in and around south tyneside (1 Viewer)

[nellieberta]

Here's the pictures of the plants I mentioned the other day. They are in Wardley Country Park. I think they are Orchids, but other than that I have no idea. For all I know they may not even be Orchids but my gut reaction is, that they are.
If anyone can identify them that would be great.

Regards

MICK

 

[JBee]

and anyone who has a elitist view on other peoples use of the English language

MICK

Meooow
I've fished Rutland water - it's BIG
You might want to consider Grafham water too which isn't a million miles away.

 

[JBee]

Here's the pictures of the plants I mentioned the other day. They are in Wardley Country Park. I think they are Orchids, but other than that I have no idea. For all I know they may not even be Orchids but my gut reaction is, that they are.
If anyone can identify them that would be great.

Regards

MICK

Common spotted orchid

 

[nellieberta]

Common spotted orchid

Is there a hint somewhere in the name telling me I've not made a rare and exciting discovery:-C?

 

[seggs]

Not in the Tyneside area but I have a very strong population of Dingy skippers along a 50 yard stretch of pathway just a few minutes from my home.
I wrote a book about a year (265 full days in 2006) in the life of the first 100 yards of that footpath which included the Dingy skipper. I did make the Durham butterfly group aware of the grid reference.
Though not a common butterfly it does have strong very localised populations.
Loss of brown field sites has been one of the major problems for Dingy skippers
These were taken yesterday when I saw my first pair on the wing for 2008.

Thanks JBee for the excellent photo,s of the butterfly:t: And your imput is very welcome here always...
ps.
What lens do you use for these if i may ask? As a few of us may be wondering.

 

[JBee]

Thanks JBee for the excellent photo,s of the butterfly:t: And your imput is very welcome here always...
ps.
What lens do you use for these if i may ask? As a few of us may be wondering.

I use a Tamron 90mm Di and Tamron 180mm Di - both 1:1 macro.
The 180 allows a little bit more room for things like wasps

 

[seggs]

Rokermartin had a Common Rosefinch singing and showing well at Marsden Hall at about 3pm today, no sign at 7pm when i met him there tonight.
Worth checking if anyones out tomorrow in this area.

 

[dampflippers]

Mick, from the colour of the flowers they could be northern marsh orchid.

 

[JBee]

Mick, from the colour of the flowers they could be northern marsh orchid.

Slightly early for Northern marsh which don't have spotted leaves.
Colour is a bad reference for orchids as they are so variable.
Below left to right
Northern Marsh, 3 x Common spotted, Early purple

 

[nellieberta]

Slightly early for Northern marsh which don't have spotted leaves.
Colour is a bad reference for orchids as they are so variable.
Below left to right
Northern Marsh, 3 x Common spotted, Early purple

Thanks for your help, I'm just happy that I managed to identify them as any sort of orchid. They do have spots on the leaves, which to be honest I hadn't noticed. I'll never be the next David Bellamy thats for sure.

Cheers

MICK

 

[CrimsonTopaz]

:hi:Hi everyone
Does anyone here live on Biddick Hall or near it?
The river don walkway (or the burn locally) is my local patch anyone know if there are kingfishers along there??? could there be reed warblers about near Tilesheds to? im sure i herd one a few weeks back.
Many thanks,

 

[seggs]

:hi:Hi everyone
Does anyone here live on Biddick Hall or near it?
The river don walkway (or the burn locally) is my local patch anyone know if there are kingfishers along there??? could there be reed warblers about near Tilesheds to? im sure i herd one a few weeks back.
Many thanks,

Hi Sam
This used to be my local patch for over 8 years(in my youth) from the Dene on the Jarrow side, the burn, along by Biddick farm area and over the fields into Boldon. I still visit here when i can. (posts on pages 6 and 11).
Kingfisher do get along this stretch of the Don, mainly around the burn area and mostly in winter. I still have to find out where they go in the summer? up river i suspect. Its also a good area for Blackcap this year, and ive seen Jays twice in the last few years in the new plantations to the north of here(along the old pit line in the higher trees)
Sparrowhawk nested last year also near the burn area,as did Whitethroat near the biddick bridge and Bullfinch(this bird was a rare sight here years ago)
As for the Tilesheds area i have little idea? Another place thats under reported.
The reed beds here are a little small for Reed warbler but you never know! As the reed bed at Primrose LNR. has held the birds..
We would be interested in your sightings when you are out if you care to post them on here.

 

[CrimsonTopaz]

Thanks Steve, Kingfishers peaked my interest thanks to my partner mentioning he had seen them fly past the burn in his youth. I know they have cleaned the river don up alot in recent years to bring water voles back, so with a bit of luck Kingfishers might take advantage of that (fingers crossed). Ive got to see those Bullfinches you mentioned, i never even knew they where round here, Jay's to! I always had a feeling that Sparrowhawks were round Biddick as ive often seen one soaring over my house (its right on the edge of the burn) and thanks for letting me know about them nesting:t:
I go to tilesheds all the time it's a great place. Ive seen Linnets, muschovy ducks, whitethroat, long-tailed tits, dunnocks, robins, song thrushes, skylarks, pheasants, snipe, grey herons, wrens and ive heard chiff-chaffs and willow warblers (and many more). Tilesheds also has a canny population of Swallows and House Martins, they are frequently seen perched on the wires above the farm, and the swallows nest in the old barns.
Thanks for the info Steve, im hoping to get back to tilesheds this weekend (weather permitting of course) and i'll be sur to let you know of my observations :t:
Many thanks,

 

[B&PC]

Tilesheds

Thanks Steve, Kingfishers peaked my interest thanks to my partner mentioning he had seen them fly past the burn in his youth. I know they have cleaned the river don up alot in recent years to bring water voles back, so with a bit of luck Kingfishers might take advantage of that (fingers crossed). Ive got to see those Bullfinches you mentioned, i never even knew they where round here, Jay's to! I always had a feeling that Sparrowhawks were round Biddick as ive often seen one soaring over my house (its right on the edge of the burn) and thanks for letting me know about them nesting:t:
I go to tilesheds all the time it's a great place. Ive seen Linnets, muschovy ducks, whitethroat, long-tailed tits, dunnocks, robins, song thrushes, skylarks, pheasants, snipe, grey herons, wrens and ive heard chiff-chaffs and willow warblers (and many more). Tilesheds also has a canny population of Swallows and House Martins, they are frequently seen perched on the wires above the farm, and the swallows nest in the old barns.
Thanks for the info Steve, im hoping to get back to tilesheds this weekend (weather permitting of course) and i'll be sur to let you know of my observations :t:
Many thanks,

I usually walk the dog round Tilesheds early most mornings before work. In addition to the birds mentioned there were a pair of very vocal blackcap in early May but I havent seen them recently. It seems to me that the number of willow warblers and whitethroat at Tilesheds appears to be down on last year. There were also two pairs of bullfinch at Tilesheds in early spring feeding on the new buds. Again I havent seen them in last 4/5 weeks. My son reported a bullfinch in our garden this morning feeding on the seed spilt from the feeders which I think is a first for our garden.

 

[The gaffer]

Raptor

Large raptor flying over South Tyneside hospital late morning heading east. Unable to get an ID but it certainly stirred up the herring gulls!!

Brian

 

[CrimsonTopaz]

I usually walk the dog round Tilesheds early most mornings before work. In addition to the birds mentioned there were a pair of very vocal blackcap in early May but I havent seen them recently. It seems to me that the number of willow warblers and whitethroat at Tilesheds appears to be down on last year. There were also two pairs of bullfinch at Tilesheds in early spring feeding on the new buds. Again I havent seen them in last 4/5 weeks. My son reported a bullfinch in our garden this morning feeding on the seed spilt from the feeders which I think is a first for our garden.

The last time i saw a Blackcap around Tilesheds was 2 year ago.
Thats where i take my dog to, she likes the wildfowl and the rabbits on the farm|=)|
I always had a feeling Bullfinches would be around there, ive just never seen them myself yet.
Saw a Sparrowhawk flying over my house again yesterday, im sure there was a pair but i couldnt properly ID the second one (could have been a Kestrel)

 

[seggs]

:news:Marsh Warbler, been seen at the Academy pools the last few days(On the DBC new reporting page)
Also a male 1st summer Hen harrier has been reported around the Whitburn and Cleadon hills area this morning.

 

[seggs]

Had a hour or so at the Academy pools this pm.
2 Whitethroats, 1 Mistle thrush and Linnets on the approach from Moor lane
Walked around the pools slowly watching loads of sand and house martins feeding over the pools.
Then i heard what i thought to be a Curlew?, nope it was coming from the reed bed!..
The bird showed.Marsh warbler being a first for me, and knowing they are hard to tell apart from Reed warbler, the call convinced me of its ID.
It also seemed to mimic parts of swallows,reed bunting and sedge warbler calls!!!! It showed briefly thro- the reeds whilst singing.
Also on the way back along the path to the car another rare sight in s.tyneside showed! a Hare on the embankment to one of the football pitchs.

 

[The gaffer]

The blue tits in the nest box in my garden fledged yesterday. The first I knew when when I saw my dog interested in something and found out that it was a young blue tit fluttering across the ground!!. No damage done as she was only sniffing it and the fledgling escaped into next door's garden.

Orange tip butterfly appeared in my garden briefly yesterday afternoon so unable to get a photo. It is the first time that I have seen one of these in my garden - climate change??

I noticed this morning that one of the Blackbirds has fledged in my garden so another success for the local birds!!

I am hoping the humming bird hawk moth appears in my garden again this year. It was such a poor summer last year that it did not show. I have photgraphed it before but the shutter speed was too slow and it did not come out very clear. I will post a photo if I am successful.

I was on Cleadon Hills yesterday evening but did not see the hen harrier

Brian

 

[CrimsonTopaz]

Sparrowhawk was sighted again (early dog walking) over Biddick Hall
Also Brian i saw an orange tip last week, i had no idea what it was untill i went on the net and found a picture of it!