Durham Birding (2 Viewers)

[DEREK.C.]

Durham Bird Club Indoor Meeting
Thursday April 16th

At the next DBC indoor meeting, Gary Woodburn from the RSPB will be giving a talk about the conservation of Farmland Birds. The meeting will be held at Washington Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and will start at 7:30 p.m. However, there is always someone around from 7.00pm onwards if you fancy a chat before the talk! Refreshments available.

 

[will@bill]

Youre doing well recently when you venture way out west
Are you putting a bord race team together ?

naw not deeing the board race man
i never git a whole day off:t:

 

[IanF]

Big influx of Willow Warblers at Cowpen Bewley Woodland park this morning - around 30-40.

I counted 27 within 50m of the old hide by the main pond. Whenever one stated to sing it was chased away by 3 or 4 others.

Several others scattered around the park. Still just a handful of Chiffchaff around.

Blackcap x3 - one a female on the car park feeders.

Tilery Wood/A689 this afternoon - Crossbill x5-6. Still loads of Siskin here. A local ringer here has trapped 123 Siskin in the last three weeks. Two ringed elsewhere in the UK in March this year have been re-trapped in Russia! Two of the Siskin here were previously ringed elsewhere in the UK - location not known yet. Other birds ringed include Treecreeper, Goldfinch, Robin, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit. 288 in total.

Photos: 1. Crossbill - 2. Chiffchaff - 3. Siskin - 4. Willow Warbler - 5. Blackcap

 

[DenBee]

Rainton Meadows / Joe's Pond

Popped in twice today while weather still clear. First visit this am quite productive. Approach to J.P along track Chiffchaff x 2, Yellowhammer x 4, Goldfinch x 6, Bullfinch x 6 (3 pairs), Kestrel x 2 (! sitting on Nest Box, Willow Warbler x 3 my first Willow Warblers of the year. Not a lot on JP apart from Mute Swan x 2 (1 sitting on Nest), Oystercatcher x 2.Then onto Pond 2 Shelduck x 2. Rudworth Duck x 3, Oystercatcher x 3, lapwing x 6,
Goldeneye x 2 (Pair), Kestrel (on post), Curlew x 1 (Fly over).

This PM popped in for half hour on the way to Lambton, quite a pleasant surprise on Joe's Pond
Drake Mandarin x 1 displayed for quite a while in the open, one for my year list. One visitor reports seeing a pair, although I only saw the Drake.

 

[ColinSev]

Pied Flycatcher

1st trip of year to Tunstall Res and wood paid dividends with a Pied Flycatcher. Heard it singing and took ages to locate it - and it kept high in the tree canopy, watched for 15 mins hoping it would come down then I lost it. 3 Goosanders on the resevoir, 20 or so willow warbler heard in the wood, treecreeper, nuthatch, Long tailed tits and heard a Tawny Owl at the far end of the wood.
200 fieldfares on way to Bolihope, nevers saw any Ring Ousels, Red Kite over moor towards Eggleston and Buzzard flying low carrying large stick.

 

[StevieEvans]

Popped in twice today . . . < snip> . . . quite a pleasant surprise on Joe's Pond
Drake Mandarin x 1 displayed for quite a while in the open, one for my year list. One visitor reports seeing a pair, although I only saw the Drake.

Nice to see persistence paying off Dennis.
Thanks for the message :t:
Swan was on the rampage - chasing Canadas & Oik off their nests :eek!:

 

[will@bill]

the police "sending out an SOS"

After recent escapades with local gunslingers maybe we should put a few police phone numbers in our mobiles. Pulled these off the web.
01429 221151 Hartlepool
0191 454 7555 Northumbria
0345 60 60 365 Durham
You don’t have to square up to them or do any heroics’ just phone the law when they are a safe distant away..

It is illegal to:
Carry a loaded or unloaded airgun or imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. Trespass in a building or on private land with an airgun whether it is loaded or whether or not you have ammunition
Kill or injure any bird or animal protected by law unless you are authorised to do so under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981

Airguns in Public Places
It is against the law for anyone to have an airgun in a public place unless they have some proper reason for doing so - for example, it has just been confiscated from an offender. A public place is anywhere where the public are allowed to go, regardless of who owns the land, and even though they may have to pay. Roads, streets, footpaths, canal towpaths, public parks, play areas are all examples of public places. If the general public have some sort of right or permission to be in a particular place, that is a public place and you are not allowed to have a loaded airgun in that place.

 

[malskelton]

Hi Mal,

I've not seen or heard anything about Barnacle Geese for quite a while. The GWF Goose was on the north side of Saltholme Hide yesterday morning. It was very quiet yesterday with nothing else of note seen though I still managed 33 species.

The GW Teal was around last weekend but numbers of Teal seem well down on what they were so it may have moved on. Maybe moot anyway as from what I've heard security has been getting a bit uppity about people wandering along the sea wall. It's okay to go down either side of the Creek but not along the sea wall itself apparently. It was mostly on a pool a the north end of the sea wall though occasionally it moved to by the side of the Creek possibly when disturbed.

Ian

Thanks for the info on the GWF Goose - we went over to Saltholme yesterday morning and were told at the entrance that it hadn't been seen for several days ( obviously I knew you'd seen it the day before ). We wandered over to Paddy's Pool hide and my dad found it with a group of Canada Geese and a couple of Greylag ............ they kept wandering into dips in the terrain so I couldn't see it. I went out of the hide with the scope, back to the path and saw it really well.

Also saw a really bright Yellow Wagtail. couple of summer Black Tailed Godwits and some nice ducks - a male Stonechat on Zinc Works Road too was spectactular.

Everything looks so much brighter in summer !

Mal Skelton

 

[Marmot]

After recent escapades with local gunslingers maybe we should put a few police phone numbers in our mobiles. Pulled these off the web.
01429 221151 Hartlepool

The correct number to ring would be Cleveland Polices Control Room which is ++++ 01642 326326 +++++ which puts all the jobs on for all Clevelands area.

 

[StevieEvans]

Eggsellent

After recent escapades with local gunslingers maybe we should put a few police phone numbers in our mobiles. Pulled these off the web.
01429 221151 Hartlepool
0191 454 7555 Northumbria
0345 60 60 365 Durham
You don’t have to square up to them or do any heroics’ just phone the law when they are a safe distant away..

It is illegal to:
Carry a loaded or unloaded airgun or imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. Trespass in a building or on private land with an airgun whether it is loaded or whether or not you have ammunition
Kill or injure any bird or animal protected by law unless you are authorised to do so under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981

Airguns in Public Places
It is against the law for anyone to have an airgun in a public place unless they have some proper reason for doing so - for example, it has just been confiscated from an offender. A public place is anywhere where the public are allowed to go, regardless of who owns the land, and even though they may have to pay. Roads, streets, footpaths, canal towpaths, public parks, play areas are all examples of public places. If the general public have some sort of right or permission to be in a particular place, that is a public place and you are not allowed to have a loaded airgun in that place.

Thanks for that Will.
I was surprised when i found out how the regs had been tightened up.
I know lads who phone up & they get a good swift response from police.
Thankfully there doesnt appear to be the number of airguns about nowadays.

& nice to know theres a few birders out there who are prepared to do more than simply shrug their shoulders.

3 pairs of Long-eared Owls very active in one Co.Durham study area along a 2km transect yesterday evening.

 

[DenBee]

Mandarin Chase

Thanks for the message :t:
Swan was on the rampage - chasing Canadas & Oik off their nests :eek!:

Thanks Steve did you actually manage to catch up with Fumanchu Duck. According to other visitors they had actually seen a pair, however I did only see the Drake been harrassed and been chased towards the hide by possibly the same Mute Swan.

 

[JWTodd]

Durham Bird Club Field Trip to RSPB Leighton Moss

There are still a few places left for the Durham Bird Club's field trip
to
RSPB Leighton Moss on Sunday 26 April.​

This trip is now open to anyone, although none members pay a slightly higher price: members £17 per person, none members £19.​

Pick ups are: 08:00 Sherburn Village, 08:10 Durham Bus Station & 08:00 Scotch Corner (if required – parking is very expensive here).
Return is normally between 7-8pm​

Last year, Spoonbill, Green-winged Teal, Spotted Redshank, a splendid summer-plumaged Mediterranean Gull and 500+ summer-plumaged Black-tailed Godwit were all in attendance.​

To book; contact John Todd via the normal contact method or via the details on the Field Trip page of the Durham Bird Club.​

Last years trip report: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/dbc.pl/news/trip-reports/2008/20080428a-trip-report-leighton-moss.html​

 

[Marmot]

There are still a few places left for the Durham Bird Club's field trip​

to
RSPB Leighton Moss on Sunday 26 April.​

This trip is now open to anyone, although none members pay a slightly higher price: members £17 per person, none members £19.​

Pick ups are: 08:00 Sherburn Village, 08:10 Durham Bus Station & 08:00 Scotch Corner (if required – parking is very expensive here).​

Is the Scotch Corner time correct? Otherwise is the bus on jet fuel

 

[JWTodd]

Leighton Moss

Sorry, Typo error:
Scotch Corner pick up is between 08:50 & 09:00
John

 

[rentoncharman]

Got some shots of a few birds in flight at Greatham Creek recently.

 

[rentoncharman]

This was the best shot I managed to get of the Green-Winged Teal at Greatham Creek last week. The bird always had a shiny wet head and wouldn't pose anywhere near! Haven't seen any other pics posted.

 

[Davethetrimdonian]

Leo

Fantastic view of long eared owl on Seaton Carew golf course at 2pm.
It did a slow, low half circle from near the North Gare visitors car park over towards the water treatment works. Stunning views,but I forgot to pack any optics in golf bag:-C

Also meadow pipit & stone chat on fence near lagoon hole

 

[StevieEvans]

Thanks Steve did you actually manage to catch up with Fumanchu Duck. According to other visitors they had actually seen a pair, however I did only see the Drake been harrassed and been chased towards the hide by possibly the same Mute Swan.

Immaculate bird Den, duly ticked off on the Patch year list thanks ! :t:
Seemed wary & swam quickly away, even before we unpacked the sliced bread.:eat:

Doesnt appear to have been there today? , but a male Ring Ousel was.
If its the same drake, it did the same thing a few weeks back - popped in Joes for a day, then did a flit.....

Popped in Barnes Park at end of the day.
Nice selection here, including Mallard with recent ducklings, 2Grt.SpotWpkrs, Bullfinch, Chiffchaff, Tawny Owl youngster, Blackcap, M.Thrush, 2Nuthatch, Goldcrest, Siskin etc

 

[IanF]

Tilery Wood/A689 - pm - Crossbill c.8-10, Buzzard over three times, Siskin c.20. Several Willow Warbler as well as Chiffchaff now.

Dormans Pool - 5.00pm - SEO - headed over towards Petroplus and Back Saltholme.

 

[StevieEvans]

Houghton Local Patch 09

Common Whitethroat & Grasshopper Warbler both singing this morning.

(Gateshead Birders Website reports another early summer migrant yesterday - male Whinchat at Burdon)