Northumbrian Birding (2 Viewers)

[The Liverbirder]

Third Tyne Tunnel - World Exclusive

I can announce the existence of a third tunnel under the Tyne, starting near Whitburn and ending at Newbiggin. How do I know this? Easy, and here's the evidence.

I sat at St Mary's this morning, on the steps next to the frustratingly locked sea watching hide, and, strangely enough, watched the sea. From 7:15 to 8:30 the sea was flattish, the sun warmish and the bird traffic lowish.

So whilst Whitburn was going mad with shearwater this and shearwater that, and all points north equally so, the view east from where I sat was one step from zero. One poxy Manxie, loads of terns and Kittiwakes, the odd gull and a couple of parent:child Guillemot duos.

Conclusion? The hods of heart-stoppers seen to the north and south must have a tunnel that lets them get past Whitley Bay unseen.

 

[Jonny721]

Hey guys need your help, I'm going up to northumberland for the weekend and was wondering what birds will be around. I was thinking about a trip to the farnes but don't know if this would be worth it as i believe most of the birds would have left? If this is the case is there anywhere else that would be good for birdwatching (seawatching would be good if the conditions look right)

thanks Jonny

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Hey guys need your help, I'm going up to northumberland for the weekend and was wondering what birds will be around. I was thinking about a trip to the farnes but don't know if this would be worth it as i believe most of the birds would have left? If this is the case is there anywhere else that would be good for birdwatching (seawatching would be good if the conditions look right)

thanks Jonny

I was looking at the Farne Island blog today. It says the guillemots have left (but there are still plent on the sea all along the coast), but the puffins are still there (but they'l be going soon).
http://farnephoto.blogspot.com/

They still have large tern roosts and they are getting visits from some of the coquet island roseates.

Elsewhere, there was a bit of a blow from the north yesterday that brought some stuff through, but by this morning it was calm again. There were still gannets and manxies offshore today.

 

[Vipers]

I can announce the existence of a third tunnel under the Tyne, starting near Whitburn and ending at Newbiggin. How do I know this? Easy, and here's the evidence.

I sat at St Mary's this morning, on the steps next to the frustratingly locked sea watching hide, and, strangely enough, watched the sea. From 7:15 to 8:30 the sea was flattish, the sun warmish and the bird traffic lowish.

So whilst Whitburn was going mad with shearwater this and shearwater that, and all points north equally so, the view east from where I sat was one step from zero. One poxy Manxie, loads of terns and Kittiwakes, the odd gull and a couple of parent:child Guillemot duos.

Conclusion? The hods of heart-stoppers seen to the north and south must have a tunnel that lets them get past Whitley Bay unseen.

I had a look from Snab Point this morning and only had 15 Manxies in about an hour. So not much going passed there either.

 

[degsy_safc]

I can announce the existence of a third tunnel under the Tyne, starting near Whitburn and ending at Newbiggin.

:-O:-O Gordon, if you can find the southern entrance could you let me know - it'll knock a good 20 mins off my drive Sunderland to Cresswell :-O:-O

 

[LSB]

I sat at St Mary's this morning, on the steps next to the frustratingly locked sea watching hide,

Hi Millyg
If the shop is open you can ask them to open the hide for you. Sadly it will be closing for good soon ( hide not the shop) as the council has earmarked it for something else...
Some of the locals stand next to the toliet block and seawatch from there, but if you dont fancy looking dodgy, the lower prom is a good spot to watch from.
Happy seawatching....

 

[Barred Wobbler]

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-...s-found-dead-near-stocksfield-61634-26920795/

What the hell is going on?

 

[June Atkinson]

Dead red kites in Stocksfield




Please go to our Friends website for the full coverage of this sad news and the recent announcement of the other two kites found poisoned in Steel, near Hexham. www.friendsofredkites.org.uk

It's truly sickening!! The two birds corpses have been sent to London Zoo for a post mortem. It is suspicious, to have them found within two miles of their nest area. And at least one chick will have died in the nest.

Please look, too, at our thread here on Birdforum (Birds of Prey_Friends of Red kites)

If anyone hears anything, however small, please report it. I'm personally shocked that Northumberland appears to be a county where lack of awareness at best and persecution at worst is more important than conservation.

These majestic birds not only give a huge amount of pleasure to hundreds, but brought in £1.72 million pounds during the re-introduction years 2004-09.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-...s-found-dead-near-stocksfield-61634-26920795/

What the hell is going on?

 

[Darren Pearce]

the slightly more expensive boat from amble - booked at the seabird centre - is a catamaran and has permission to pick up a mooring opposite the roseate tern breeding area on coquet island. there were roseates about on monday.

Took this boat. Got Roseates no problem. Thanks for all of the advice

 

[Gill Osborne]

Excellent - glad you got them :t:

Still got a few easy birds to pick up myself as this year is flying by so quicky :eek!:

 

[Barred Wobbler]

There were rosies along the beach today too. This was one of two adults with young there and I had another fly-by.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Ruddy Duck?

Tonight on a water course in N. Tyneside, a duck with a stiff tail and the head of a Ruddy (white cheek patches and dark crown/nape/neck). However, whilst it was well Ruddy-gized (sounds like a porno term) its back was pale grey (Scaupy), bill grey and flanks and tail white!

No photos I can find on t'interweb are close.

Juv? Female? Hybrid?

Clearly not an easy question, the bird was on Backworth Flash at the rear of Holywell Kennels last night. Some 'junior' Ruddies have grey/white bodies but not as grey/white as this one, so Google Images shows me.

 

[Vipers]

Tonight on a water course in N. Tyneside, a duck with a stiff tail and the head of a Ruddy (white cheek patches and dark crown/nape/neck). However, whilst it was well Ruddy-gized (sounds like a porno term) its back was pale grey (Scaupy), bill grey and flanks and tail white!

No photos I can find on t'interweb are close.

Juv? Female? Hybrid?

No ticking dodgy Ducks!

 

[The Liverbirder]

Hybrids get two ticks! :eek!:

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Hybrids get two ticks! :eek!:

HEY! I never thought of that! Good idea.

 

[Adam W]

HEY! I never thought of that! Good idea.

So Andrew how many ticks for a dead hybrid escape?

 

[Vipers]

I had a trip up to Druridge Bay today. Starting with a quick look from the North end of Cresswell Pond (as it looked like standing room only in the hide), three Common Sand and two Greenshank the only birds of note.

The North pool at East Chev was quite busy, with good numbers of Greylag Geese and Lapwings, although not as many Terns as there has been.
There were good numbers of Terns on the beach though. One of the roosts held Three adult and at least one juv Roseate Tern.

From the beach at East Chev I could see quite a few birds on the water further down the bay, so I headed to Druridge pools for a look at the sea from the dunes. There must have been at least twenty five Red-Throated Diver just off shore, but no sign of any Black-Throats, I also had four Arctic Skuas and a very distant bird that looked to me like a Bonxie, but I just couldn't nail it in the heat haze.

I had another look at Cresswell pond, this time from the now deserted hide, the only birds of note were four Pintail and a single Black-Tailed Godwit.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

So Andrew how many ticks for a dead hybrid escape?

About 5-6

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I got a phone call this morning to say that the gannets were going wild for sandeels close in on the falling tide so I dashed down to see what I could get. I parked up and went onto the beach and spotted a feeding frenzy about three quarters of a mile north of where I was. A swift forced march and a pair of wet trainers got me to within shooting distance just in time.

One minute after I got there the whole crowd dispersed for good.

The odd gannet came back over the next hour or so and there was a group of mergansers on the sea. A roseate fly-past and a dark arctic skua knocking the wind out of a sandwich tern added to the entertainment.

 

[Stewart J.]

Changing fortunes of Tynedale Birds

Interesting short article in today's Hexham Courant with some early findings from ongoing Atlas survey.

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news...ale-s-native-birds-1.740522?referrerPath=news

Good birding all