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Northumbrian Birding (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Stewart J.
- Start date
Simonside Hills
Plenty of activity here last week,although it does require a bit patience sometimes . Quiet at first but eventually found the Crossbills feeding in the Larch, its amazing how quiet they are when feeding, hard to count but about 30 seen in total. A large flock of 100 + Siskin moving through.
The heather moorland higher up produced Merlin and a pair of Raven.
Plenty of activity here last week,although it does require a bit patience sometimes . Quiet at first but eventually found the Crossbills feeding in the Larch, its amazing how quiet they are when feeding, hard to count but about 30 seen in total. A large flock of 100 + Siskin moving through.
The heather moorland higher up produced Merlin and a pair of Raven.
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Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
craigthirlwell
Well-known member
Nice pics, Alan. The starling in particular is superb. Which camera did you go for? I'm considering getting a new one myself, so I'm interested in feedback on different models.
Cheers,
Malcolm
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
Panasonic FZ50, came on Tuesday, ordered Sunday from UK Digital Cameras, almost a hundred quid less than another better known internet supplier who were out of stock. I'm trying to hold out to Christmas now before I treat myself to a teleconverter for it.
So far, so good.
So far, so good.
Alan G
Well-known member
That wouldn't be WE by any chance?
I tried price-matching with WE (against CameraBox) for my FZ50 when I bought it as they were charging £100 more.....but I wanted to take their 9 months interest free
Anyway, they emailed me back a day or so later to say they couldn't price match as they didn't stock the FZ50??
Something I found rather odd, seeing I'd seen it with my own eyes on their site the day I contacted them............and when I went back on after receiving their reply it had been taken off.
Bob Graham
New member
Tynemouth
Short visit early afternoon. Saw one Purple Sandpiper on the pier & 2 R T Divers fairly close in. Couple of Rock Pipits also.
Main reason I posted this was to ask about identity of a small group of cetaceans just off the end of the pier. Would they be Harbour Porpoise? Seemed to be about 3-4. They had rather small dorsal fin & only showed brief glimses.
Short visit early afternoon. Saw one Purple Sandpiper on the pier & 2 R T Divers fairly close in. Couple of Rock Pipits also.
Main reason I posted this was to ask about identity of a small group of cetaceans just off the end of the pier. Would they be Harbour Porpoise? Seemed to be about 3-4. They had rather small dorsal fin & only showed brief glimses.
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
That wouldn't be WE by any chance?
I tried price-matching with WE (against CameraBox) for my FZ50 when I bought it as they were charging £100 more.....but I wanted to take their 9 months interest free
Anyway, they emailed me back a day or so later to say they couldn't price match as they didn't stock the FZ50??
Something I found rather odd, seeing I'd seen it with my own eyes on their site the day I contacted them............and when I went back on after receiving their reply it had been taken off.
No comment. The holding off to Christmas for the telecon failed. I ordered one today from Hiltons.
The Liverbirder
Well-known member
Going For Page 103
In an effort to move this Forum a page forward. 200pm today from the Oddie Hide, Otter v. Eel; 1 - 0 to the Otter. And the best Kingfisher views I have ever had, on the shore just to the left of the Hide, up, hovver, dive and return for 10 minutes.
In an effort to move this Forum a page forward. 200pm today from the Oddie Hide, Otter v. Eel; 1 - 0 to the Otter. And the best Kingfisher views I have ever had, on the shore just to the left of the Hide, up, hovver, dive and return for 10 minutes.
level seven
Registered user
There were three Whooper Swans on the lake at Gosforth Reserve yesterday. A note in the log-book made a couple of hours before my visit said they were being mobbed by the resident Mutes. The Whoopers must have come out on top then, judging by the way they were swanning around (sorry) on the water without a care in the world, while the Mute Swans had been banished to the further reaches.
They were tagged but I didn't have my scope with me and couldn't read them.
They were tagged but I didn't have my scope with me and couldn't read them.
The Liverbirder
Well-known member
West Hartford
Almost dried up so no gulls or waders at 1700hrs. Two Kestrels, 13 Fieldfare, a wren and a few Blue Tits. No sign of any SEOs yet.
Almost dried up so no gulls or waders at 1700hrs. Two Kestrels, 13 Fieldfare, a wren and a few Blue Tits. No sign of any SEOs yet.
seggs
Alrite!
drive up the coast today(time limited)..stopped at amble for a walk around the harbour mouth with the kids..good close views of eiders,turnstones,purple sands.razorbills..60+dunlin on north side.
drove down to cresswell(for ice-cream)..single fieldfares all over..
and 2 brent geese on cresswell north pool.. at 5pm.
drove down to cresswell(for ice-cream)..single fieldfares all over..
and 2 brent geese on cresswell north pool.. at 5pm.
seggs
Alrite!
headed up north today to some of our favorite sites here..
started at amble..(forgot about sunday market day and the tide was out)..but nice all the same..eiders,cormorants and shags..with a few guilliemots hanging around the harbour..
hauxley-
great to see the tree sparrows still doing well here..and the pheasants are hide friendly too..5 here. at the feeding station.
east chev.-
viewed the south water first..
heron battled with a eel...2 wheatears on fence posts..and 2 swallows flew south over the dunes.
north pool..loads of pochard here..most notable..30+ pinkies flew in off the sea ..
duridge-
oddie hide- 1 greenshank..and a otter showed..seemed to have a nap on the island for a short time and then..ding! ding! round 2(gordon:t otter v eel..same outcome..otter won...lol..(best views our lass has had)
approaching cresswell a large flock of linnets 80+(where the shorelark was)
cresswell-
better bird wise.. 1 f.long tailed duck..2 d.b.brent geese..at least 3 scaup..2 ruff(one a reeve)..
seems the fieldfares have moved on since yesterday none seen today..
a few pics..still waiting for a chance of good ones for otters..great just to see one..
nice day..
and met some nice like minded people... cannot resist the ice-cream shop at cresswell!!8-P
started at amble..(forgot about sunday market day and the tide was out)..but nice all the same..eiders,cormorants and shags..with a few guilliemots hanging around the harbour..
hauxley-
great to see the tree sparrows still doing well here..and the pheasants are hide friendly too..5 here. at the feeding station.
east chev.-
viewed the south water first..
heron battled with a eel...2 wheatears on fence posts..and 2 swallows flew south over the dunes.
north pool..loads of pochard here..most notable..30+ pinkies flew in off the sea ..
duridge-
oddie hide- 1 greenshank..and a otter showed..seemed to have a nap on the island for a short time and then..ding! ding! round 2(gordon:t
otter v eel..same outcome..otter won...lol..(best views our lass has had)approaching cresswell a large flock of linnets 80+(where the shorelark was)
cresswell-
better bird wise.. 1 f.long tailed duck..2 d.b.brent geese..at least 3 scaup..2 ruff(one a reeve)..
seems the fieldfares have moved on since yesterday none seen today..
a few pics..still waiting for a chance of good ones for otters..great just to see one..
nice day..
and met some nice like minded people... cannot resist the ice-cream shop at cresswell!!8-P
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June Atkinson
Well-known member
Stewart J.
Well-known member
For those of you who haven't access to the Hexham Courant weekly newspaper here in the stiyx, couple of articles that may be of interest from Friday 12 Oct the first very depressingly shows Northumberland in a very bad light for the persecution of raptors ;-
http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=552456
On a happier note a record breaking Tawny Owl
http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=552421
Good birding
Stewart
http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=552456
On a happier note a record breaking Tawny Owl
http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=552421
Good birding
Stewart
June Atkinson
Well-known member
Birds of prey at risk in Tynedale
Of course we remember that it was in Tynedale that one of our Red Kites, Flash, was killed by carbofuran. Although it was very sad, especially for the children of Winlaton Mill Primary School who had adopted him, his death raised awareness of our Red Kite Project, so much so that people everywhere have now taken the Kites to their hearts!
What is also sad to hear is the downgrading of the Police role in the Wildlife domain; it has been downgraded to a Civilian job. This is not to denigrate the role of the latter, but we always valued our Police Wildlife Officers.
The Courant has been very much to the fore in highlighting and denouncing this illegal, cruel and unwelcome behaviour.
Of course we remember that it was in Tynedale that one of our Red Kites, Flash, was killed by carbofuran. Although it was very sad, especially for the children of Winlaton Mill Primary School who had adopted him, his death raised awareness of our Red Kite Project, so much so that people everywhere have now taken the Kites to their hearts!
What is also sad to hear is the downgrading of the Police role in the Wildlife domain; it has been downgraded to a Civilian job. This is not to denigrate the role of the latter, but we always valued our Police Wildlife Officers.
The Courant has been very much to the fore in highlighting and denouncing this illegal, cruel and unwelcome behaviour.
I spent the summer displaying the hawks at the metrocenter,and was amazed at the knowledge we have up here(I nearly said joe public,but I am he too!)I spoke to hundreds of people who to a man couldn't believe raptors were still being destroyed up here.I was also suprised at the high numbers of falconers we have up here, who are able to hunt on private land.Deduce that some landowners more enlightened than others.
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
I spent an hour at Druridge this morning playing with my camera and hoping for shots of Kingfisher. No luck with the kingfisher, but shortly after I got there an otter turned up with an eel as big as itself. After a bit of a struggle it settled down and started at the head of the eel. It fed without a break until exactly half an hour after it began its meal it finished off the tail of the fish, leaving not a scrap behind and swam off to get rid of the thick coating of eel-slime that covered its head.
Sorry about the quality of the pics. The range would have been better suited to the digiscope. I had my scope but for once my Coolpix still was back in the car. Never mind, it gave me a bit more info about the capabilities of the new camera, particulary in harsh light and high extra-zoom.
Sorry about the quality of the pics. The range would have been better suited to the digiscope. I had my scope but for once my Coolpix still was back in the car. Never mind, it gave me a bit more info about the capabilities of the new camera, particulary in harsh light and high extra-zoom.
