Northumbrian Birding (1 Viewer)

[Vipers]

Hi Andy
You can park on the road into the freight village and just keep an eye out on all the fences. If the weather is right, they are showing from about 18:00 on wards.

Gordon. The R-L Buzzard was seen today, unfortunately I missed it by seconds. If you take the right turn just before the Jet garage (I think it is sign posted Lilburn Hill) and drive up the hill until you can see the little tower on the right. It was sitting around in the trees near the tower, before it disappeared as I arrived. This also over looks the plantation.

 

[level seven]

Hulne Park

I was up there today. As expected, no sign of the Hawfinches but the good news is that the bloke at the gatehouse did see three of them briefly earlier in the week in the usual trees behind the gate. He hasn't seen them since but they are around.

 

[Quacker]

Hi all - can anyone advise if the Lark is still around and if so how I get to Long Nanny? - I notice it has not been reported on BirdGuides but does that mean it is just not being reported?

Cheers

Steve

 

[level seven]

Hi all - can anyone advise if the Lark is still around and if so how I get to Long Nanny? - I notice it has not been reported on BirdGuides but does that mean it is just not being reported?

Cheers

Steve

I was talking to someone today who'd been there this morning and not seen it. Doesn't mean it isn't there of course.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Rough Justice

Tried for the RLB at Wooler. Arrived just as another birder was setting up. He shall remain nameless for now. We spent 10 minutes looking at a distant bird (3/4 mile to the SW of Lilburn Hill) and then his pager told us the RLB had been seen literally at the same time we arrived but north and west of where we were. After a few minutes of deliberation, we drove to the new area and after another ten decided that the buzzard we had been watching earlier looked more like a RLB than the one we were currently looking at (no disrespect to whoever reported the bird to Birdguides at 1.08 pm today). So we returned and our first bird was still there. After 45 minutes it flew but the views were not good enough to confirm i/d. After a few minutes reminiscing about last year's seawatching, I turned 180 degrees, and there, 100 yards away, on top of a telegraph pole was the RLB. My much more expert companion's identity has been concealed because there now existed an opportunity for his photographic prowess to appear. Whilst he had brought his expertise, he had not brought his camera!!!! You will have to make do with my amateur snap.

Drive north to Wooler. Take a right before the Jet garage which is on your right and about half a mile up that road is a gated entrance on your right and a road to the left. Park here and walk up the road on the left for a few hundred yards. There is a hedgerow to your left (this is the one that the bird photographed was just leaving). Looking left gives a view of the plantation behind the garage. The bird was about for a good 30 minutes. Proper photographers would easily be able to it justice.

 

[david dack]

went for the rough legged buzzard yesterday and had awesome looks at it as it sat in the trees for an hour or so,it was flying between 2 trees all the time and the local crows never left its side for 1 minute.I parked at the jet garage and walked up the road for 30 yards,on your left is a big break in the hedge and the buzzard was sittng in the trees straight opposite.

 

[jerkin]

Peregrine Tynemouth Longsands

Male Peregrine over tyne-mouth long-sands about 1600 hours

 

[NeilF]

Cresswell/Druridge Area

Had one maybe two Peregrine over Cresswell Pond this morning. Also present were Smew, Scaup x2, Ruff x2, Little Grebe, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Shoveler x3, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye x4, Lapwing, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew & Redshank.

In the fields to the north of Cresswell Pond & to the east of Druridge Pools were 100+ Pink-footed Geese & 8 Grey Partridge.

Many thanks to the gentleman in the hide at Cresswell for your assistance :t:

 

[Newton Stringer]

The bird was about for a good 30 minutes. Proper photographers would easily be able to it justice.

Hi all

I went to for the RLB yesterday but failed to see it. I arrived shortly after the last report of RLB, and I did see 4 common buzzards, including the one bird which was pale and superficially resembled RLB, it had white in the base of the tail, white underwing with dark carpal patches and a darker patch on the belly. This bird was distant, but most obviously it was structurally wrong for RLB, it had quite a dark head, and white was just at the base of the tail on this bird.

Just looked at your picture mILLYg and to my eye this does not look like a RLB, however I must stress it is only one picture, from one angle and of course it's very hard to judge !!.... so I'm certainly not going to stick my neck too firmly on the line here !!

My thoughts are.....

The bird in the picture appears to show a dark head, and un-feathered legs, and although it is difficult to judge from photographs, I'm not sure that the structure looks right on this pic for RLB (looks more CB shape... I think CBs always look shorter tailed and have shorter broader looking wings than RLB) ?..... something about those carpal patches don't look quite right to me either ?....

Anyway as I say it is very difficult to judge from just one photograph, these are just my initial thoughts and I'm more than happy to be corrected on this !!.... does anyone else have photographs of the RLB at wooler ?

 

[martin kitching]

My initial impression of the bird Gordon posted was that it was a CB, then I thought some more and was almost convinced that it was an RLB (and voiced this opinion yesterday during an unsuccessful search at Wooler...more on this later). If the bird in Gordon's image was correctly exposed then it would almost certainly be an RLB; those flank patches and the carpal patches would be too dark and extensive for a pale CB. It looks very over-exposed though and, if you look carefully, the secondaries are barred. So, I'm going back to my first thought - it's a CB.

There is one (maybe two) CB around Wooler currently that could be mistaken for RLB.

There was flurry of CB activity (at least 4 birds in the air at one point) just before 12:30 yesterday; definitely all CB though. Which is why we were stunned to get a pager message saying that the RLB was over the plantation S of Wooler at 12:26...

cheers
martin

 

[Newton Stringer]

My initial impression of the bird Gordon posted was that it was a CB, then I thought some more and was almost convinced that it was an RLB (and voiced this opinion yesterday during an unsuccessful search at Wooler...more on this later). If the bird in Gordon's image was correctly exposed then it would almost certainly be an RLB; those flank patches and the carpal patches would be too dark and extensive for a pale CB. It looks very over-exposed though and, if you look carefully, the secondaries are barred. So, I'm going back to my first thought - it's a CB.

martin

Hi again !!

My first thought when I looked at this picture was actually about structure... whether or not the bird shows rough leg like features, you can't get away from structure... and to me this pic appears to show a bird that has a common buzzard structure.

RLBs in flight have a distinctive shape and structure, difficult to describe, but quite obvious and striking when you see one tho....do you know what I mean ? Obviously different from common buzzard, longer wings for a start...

To my eye this bird is more common buzzard like in structure, added to this it shows a common buzzard like head, the carpal patches look in the wrong place/perhaps the wrong shape ? ... and it looks like it has bare un-feathered legs ?

Anyway, I am no expert, so I am happy to be corrected on any of this...

 

[[email protected]]

Tried for the RLB at Wooler. Arrived just as another birder was setting up. He shall remain nameless for now. We spent 10 minutes looking at a distant bird (3/4 mile to the SW of Lilburn Hill) and then his pager told us the RLB had been seen literally at the same time we arrived but north and west of where we were. After a few minutes of deliberation, we drove to the new area and after another ten decided that the buzzard we had been watching earlier looked more like a RLB than the one we were currently looking at (no disrespect to whoever reported the bird to Birdguides at 1.08 pm today). So we returned and our first bird was still there. After 45 minutes it flew but the views were not good enough to confirm i/d. After a few minutes reminiscing about last year's seawatching, I turned 180 degrees, and there, 100 yards away, on top of a telegraph pole was the RLB. My much more expert companion's identity has been concealed because there now existed an opportunity for his photographic prowess to appear. Whilst he had brought his expertise, he had not brought his camera!!!! You will have to make do with my amateur snap.

Drive north to Wooler. Take a right before the Jet garage which is on your right and about half a mile up that road is a gated entrance on your right and a road to the left. Park here and walk up the road on the left for a few hundred yards. There is a hedgerow to your left (this is the one that the bird photographed was just leaving). Looking left gives a view of the plantation behind the garage. The bird was about for a good 30 minutes. Proper photographers would easily be able to it justice.

gordon please cross out that latest lifer..thank you

 

[martin kitching]

I do know what you mean. RLB always appears to have much longer wings whereas this bird, even in probably the most unhelpful position possible for judging structure , does seem to have relatively short, broad wings.

Even a pale CB should show dark secondaries though, but I still think the pale appearance is down to over exposure.

The big question though is...who was Gordon's 'much more expert companion'? Should be easy to work out; there aren't many photographers who spent a lot of time seawatching with Gordon last year, and I know that I wasn't at Wooler on Saturday...

CB/RLB a real conundrum; I did once have to point out to a very experienced, big-listing Northumberland birder that the 'RLB' he'd just called was, in fact a light aircraft...when he protested that no, it was a Rough-legged Buzzard, I asked him to explain the presence of wheels:-O

cheers
martin

Hi again !!

My first thought when I looked at this picture was actually about structure... whether or not the bird shows rough leg like features, you can't get away from structure... and to me this pic appears to show a bird that has a common buzzard structure.

RLBs in flight have a distinctive shape and structure, difficult to describe, but quite obvious and striking when you see one tho....do you know what I mean ? Obviously different from common buzzard, longer wings for a start...

To my eye this bird is more common buzzard like in structure, added to this it shows a common buzzard like head, the carpal patches look in the wrong place/perhaps the wrong shape ? ... and it looks like it has bare un-feathered legs ?

Anyway, I am no expert, so I am happy to be corrected on any of this...

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Rough Legged Buzzard

HI Gordon
I reported the rlb at 12.30pm south of the jet garage, and im sorry to say that it was definatly a rlb! i saw this pale buzzard (photo) along with a further 10 buzzards in the area, i got decent views of the rlb to be able to give a possitive id. I reported it 38mins previous to it been released on birdguides.
cheers
one man and his dog

Tried for the RLB at Wooler. Arrived just as another birder was setting up. He shall remain nameless for now. We spent 10 minutes looking at a distant bird (3/4 mile to the SW of Lilburn Hill) and then his pager told us the RLB had been seen literally at the same time we arrived but north and west of where we were. After a few minutes of deliberation, we drove to the new area and after another ten decided that the buzzard we had been watching earlier looked more like a RLB than the one we were currently looking at (no disrespect to whoever reported the bird to Birdguides at 1.08 pm today). So we returned and our first bird was still there. After 45 minutes it flew but the views were not good enough to confirm i/d. After a few minutes reminiscing about last year's seawatching, I turned 180 degrees, and there, 100 yards away, on top of a telegraph pole was the RLB. My much more expert companion's identity has been concealed because there now existed an opportunity for his photographic prowess to appear. Whilst he had brought his expertise, he had not brought his camera!!!! You will have to make do with my amateur snap.

Drive north to Wooler. Take a right before the Jet garage which is on your right and about half a mile up that road is a gated entrance on your right and a road to the left. Park here and walk up the road on the left for a few hundred yards. There is a hedgerow to your left (this is the one that the bird photographed was just leaving). Looking left gives a view of the plantation behind the garage. The bird was about for a good 30 minutes. Proper photographers would easily be able to it justice.

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Rough Legged Buzzard

Just read your post, although the bird guides message said the bird was south of wooler, it was infact one and a half miles south of the jet garage. thats what i told them anyway, they maybe missheard me. Me and a friend saw the same bird (rlb)late december near west chevington, but just for some reason never twigged it was a rlb untill it was reported at wooler.
cheers
one man and his dog

My initial impression of the bird Gordon posted was that it was a CB, then I thought some more and was almost convinced that it was an RLB (and voiced this opinion yesterday during an unsuccessful search at Wooler...more on this later). If the bird in Gordon's image was correctly exposed then it would almost certainly be an RLB; those flank patches and the carpal patches would be too dark and extensive for a pale CB. It looks very over-exposed though and, if you look carefully, the secondaries are barred. So, I'm going back to my first thought - it's a CB.

There is one (maybe two) CB around Wooler currently that could be mistaken for RLB.

There was flurry of CB activity (at least 4 birds in the air at one point) just before 12:30 yesterday; definitely all CB though. Which is why we were stunned to get a pager message saying that the RLB was over the plantation S of Wooler at 12:26...

cheers
martin

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I went back to Wooler this morning for another shot. No luck.

Calm conditions, gathering cloud turning to rain. I left at abou 11.15.

There was one buzzard on a larch near the Middleton turn-off, which is where we went following the report of RLB yesterday and that was the only raptor of any description that I saw there today.

While I was there I bumped into the county recorder who told me the RLB has been reported in the general area since October.

 

[The Liverbirder]

What have I started?

Gents - now I know how the World Record Domino Toppler feels!

I welcome all of the expert thoughts. I never seek to cause offence, if I do it is inadvertently. A bit like golf, there appears to be some etiquette around birding and I may accidentally 'wear the incorrect trousers in the club house'!

A picture paints a thousand words, or in my case starts several thousand. The one feature that the 'snap' does not show is the bright white tail, distinctive like the rump of a Hen Harrier, but the whole tail bar the dark band at the tip. The bird, as I watched it for 30 minutes, was a more delicate bird, falcon-like, as opposed to a bit of a bruiser. I took two other 'snaps' (I will buy a proper digiscoping camera from In-Focus asap). One gives a glimpse of the white tail, and the wings at rest appeared pointed and a little scimitar-like. But generally, I am not a photographer, as is plain to see, and the excitement got to me too.

My light-hearted referrence to the experienced birder who happened to be there when I was is not meant to add some manufactured credibility to my Tick. I have emailed The Boulmer Birder and within our e-dialogue, described the guy who was there. Stewart may be able to identify him, have a word, and set your minds at rest, I hope.

 

[Newton Stringer]

I welcome all of the expert thoughts. I never seek to cause offence, if I do it is inadvertently. A bit like golf, there appears to be some etiquette around birding and I may accidentally 'wear the incorrect trousers in the club house'!


My light-hearted referrence to the experienced birder who happened to be there when I was is not meant to add some manufactured credibility to my Tick. I have emailed The Boulmer Birder and within our e-dialogue, described the guy who was there. Stewart may be able to identify him, have a word, and set your minds at rest, I hope.

Eh ??? Have I missed something here ?? Offence ?? Etiquette ??

Do you have any more pics of that bird ? Would be good to see them if you have... may be able to see more features....

 

[martin kitching]

Having spoken tonight to a birder who saw the RLB on Saturday, it seems clear to me that the actual bird isn't an 'is it or isn't it' (which invariably turn out to be Common Buzzards anyway) but is a stunning white-headed individual where there is no doubt that it's a RLB. Gordon's picture shows a CB...regardless of who was watching it.

cheers
martin

 

[The Liverbirder]

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