In AND around Sunderland (1 Viewer)

[ian hamilton]

timber beach 0800-0840.
1pr shelduck
3-4 teal
3 curlew
14 redshank
f pheasant
herring gull
woodpigeon
sand martin flew east
wren
dunnock
blackbird
2 chiffchaff
blue tit
magpie
goldfinch
m reed bunting

 

[Adam W]

Went up to Cresswell to try and see the American Wigeon today and struck lucky managing to not only see it but also a cracking Green Winged Teal as well,not quite sure why there seems to be no reports of this bird as it was written on the sightings board on 28/3/11 and is obviously still present,seems a little strange when there are regular reports of the Wigeon but there you go. Also saw my first Sandmartin of the year here but our search for Wheatear in the area failed miserably so we headed back closer to home trying Trow and Marsden quarry without any luck but managed to see a male in fields near Marsden quarry also a Sandmartin over Trow.


Now I'll leave you to marvel at these simply stunning photo's.

 

[StevieEvans]

4 summer migs

an hour this afternoon on the local patch, before the school run. Bumped into MH & we enjoyed 2 fine cock Wheateaters & a Little ringed Plover, with several Chiffchaff singing

a brief visit to RMs this morning with a Sand Martin hawking past the hide


no apologies for phone-binned images

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

a brief visit to RMs this morning with a Sand Martin hawking past the hide

2 more at RM's by the visitor centre briefly and then flew off. Also LBBGull present and the nasal banded Pintail was in close to the hide.:t:

 

[ian hamilton]

timber beach 0850-0930.
cormorant
5pr shelduck
2pr teal
3-4 curlew
5 redshank
herring gull
woodpigeon
wren
robin
2 chiffchaff
blue tit
great tit
magpie
carrion crow
goldfinch
bullfinch
m reed bunting

 

[StevieEvans]

my first Swallow of the year hawking out of the wind yesterday close to home

at home we have a pr of Great Tits prospecting nest holes... 2 boxes for them at a decent height, yet they seem more interested in an untidy pile of 8 or so beside our front wall ( that havnt got round to putting up )

Willow Warblers singing at Waldridge, Shibdon & Hetton Bogs yestday, together with an earlier bird at Silksworth

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Guilliemot - Rainton!

Was nice to see this Guillemot at Rainton Meadows this morning, very strange!

Picture attached.

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Hi Sunlunders!

Can anyone tell me anything about the patch of wasteground just inland from the south side of the docks? Even just a name would be useful, but if anyone could fill me in on what (if anything) has been seen there I'd be really interested.

A bunch of us doing bird surveys in the North Sea have decided to adopt this as our patch, as we always port call and crew change in Sunderland.

We've had a few jaunts around there over the last few months. Easily the best thing so far was a Richards pipit back in November, but the area seems to have a load of potential for migrants so we're hoping for more and more.

Today was pretty quiet out there, but migs were represented by 3 redwing and a steady southerly trickle of meadow pipits. There also seems to be a healthy population of Stock doves there too.

 

[Adam W]

If its where i'm thinking I think its just reffered to as south dock, it can be an excellent place for migrants especially Shrikes it seems with 2 Red Backed and a Great Grey last year alone it also seems to be good for things like Firecrest and Yellow Browed warblers.
Plenty of common migrants last autumn when i was last there such as Redstart and Garden warbler. I've read a few reports of good numbers of Stock Doves there.

 

[Andy K]

South Docks

If its where i'm thinking I think its just reffered to as south dock, it can be an excellent place for migrants especially Shrikes it seems with 2 Red Backed and a Great Grey last year alone it also seems to be good for things like Firecrest and Yellow Browed warblers.
Plenty of common migrants last autumn when i was last there such as Redstart and Garden warbler. I've read a few reports of good numbers of Stock Doves there.

Adam

Can you send me a PM if necessary about how you access the area, Im struggling to think where it is as I thought Port of Sunderland had all the immediate South Docks area fenced off ?

Many thanks :t:

 

[Michael A]

Was nice to see this Guillemot at Rainton Meadows this morning, very strange!

Picture attached.

Nothing to do with April 1st?3

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Nothing to do with April 1st?3

Whatever could you mean?

 

[Adam W]

Adam

Can you send me a PM if necessary about how you access the area, Im struggling to think where it is as I thought Port of Sunderland had all the immediate South Docks area fenced off ?

Many thanks :t:

Hi Andy,I thought i'd do this on here as hopefully someone might be able to help by posting a link to the map as I have no idea how to do that.

If you look on google maps(or any map i guess) at the south docks you'll see an area immediately west of there that looks pretty much like a green triangle when you zoom in you'll see its scatterd with trees and bushes and a dissused railwayline runs through it and a red brick wall runs along the western edge of it. I think you can enter from various points but when I've been we've parked at the southern end where the triangle comes to a point on the map this is where Moor Terrace meets what is just marked as EXT Road,if you look closely on google maps you can see a white car parked under a tree from there you should be able to see the red wall and railwayline.

Hope this is of some help and perhaps someone can post a map of where I mean.

Cheers Adam.

 

[Andy K]

South Dock

Hi Andy,I thought i'd do this on here as hopefully someone might be able to help by posting a link to the map as I have no idea how to do that.

If you look on google maps(or any map i guess) at the south docks you'll see an area immediately west of there that looks pretty much like a green triangle when you zoom in you'll see its scatterd with trees and bushes and a dissused railwayline runs through it and a red brick wall runs along the western edge of it. I think you can enter from various points but when I've been we've parked at the southern end where the triangle comes to a point on the map this is where Moor Terrace meets what is just marked as EXT Road,if you look closely on google maps you can see a white car parked under a tree from there you should be able to see the red wall and railwayline.

Hope this is of some help and perhaps someone can post a map of where I mean.


Cheers Adam.

Cheers Adam,got it now,will venture down there soon.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...5713,-1.365201&spn=0.002097,0.004367&t=h&z=17 .Looks like an interesting site.

 

[Andy K]

Fat Paul Scholes !

Hi Sunlunders!

Can anyone tell me anything about the patch of wasteground just inland from the south side of the docks? Even just a name would be useful, but if anyone could fill me in on what (if anything) has been seen there I'd be really interested.

A bunch of us doing bird surveys in the North Sea have decided to adopt this as our patch, as we always port call and crew change in Sunderland.

We've had a few jaunts around there over the last few months. Easily the best thing so far was a Richards pipit back in November, but the area seems to have a load of potential for migrants so we're hoping for more and more.

Today was pretty quiet out there, but migs were represented by 3 redwing and a steady southerly trickle of meadow pipits. There also seems to be a healthy population of Stock doves there too.

An excellent blog, got it in my favourites.:t:

 

[Mark Lew1s]

Thanks for the input Adam and Andy. A quick search of birdguides has the site referred to as Hendon moor, so I think that's what I'm going to call it too!

Andy, we've been accessing the area further north than the exit road. Near the 'Welcome inn' on Prospect Row there is a part of the wall that has collapsed and it's pretty easy getting in there. It's not one of the nicer looking parts of the world, but if you have a look round I'm sure you'll see the potential it has for migrants.

And thanks for the nice feedback on the blog!

 

[StevieEvans]

Thanks for the input Adam and Andy. A quick search of birdguides has the site referred to as Hendon moor, so I think that's what I'm going to call it too!

Andy, we've been accessing the area further north than the exit road. Near the 'Welcome inn' on Prospect Row there is a part of the wall that has collapsed and it's pretty easy getting in there. It's not one of the nicer looking parts of the world, but if you have a look round I'm sure you'll see the potential it has for migrants.

And thanks for the nice feedback on the blog!

over the last couple of years Steve 'Amur Wagtail' Addinall (Bonsai Birder on this forum) has put that area firmly on the local birding map.....



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Sunlund area
Blackcap Tuesday Hetton Bogs, with Sand Martins visiting 2 colonies
Good news with Dippers nest building within the borough
Swallow at WWT yestday with 4 Avocet & 1 Blackwit still, Herons with young in the nest including a pr with 5 hungry mouths.
Nice selection in the H/Ho'ton area yestday with Little ringed Plover & Wheatear at 3 sites, passage Seo & Little Egret (Lyons Pk), 2 early Whimbrel at RMs, loads of Chiffchaffs in & steady Mipit passage although alba wagtails only trickling at present & no 'Whites' as yet ?
Still a nice selection of waterfowl on pool 2 RMs - the low water level there attracting a reasonable numbers of Gadwall & Great Crested Grebes look set to make a return to the boro as a breeding species....
Several wader pools & flashes dry - last few nights rain will hopefully top them up & pull in a Garganey or 2....

 

[Boldon Buzzard]

Clouds of herring gulls over the Seaburn area at 1310, revealed an Osprey heading North over the sea following the coastline. Flocks of meadow pipits heading inland off the sea. 83 carrion crow in fields to the West of Westhall and a good number of Jackdaws including a few interesting pale individuals.

 

[yukonite]

they might make the pastures then the mipits, lighter jackdaw on hedworth lane

 

[StevieEvans]

A productive afternoon with small child. We had an hour at RMs looking for amphibians, couple of Willow Warblers singing quietly every now & then another year tick as a House Martin went through north ( i think this is my earliest ) with 10 or so Sand Martin feeding close by.

We continued on to Chester Park (17:30 - 20:00), ( outside S'land area)
Green Woodpecker yaffling in the distance & Blackcap singing, the drake Scaup looking resplendant in the sun, 47 or more Mute Swan & a handful of Goosander.
An incubating Dipper in an open topped cupped nest, with another feeding 3 young in a box we put up in the autumn nearby. A real swarm of Sand Martin here - at least 176 birds over the Wear. Scanning downstream a pair of Buzzard rose rapidly, circling over Lambton Bridge area, i was very surprised to see the object of their attention circling high above them- an Osprey ! - they all drifted NE into the estate.

others today S'land:-
Iceland Gull, Swallows, Lapland Bunting