Northumbrian Birding (1 Viewer)

[Gill Osborne]

I don't know if we get Firecrests this far north or whether they are more often seen at migration times - I know I've never seen one yet :-O


Brief visit to Cresswell Pond and East Chevington this afternoon.

Lots of *very vocal* Lapwing, Golden Plover, Dunlin, a single Bar-tailed Godwit, two Snipe and lots of Wigeon at Cresswell. Also various large dragonfly species in front of the hide - greenish in colour. Fabulous to watch them.....definitely NEED an ID book though as it drives me nuttz not knowing what I'm looking at! :smoke:

East Chev - lots of Greylag, Mute Swans, Pochard, Wigeon, Teal, few Sandwich Terns and a cracking Black Tern :t: No sign of the Spoonbills though.

 

[Keith Reeder]

Sure they weren't goldcrest, Tallyn?

Firecrest is a scarce Autumn/Winter visitor from the continent (though a rare breeder down south) so goldcrest is much more likely here.

Still a great little bird though..!

 

[tallyn78]

Hi, thanks for the replies! The head stripe on one bird was bright orange/red so I assumed they were firecrests but having looked at goldcrest info I see they can also have orange stripes - thanks for putting a novice right!

 

[DEREK.C.]

Great watching the Dippers on the Coquet the other day . One male sitting in the middle of the river in full song for a good 20 minutes, a female came along and the male was strutting about in front of her, that was until another male came along and all hell broke loose. A great few hours with Kingfisher , Goosanders and an Otter also seen.
Didnt get a picture of the Otter , to slow on the draw.

 

[Stewart J.]

Yo Derek noted the same here on the So Tyne Dippers in full song! maybe a result this warm sunny weather, have also had 2 Willow Warblers singing to each other in short bursts last 2 mornings.

Stewart

 

[Brian Bullough]

I have posted this item here for the information of all,
Brian


Environment Agency staff appeal for reports of dead otters
Environment Agency staff are appealing for people to tell them if they find a dead otter so that
information can be collected for a national project which is monitoring the health of the population.
T
he Newcastle-based team collect the bodies of dead otters and send them off to Cardiff University for
a post-mortem. This confirms how the otter died and reveals how healthy it was, its diet, and the levels
of chemicals in the body.
The post-mortem results are then fed into an Environment Agency database of the species for
England and Wales.
A 11-year study by the Environment Agency, which was published in June, showed that otter
populations are healthy and are expanding.
The work is still continuing and biodiversity officer Rachael McFarlane is urging people in
Northumberland and County Durham to contact her as soon as they spot a dead otter so she can
collect the body for analysis.
She said: “Otter populations are growing in the North East, and this is reflected in the number of otter
deaths that have been reported to us. The main problem seems to be with young otters that don’t
know much about road safety, leaving home and getting run over.
“We rely on people to report dead otters to us, and without this, we wouldn’t be able to undertake this
research to increase our knowledge about populations in the North East.”
Rachael has collected seven dead otters since October last year. They were mostly young males,
involved in traffic accidents.
The accidents occur when otters cross roads to either find new territory or because their normal paths
are blocked when water levels rise, making bridges and culverts impassable. All deaths reported to
the team are plotted on maps to identify where otter blackspots are occurring.
Staff can look at whether it is possible to carry out any improvements to make these areas safer with
otter crossing signs, reflectors and otter bridges within the channel.
Otter populations have begun to expand across the country following a decline in numbers between
the 1950s and 1980s. The results from the recent health study reinforces the view that one factor
behind this recovery may be decreasing levels of organochlorine chemicals (OCs) such as the
insecticides, dieldrin and aldrin.
The insecticide was used extensively by farmers but was withdrawn from use from 1962 and banned
by 1989 but research shows that it can take up to 25 years for 95 per cent of dieldrin in soil to
disappear.
If anyone finds a dead otter in Northumberland or County Durham, they should report it to
Environment Agency biodiversity officer Rachael McFarlane on 0191 203 4238
XX Month 2007

 

[seggs]

holy island

took a chance on the weather today...to come here..
did the usual round trip walk before the weather turned really bad,(when we reached the castle).
not much around on the land..stonechats and a single whinchat.(someone had 2 merlins)
2 large flocks of wigeon 100+ each went over..
the tidal areas proved much better..
loads of bar tailed godwits..2 black tailed..
30+ grey plover(many still showing alot of s.p.)
a few golden plover
and the usual suspects..plus the grey seals...50+.basking.....
and we did have 11 brents..on the return..:t i had told the other half geese were on for today...brents a first for her.)
dropped into cresswell on the way back...
11 knot and 1 greenshank..to note

 

[Derek Polley]

Came across this photo on the Birds Ireland site, thought it might interest you Geordies who went to Linton and Bothal last winter. Could the same bird have gone North in the spring and hooked up with Brent on the way back and ended up here? Is your bird still around?

http://www.birdsireland.com/pages/rare_bird_news/2007/september_photos.html

I await a measured response and an illuminating debate.

 

[Newton Stringer]

Sure they weren't goldcrest, Tallyn?

Firecrest is a scarce Autumn/Winter visitor from the continent (though a rare breeder down south) so goldcrest is much more likely here.

Still a great little bird though..!

Hi see this link for some pictures of male and female goldcrest.

http://www.freewebs.com/newtonstringer/clamped.htm

Attached are some pics of the Pec sand at Newton on Sunday

 

[The Liverbirder]

Castle Island - 24/9

Late a.m. - very busy. Loads of Dunlin, Redshanks, Cormorants, BHGs, a few CGs and LBBGs (one LBBG had an orange ring on the left leg and a red on the right with a blue above and a white above that - ideas?), three Black-tailed Godwits, 9 or so Snipe, zillions of Teal and Lapwings and a few Knot.

 

[Mark Newsome]

...one LBBG had an orange ring on the left leg and a red on the right with a blue above and a white above that - ideas?...

Here's a link to the part of the BTO website which covers colour ringed birds. Details of where the bird was ringed are emailed back to you once tracked down.
http://blx1.bto.org/euring/main/rings.jsp

 

[The Liverbirder]

Sorted. Many thanks. I did send away details of a Mute Swan with a red leg ring last year and am still waiting. But you've got to be in it to win it so 2nd time lucky!

 

[The Liverbirder]

Arcot Pond This evening

Boat loads of Mallards/Coots/Moorhens. Twenty Greylags and one Pink Foot, five Mute Swans, seven Grey Herons, half a dozen Little Grebes and a dozen Wigeon. One Buzzard over, being harrassed by three Jackdaws. Busy - but nothing too special.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Fame At Last!

After many hours of sitting in hallowed seawatching company, listening to experts interpreting the dots on the horizon as approaching Lifers for me, I have raised my birding game by featuring on the Boulmer Birder site. Indeed, I am the man who fell off his seat in an ultimately successful attempt to add Sabine's Gull to his Life List.

It's all down hill (literally) from now on!!!!

 

[Vipers]

Sab's Gull. Nice one Gordon!! Does the wife know you've fallen for a new bird?

 

[The Liverbirder]

A bit like London buses, you wait to see a Sab's Gull and get a second the same week. Crossed the border this morning and went to Whitburn. Added BT Diver and Grey Phalarope to my Life List. The Obs. point there is like The Ritz compared with sitting on (or falling off) my seat at Newbiggin but although it was very comfortable, it lacked the banter of Andy Mc and Jimmy S.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Blyth's Reed warbler (or should it be Woodhorn's?)

Can anyone add a little more detail to where the bird is, please? The Birdguides info;

still showing on and off. Park at church and walk c100yds east along road to view midway along Woodhorn hedge from field to south

I know where the church is as that's where I park to see the GW Teal. I know that 100 yards east takes me back towards the main road and past the funeral directors, but from there it's a bit of a mystery. Does the hedge run north or south, for example?

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Birds of interest: Grey Phalarope at cresswell pond and yellow brown at woodhorn church yard (this is where the blyths was)
cheers steve

 

[LSB]

Yellow Browed Warbler still at St Mary's Island today. In the willows to the right of the 2nd wooden view point.

 

[DEREK.C.]

Holy Island

Lovely day spent here yesterday,didnt see any rarities but still plenty about.
Thousands of Knot on the causeway with a Peregrine sitting on a pole on pilgrims way keeping an eye on them. A thousand plus Brent Geese and Wigeon with around 8 Pintail amongst them towards Fenham Flats.
Near the harbour was a pair of Slavonian Grebes and a Red Throated Diver wrestling with a fish (which got away). Little Stint with the Dunlin in the harbour,before they were all flushed by 3 Labradors.
Golden and Grey Plovers were abundant as were Eiders , Bar Tailed Godwits , Wheatears and Rock Pipits.