In AND around Sunderland (1 Viewer)

[Adam W]

Had a cracking day out down to Nottinghamshire with the 2 Andrews and Kieran. The main target bird was Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
We got off to a good start,as soon as we arrived at Rufford Abbey we could hear a Green Woodpecker which we manage to get flight views of.
Didnt take long before we heard the Lesser Spotted and Kieran picked up one flying over after a little while we came across a female which we had pretty good views of and when it flew off we saw another fly off with it.
We later found pressumably the same pair and had some excellent views especially the male which was quite close and down at eye level much better views than my poor photo's suggest.
Other birds present in the area were Great spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Brambling and Marsh Tit.

After this we headed to a place near by to try for Red Crested Pochard. Andrew spotted what was most likely a Yellow Legged Gull flying over and after a little searching and some help from a couple of locals we found 6 of the Red Crested Pochard. We also saw a Chiff Chaff here the first of the year.

As an added bonus we saw a Red Kite on the way home,an excellent day all round.

 

[MalR]

The male mandarin was showing well on one of the islands in Mowbray Park lake today.

Malcolm

 

[StevieEvans]

Spring Migs

Spring Migrants

Chiffchaff, Wheatear, Avocet & Little Ringed Plover seen in Sunderland Met Boro over last 2 days.

Willow Tit excavating nest hole in garden Birch at E.Lane today.

 

[ian hamilton]

timber beach 0600-0720.
2prs shelduck
mf teal
mallard
pr oystercatcher
4-5 curlew
12 redshank
black headed gull
herring gull
woodpigeon
wren
dunnock
robin
blackbird
long tailed tit
blue tit
great tit
magpie
m chaffinch
greenfinch
goldfinch

 

[StevieEvans]

Tip off from The Jammy Heron, saw me able to make a quick detour between jobs & year tick GCGrebe at Rainton, with a side dish of summer plumaged Mediteranean Gull - cheers Gary.

 

[ian hamilton]

8 eider on the river at st. peters this morning.

 

[StevieEvans]

Another delightful spring day & another Spring migrant in the Sunderland area today, with a couple of Sand Martins at Lyons Park.

Working nr Silky, Blackbird & Wood Pigeon both incubating.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Another delightful spring day & another Spring migrant in the Sunderland area today, with a couple of Sand Martins at Lyons Park.

A cudn't see tway' foot in front of me' fyace'!:-O

 

[Adam W]

Plenty to see at Chester le Street today, the drake Scaup still showing very well also the single Whooper and this cracking pair of Mandarin brightening up a grey day other birds included at least half a dozen Gooseanders,a Canada and 2 Greylags over.
Not exactly the best conditions for photography but great to be able to watch such cracking birds so close.

 

[StevieEvans]

2nd day of tree-work & fencing at Silksworth
Garden birds including Goldcrest, Coal tit, Bullfinch
Long Tailed Tit carrying. Householders report Wood Pigeon & Collared Dove as both nesting year round.

 

[StevieEvans]

Another fair local find by Mr Bridges - Pintail pair on spring passage on pool 2 at Rainton
Nice birds to see here, I've seen way more Garganey here than Pintail over the years

They were disturbed by the rampaging Cob & headed off north in a sweeping arc, although I'm not entirely sure if they came back down......

We stayed down quite a while, we bumped into one of Jacks teachers which was a nice surprise - more of a surprise for me was how quiet & well behaved he became for that short while !
Soon the light was going & Water Rail x2 were vocal, but small cold fingers on handle bars resulting in us heading off 10 mins before the optimum ETA & we had to make do with a single Little Owl on the way back.

 

[StevieEvans]

A noisy herd of 38 Whoopers nth over our front garden cricket pitch this morning

Chester Park mid morning, 2 Chiffy, 2 Sand Martin through north, Dipper, Grey Wag, Mandarin pr, Scaup & Goosanders coming to bread.

 

[Adam W]

Had an excellent day up in Northumberland with Martin, went to Ross sands and Stag rocks the totals between the 2 were 31 Slavonian Grebes,4 Red Necked Grebes,1 Great Northern Diver,1 Black Throated Diver,20+ Red Throated Diver,50+ Long Tailed Duck,100+ Common Scoter,1 Great Crested Grebe and a Peregrine also plenty of Gannets passing by.

Made our way down the coast,first stop monkhouse pool where we quickly found 3 European Whitefronts we then stopped to have a look at Coquet Island and we saw plenty of Puffins flying around. Got cracking close views of these 4 Whoopers at the road side near Cresswell also another 4 on Cresswell pond.
30+ Twite in the Dunes here with a flock of Linnets which were also a first of the year for me.

 

[Andy K]

Houghton Gate

I pass by probably twice a week and always see the pheasants, curlew,mallard etc on the fields to the left of " The Forbidden Land", but today saw two Buzzards which I have long been looking for :t:

 

[ian hamilton]

timber beach 0820-0905.
cormorant
3prs shelduck
1pr teal
1pr oystercatcher
5 curlew
only 3 redshank
black headed gull
herring gull
gbb gull
woodpigeon
dunnock
robin
blackbird
first chiffchaff of the spring calling.
long tailed tit
blue tit
magpie
carrion crow
greenfinch
goldfinch

 

[StevieEvans]

I pass by probably twice a week and always see the pheasants, curlew,mallard etc on the fields to the left of " The Forbidden Land", but today saw two Buzzards which I have long been looking for :t:

sounds daft Andy, but theyre often easier to see when viewing from further away
most we've had up at once is 16 - they've come on great over last 5 or 6 year - the 'forbidden land' is of course wholly outside the Sunderland area.

The first i know of Common Buzzard raising young within S'land was last year, a different pair having raised young just over the boundary nr Warden Law the previous year, 2009.

 

[Adam W]

2 Canada Geese south west over the house at 6.10pm heading towards the river.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

2 Canada Geese south west over the house at 6.10pm heading towards the river.

Over your garden no doubt? EGH! EGH!

 

[StevieEvans]

pleasant afternoon in the warm sunshine
still a handful of Common & Lesser Redpolls around the feeders at RMs

earlier one flew over the Joes Pond area in display flight.... most probably an excitable overwinter-er or passage bird
others proclaiming territory there included locally scarce Treecreeper & Goldcrest

quick scope round from the hilltop there, 9 Buzzard up at various spots

heres a short clip we were quite happy with :-

Jack clip

 

[Adam W]

Over your garden no doubt? EGH! EGH!

I dont know what you could possibly mean