Northumbrian Birding (1 Viewer)

[Keith Bradley]

I would love to see my first owl and I only live 5 minutes away from West Hartford but I'm confused about where to actually go. Is the site near the Business Park sign? Thanks for any help!

Yes, imagine that you would be parking up where the road is blocked, by the business sign. On foot, follow the road around and before it comes to an end cross over to the right across the grass. Keep the nearby fenced off part to your right and head towards the flash with the other fenced off area in your sights straight ahead. By now if you're lucky the owl(s) may be in sight as the last one I had was hunting in the distance, as you look just West of the flash, between there and the West Hartford Lodge. They appear to favour the area West of the flash according to a local non-birder.

Hope this makes sense.

Keith

 

[Keith Reeder]

I fleetingly saw a large raptor near the owls and thought "Peregrine!". Not being that familiar with them though, I dismissed the idea until we got talking to someone who goes there regularly and said he often sees one around. Can anyone confirm this?

Aye, a juvenile pere has been reported at West Hartford before, so it's not unreasonable to assume that's what you saw.

 

[Chris B]

Then there were five Blyth Buntings sitting on the wall.

Took some time out to try to find the snow buntings this afternoon. From the dunes I couldn't see them until a car passed along the road and four flew up from the roadside and perched on the wall. They then flew back into the grass edge on the opposite side of the road along the yacht club fence, just behind the yacht club sign mounted in stone. Soon another car passed and they returned to the wall. From behind me, flying in from the sea, I heard a tweet and turned around to see a fifth snow bunting fly directly above me which then perch on the wall a little way away from the other four. So there now seem to be five.

 

[LSB]

The Black Redstart is still at St Mary's Island today. It was on the bottom of the cliffs below the mast field..

 

[Derek Polley]

No probs mate.....just keep an eye on this thread and let us know when you are coming over and I'm sure we'll be able to send you in the right directions of all the birds you want :t:

Coming on Feb15th and have 2 days. On one we will go Linton Lane, Cresswell Druridge and then park and walk North to Amble via E chevington and Hauxley. Traditional route!!! the second day we have gone Kite searching in the derwent valley but could be persuaded to go North again for a good tick!!

 

[June Atkinson]

Your visit to the north-east

Coming on Feb15th and have 2 days. On one we will go Linton Lane, Cresswell Druridge and then park and walk North to Amble via E chevington and Hauxley. Traditional route!!! the second day we have gone Kite searching in the derwent valley but could be persuaded to go North again for a good tick!!

If you can arrange it and can spare the time, our Project Leader for Northern Kites would love to welcome you and show you round......I spoke to Keith (Bowey) this afternoon; he and the other volunteers would be delighted to see you. This is the week when our Roost Watch is on, so hopefully, you would have every chance of seeing our kites!!
I have already sent a PM - hope you got it and look forward to hearing from you. Will you have transport - perhaps you're flying over from Belfast?

 

[Derek Polley]

Yes have transport!!! Will keep in touch

 

[Derek Polley]

Was out today round Belfast Lough and managed all the usual ducks gulls and waders including ruff, peregrine, ring billed gull, 500 scaup, goldeneye, buzzard, long tailed duck, bar tailed godwit, little egret but dipped out on Bonapartes Gull which was about last week but has not been seen since Sunday

 

[seggs]

Was out today round Belfast Lough and managed all the usual ducks gulls and waders including ruff, peregrine, ring billed gull, 500 scaup, goldeneye, buzzard, long tailed duck, bar tailed godwit, little egret but dipped out on Bonapartes Gull which was about last week but has not been seen since Sunday

hi derek ..500 SCAUP!!! is that normal in this area!! heard of large gatherings before, but not in our location... we get a few not in this number.. :hi:

 

[Vipers]

I had a Barn Owl sitting on a fence between Prestwick Village and Dinnington, at three O'clock this morning. When I was on my way home from work. I hadn't seen one for a few months, so it's nice to know they are still around.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Hawfinches 8 - 0 Me

Two more sorties to Hulne Park, one at day break and one mid afternoon yielded zilch. Despite several days of cold and a still, sunny morning, nothing. And The Gatekeeper hasn't seen any either!

 

[Derek Polley]

500 scaup is definitely not normal. I have struggled to get scaup in the past and there are usually a few hundred off the Down coast somewhere. They are not normally sitting in Dargan Bay which is in the docks sandwiched between a landfill/reclamation area and a container port!! Presumably they came in for shelter during the gales and have sat it out until i could get there.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Lifer 182

Black Redstart at the bottom of the steps from the Mast Field on to the beach at St Mary's. Seen 1.00 - 1.30 pm in the area 10 yards either side of the steps.

 

[Mark Newsome]

500 scaup is definitely not normal. I have struggled to get scaup in the past and there are usually a few hundred off the Down coast somewhere. They are not normally sitting in Dargan Bay which is in the docks sandwiched between a landfill/reclamation area and a container port!! Presumably they came in for shelter during the gales and have sat it out until i could get there.

You think 500 is high... wonder what it was like in the 'good old days' in the Firth of Forth when 30,000 Scaup used to winter between Leith and Musselburgh! This was 2/3 the whole UK wintering population! Now that would have been some sight...

 

[jerkin]

Prestwick Carr

Barn Owl Hunting at Fen east of century box 15.30 allso Buzzerd

 

[Vipers]

I've been out and about in Northumberland today. I started at Hulne park this morning, to have a look for mILLYg elusive Hawfinchs. Which turned out to be the first dip of the day. It didn't help that Hulne park is closed to the public until next Friday.

Next I went to Holy Island and started well with a Barn Owl being mobbed by Black-Headed Gulls near harbour pools. There were also three Black-Tailed Godwit on the pools. The Mud in the harbour held Bar-Tailed godwit, Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plover. There were also five Slav's two Red-Throated Diver, Red-Breasted Merganser and hundreds of Shag in the harbour. There were also a few flocks of Brent Geese around the island.

Next stop was Stag Rock. Scanning the quite rough sea I soon picked up small groups of Eider and Common Scoter with a few superb Long-Tailed Duck mixed in and a single Slav getting tossed around in the breakers. On the rocks there were about thirty Purple Sandpiper, but they stayed right out near the breakers and were not that easy to see.

To finish the day off nicely, the Little Owl was sitting in his usual tree near Dinnington.

 

[The Liverbirder]

I've been out and about in Northumberland today. I started at Hulne park this morning, to have a look for mILLYg elusive Hawfinchs. Which turned out to be the first dip of the day. It didn't help that Hulne park is closed to the public until next Friday.

Next I went to Holy Island and started well with a Barn Owl being mobbed by Black-Headed Gulls near harbour pools. There were also three Black-Tailed Godwit on the pools. The Mud in the harbour held Bar-Tailed godwit, Dunlin, Ringed and Grey Plover. There were also five Slav's two Red-Throated Diver, Red-Breasted Merganser and hundreds of Shag in the harbour. There were also a few flocks of Brent Geese around the island.

Next stop was Stag Rock. Scanning the quite rough sea I soon picked up small groups of Eider and Common Scoter with a few superb Long-Tailed Duck mixed in and a single Slav getting tossed around in the breakers. On the rocks there were about thirty Purple Sandpiper, but they stayed right out near the breakers and were not that easy to see.

To finish the day off nicely, the Little Owl was sitting in his usual tree near Dinnington.

RE Hulne Park - It will say CLOSED every day for the next week whilst the Duke and the rest of Northumberland's landed gentry blast out of the sky what most of us turn up to view. HOWEVER, after next week the park should be open every day (hunting season finishes). The guy who lives in The Gatehouse said it's OK when the sign says CLOSED to walk into the park for about 30 yards (there's a foot path off to the right into the wood so go no further than there). The trees that the elusive finch frequents (and I use that word very reservedly) can all be seen from this bit of road.

 

[Alan G]

Anyone know why the details of the Night Heron on Gosforth High Street were surpressed until the next day - by which point it was bound to have moved on?

Surely it can't be for 'parking' reasons as surely there's far better parking in Gosforth than there is in the narrow lanes around the likes of Cresswell where birders double-park on verges and can cause problems for other road users?

I hope this doesnt sound like sour grapes on my part I was in Egpyt at the time so this wouldn't have affected my anyway - think of it as curiousity on my part as to why a non-breeder in mid-winter in an easily accessible public place was surpressed??

Alan

 

[The Liverbirder]

Anyone know why the details of the Night Heron on Gosforth High Street were surpressed until the next day - by which point it was bound to have moved on?

Surely it can't be for 'parking' reasons as surely there's far better parking in Gosforth than there is in the narrow lanes around the likes of Cresswell where birders double-park on verges and can cause problems for other road users?

I hope this doesnt sound like sour grapes on my part I was in Egpyt at the time so this wouldn't have affected my anyway - think of it as curiousity on my part as to why a non-breeder in mid-winter in an easily accessible public place was surpressed??

Alan

I saw the report on Birdguides. The street, although in Gosforth, was Rothwell Road, one of the narrow streets parallel with the north end of the High Street (Regent Centre). Whilst I do not know why the bird was surpressed, parking there is far from easy (some streets are pedestrianised with only the rear lanes for access) and I am not even sure the houses have gardens).

 

[Keith Reeder]

A built-up area, the bird was in somebody's back garden - if the finder was a non-birder who didn't fancy an influx of people twitching the bird, it's not hard to imagine them saying that they wanted it kept quiet.

A similar situation to the Siberian Rubythroat in Sunderland, maybe...