http://www.durhamwt.co.uk/core_pdfs/hedleyhope-card-final-version.pdf

Hope this helps.

 

[CharleyBird]

Many thanks, my sister lives quite close so I shall be visiting a few times each year. Oh to see a Ring ouzel...I keep going to likely places!

 

[dannyboy]

Hedleyhop fell

Many thanks, my sister lives quite close so I shall be visiting a few times each year. Oh to see a Ring ouzel...I keep going to likely places!

I often get on the fell and regularly see the Birds Neil has mentioned although not seen a few -Guckoo, Ring Ouzel Garden Warbler Green Woody and Green Sand but the rest mentioned are pretty regular visitors. There have also been Short eared and Tawny Owls seen on the fell although the nearby Tow Law fell is most probably more productive for these. The Official Brochure from the Durham Wildlife Trust also states there are adders but I've been reliably informed none have been seen there certainly not recently. Whatever is seen it's still a great place to walk in decent weather although it's usually always blowing a hoolie.

Paul

 

[CharleyBird]

Talking of windy places, you folk ever get up Teesdale? Yesterday my sister picked me & my 12 yr old daughter and went to Cauldron Snout. Got to the Cow Green car park at 07.15 having seen kestrels at play round Langdon Beck. Guess who didn't take an ID book between us.
First bird seenfrom car park was head/breast on between grass, and, expecting pipits, saw an unspececkled pipit-like breast and thought Tawny, no surely...Ok you will have guessed it was almost certainly a youngish wheatear.
Anyway we were the first on the road to the dam, disturbing some 30 red grouse. And umpteen Meadow pipits. And a female wheatear...probably the same one.
We saw a dipper in full view on a rock for a few seconds at the foot of the dam but it proved as shy as it's relatives and eluded us completely after a few minutes. We tried to descend on the Pennine way, but decided to take the grassey slopes to the west to see the falls on the Yorkshire side. We walked back over the dam seeing lots of skylarks and a pair of house martins.
At the end of the dam sat on the wall and then the gate was I'm pretty sure, a whinchat (by the time you get back home, you're never absolutely certain of what you remember!)
The waves were white by the time we got back to the car and had a great view of a hovering kestrel and Fiends Fell behind. Barn swallows seemed to be everywhere. I suppose they'll be off soon.
Oh to see a Ring ouzel!