The birds & wildlife of Gateshead (1 Viewer)

[One Man and His Dog]

Today Kibblesworth brickpools:-
my first this years Peacock, 5-7 Purple Hairstreak, a Grayling (F) laying.
Had 1or 2 chances of close up of Purple Hairstreak but didn't focus quickly enough. These shots taken from several metres away.

hi michael
nice shots! Did you get the hairstreaks in the lane above the main pond? And have you got the wl hairstreaks yet? Wlh must of been out a while as they are not in the best of condition?
Cheers
steve

 

[One Man and His Dog]

time out!

with the weather not looking the best forbutterflys and dragonflys decided to take some time out at my parents caravan in spittal-berwick, as tilly has had a minor op to remove a cyst from her side which has left her feeling a bit tired!i'll work the coast on the way up and back to see if i can get anything, i think it best if i just do a bit of car birding over the next few days with a little walk for tilly inbetween. Well i'll be back on monday when the vet wants to see how shes heeling, i'll post any sightings over the next few days?
Cheers
steve

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

1 White-letter Hairsteak today right where Steven said. Very brief view though so will be going back for seconds next week.

 

[Michael A]

Winlaton

Hello Andrew good to put face to name.
a few photos from today, didn't find anymore WLH although two chaps i bumped into had another one, forgot there first names father and son called charlton. The younger was a committe member of D.Bird Club.
The WLH has some damage and has lost its tails.

 

[Ron Hindhaugh]

hi ron
i would say late morning/early afternoon would be best time but thats not to say you wouldnt get them late afternoon, its just hairstreaks tend to be at the tops of trees and sometimes come down to feed, they go back to the trees when it cools down a bit and to roost. Theres a few commas and whites at golden lion aswell and keep an eye out for the green woodpecker! You might get a good shot of him?
Cheers
steve

Thanks for the info Steve I might have to leave it until next week to get out and try for the hairstreaks as I am at work over the weekend. Hope tilly is OK

Ron

 

[One Man and His Dog]

glad you caught up with wl hairstreak andrew!
Nice shots again michael!
And yes tillys fine now ron, surprising what a bit sea air can do!

A quick drive up produced 6 med gulls at newbigging/1 little gull at cockslawburn beach and a single manx shearwater from cresswell snap point.
At aberlady bay now, where ive got 3 summer plumage red-necked grebes, mouldy wont be happy as its his bogey bird! Lol working my way back down the coast and stopping at st abbs for a bit of seawatching?
Cheers
steve

 

[Mouldy]

That bogey is getting right up my nose !

At aberlady bay now, where ive got 3 summer plumage red-necked grebes, mouldy wont be happy as its his bogey bird! Lol working my way back down the coast and stopping at st abbs for a bit of seawatching?
Cheers
steve

Very funny, I don't think . . . . :-C

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Very funny, I don't think . . . . :-C

lol :-O just came on pager that theres 15 rn grebes showing now! Last august there was 50+, if anybody needs rn grebe its the place to go! Working my way back down coast now, the pelagic was called off due to large swells on friday but theres a second date been arranged? Also on the 3rd sept theres a 10hour pelagic if anyone fancys it, £50? Petrels/skuas/shearwaters and whatever else decides to show?
Cheers
steve

 

[One Man and His Dog]

at last!

at last, storm petrel ticked! Seemed to take forever to get a stormie, mind you i should of put the time in and i would of had one ages ago. After a few reports on pager this morning i decided to stop of a snab point for a bit of seawatching? Would you believe it 10 mins hadnt past and ive already got 4 stormies, stayed for 30mins and managed to get 11 stormies/ a few manxies and a whimbrel. Think i'll try newbigging in morning, spot of seawatching and might even bag a long-tailed skua which is on my wish list! Back in gateshead now, green sand still at shibdon and the water level is right down (nice one george!) might get a few passing waders now? im off to lamesley now?
Cheers
steve

 

[One Man and His Dog]

went to kibblesworth today and had 2 ruddy darters and 3 purple hairstreaks which were new for the year! Also bumped into kinghorn today! Nice to meet you andrew and i hope you managed to get purple hairstreaks? Hope you had more luck photographing them as i did! Look forward to seeing your wl hairstreak photos!
Cheers
steven

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

went to kibblesworth today and had 2 ruddy darters and 3 purple hairstreaks which were new for the year! Also bumped into kinghorn today! Nice to meet you andrew and i hope you managed to get purple hairstreaks? Hope you had more luck photographing them as i did! Look forward to seeing your wl hairstreak photos!
Cheers
steven

Good to bump into you today at last Steven. I have been known as many things over the years I think Foghorn and Longshank have been the most common :-O

My WLHairstreak are ok, I am really pleased with how they came out but not as good as the ones you lads have been posting up. We had 2 in the same place one with nice white letters and the other one which wasn't so obvious which I have pictures of here.

We had Wall Brown, Small Heath, Grayling, Peacock, Small Tort, Meadow Brown, Green-veined White, and Ringlet butterflies at Kibblesworth. Also we had probably at least 8 Purple Hairstreaks up that stretch of Oaks. We also had Emperor, Common Darter, and Blue-tailed Damselfly. Sadly we didn't catch up with any of your Ruddy Darter. A one for another day!:t:

The other guys were Martin Finey (Rokermartin) and Adam W who I am sure will post his shots up here.:t: Adam got some shots of the Purple Hairstreaks and so did I, but I won't embarrass myself by putting mine up Adam got some decent ones.

 

[Adam W]

Nice to meet Steven today (and his dog) at Kibblesworth, Not much to add to what Andrew has said,great to see both Hairstreaks as they are both firsts for me.

 

[Adam W]

A few more shots from today.

 

[Mouldy]

Looks like you lads had a decent day (esp you Steve with all those stormies). Btw sorry I haven't replied to your txts of late Steve, still need to get some credit on my phone, (tomorrow if I can get to the shops) but rest assured I've been cursing you. Hope Tilly is on the mend, sounds like she's up and about again.
No sign of any Black-tailed Skimmers over Kibblesworth? still haven't got them ticked off yet and doubt I'll get over now with the school hols.

See ya later

A.

 

[One Man and His Dog]

cracking shots there andrew and adam! Glad you got both hairstreaks today.
Hi alan, its ok i thought you still had no credit when i didnt recieve any abuse! :-O
no bt skimmers today, youll have to try and get out next fri morn or sun? Or why dont you take kids out on a adventure to kibblesworth? Im sure youll think of something to get them interested in going? Maybe tell them its a trip to the beach! :-O the sand might be a bit hard though :-O ive got to take tilly back to vets just so he can check wound is ok, but its fine! Shes full of life again, back to her crazy self.
Cheers
steve

 

[Mouldy]

Nightmare!

Yeah I must be suffering some sort of birding withdrawal symptoms, I've been ticking like mad on my bird 'dream' list lately, cuckoo, magpie, starling, blackbird, dipper, and strangely an Andean Condor! worst of all though was this morning when I woke up and discovered the Hawfinch I'd just got on my Gateshead list would have to come off. Gutted :eek!:

A

 

[One Man and His Dog]

Yeah I must be suffering some sort of birding withdrawal symptoms, I've been ticking like mad on my bird 'dream' list lately, cuckoo, magpie, starling, blackbird, dipper, and strangely an Andean Condor! worst of all though was this morning when I woke up and discovered the Hawfinch I'd just got on my Gateshead list would have to come off. Gutted :eek!:

A

i think you need to get out more alan! Lol :-O
cheers
steve

 

[One Man and His Dog]

4 hour seawatch!

4 hour seawatch at newbigging produced:
1 x balearic shearwater - self found
41 storm petrels
3 x sooty shearwater - 2 self found
100+ manx shearwater
3 bonxies
3 arctic skua
5 velvet scoters
1 rt diver
and a host of commoner birds.
Then it was back to gateshead where i had 1 common sand on the tyne and 2 green sand at shibdon.
Cheers
steve

 

[Ron Hindhaugh]

Just managed the one picture today it's of a Large Red Damselfly (or so my book says) taken at Thornley Wood pond. Went for the hairstreaks along the Derwentwalk but not a butterfly in sight. Oh well there is always Friday to try again.

 

[One Man and His Dog]

new gateshead year tick!

common scoter x 2 drakes on tyne! Dont know who found them? Cheers anyway it was a gatesheadlifer for me! To view scoter photos view gateshead 2011 list blog, theres a link below.
Cheers
steve