Durham Birding (123 Viewers)

[DCJ]

Looks like you had a canny day as well Mr Forrest.

(Sorry about putting the Twite in the wrong forum M8, the RSPB website had them at red status, so I mistakenly assumed “rare birds”.

Ta Ian.

 

[IanF]

Looks like you had a canny day as well Mr Forrest.

(Sorry about putting the Twite in the wrong forum M8, the RSPB website had them at red status, so I mistakenly assumed “rare birds”.

Ta Ian.

No problem Dave. They were a good find. I've been checking Greenabella and Seaton Snook but hadn't seen any so far. Looks like there were a couple of SEO down there this afternoon as well.

 

[DCJ]

Looks like there were a couple of SEO down there this afternoon as well.

OOOH,, (Polishes front element furiously) Many thanks Ian.

 

[rokermartin]

It was a long way off, it was dark (weather wise) and I didn't have my glasses on
Mind you - the RSPB bloke in the hide checked his book and also agreed with twite - guess they know as much as us.

Hi JBee some of the RSPB staff are not very good on identifying birds at Saltholm.I was in the the main hide a few months ago and one RSPB bloke misidentified a Pink-footed goose he was telling people it was a Bean Goose i had to step in and correct him.

 

[JBee]

Hi JBee some of the RSPB staff are not very good on identifying birds at Saltholm.I was in the the main hide a few months ago and one RSPB bloke misidentified a Pink-footed goose he was telling people it was a Bean i had to step in and correct him.

Never heard of a Bean-footed goose Martin

 

[IanF]

Merlin female perched on the rocks near the end of North Gare Pier this morning. RT Diver x3 on the sea. Lots of Oystercatcher flying over but not much else around.

Only a single Twite and a Kingfisher on Greenabella Marsh. Little Grebe x2 and Redshank x40 around.

 

[IanF]

Seaton Snook - 2.30pm - wader roost over high tide - Knot c.150, Grey Plover c.30, Dunlin c.30, Bar-tailed Godwit x4, Oystercatcher c.30, Curlew x4, Brent Goose x3 plus a few Redshank and Turnstone. Golden Plover c.50 on power station field.

RSPB Saltholme - Jack Snipe showing at Bottom Tank.

A1185 Seal Sands Road/tip - c.4.20-4.30pm - Starlings quite a spectacle with several thousands swirling around moving from the tip onto the pylons prior to dropping to the reedbeds. The photo doesn't do it justice as there's only a tiny proportion of them in the frame.

 

[DEREK.C.]

A few pics I managed from October, in what turned out to be an eventful month for the county. Crane, Bluethroat, Sabines Gull, Red flanked Bluetail, record number of Firecrests and of course a certain warbler.

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

and of course a certain warbler.

Egh?......... Oh aye that thing.

 

[StevieEvans]

Treat myself to a full 8 hours in perfect conditions on Saturday around the Easington & Seaham areas - 90 species noted.

The days highlights including
1Swallow
1GCGrebe
1st wint male Ring Ousel on Blast Beach
2Chiffchaff,
9Shelduck ots
24Tree Sparrow inc 6 close to coast, presumably migrant birds ?
370+Blackbirds - everywhere, most prominent bird of the day
1Heron
Little Owl pair in tree on Blast Beach
1Green Woodpecker
5Stonechat
several Marsh Tit
4Willow Tit
single male Blackcap
min 125+Meadow Pipit
2Woodcock both from field edges
Peregrine which flew out to sea !
1-2 Short-eared Owl (1 in off)
Wigeon, Teal, Scoter, RTDivers etc on the sea
1Snipe
120Skylark with several singing on passage
4Sparrowhawk
40+Reed Bunting
1Red-legged Partridge
1Turnstone
Barn Owl dozing in roost hole on cliffs nr E'ton
5Redshank
2Snow Bunting N up coast
9+Kestrel including 1 mobbing female Merlin etc

A real perfect warm sunny day, with Ivy attracting several each of Red Admirals & Speckled Woods, 2 Comma & a Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly seen. There were even a couple of Grashoppers active - scary on the last day of October.
Nice to bump into a few other DBC members during the day.

NB: Both species pictured, unaware of observers presence - facial disc shows Barn owl in relaxed state, Little Owl looking over its shoulder at some of the packs of dogs bouncing down the beach.

 

[IanF]

Greenabella Marsh - 10.00am - Twite x36, Brent Goose x1, Shot-eared Owl x1, Kingfisher x1, Meadow Pipit x3, Skylark x1, Little Egret x2, Redshank, Shoveler, Teal, Wigeon, Black-tailed Godwit, Linnet, Goldfinch.

 

[DCJ]

Ian, check the jack snipe that we took last week against the ones that were taken by Tom (yesterday) and Mick (today) please. They are two different birds, markings on the heads are slightly different, looks like adult and this years young bird.

(Blind tho)

 

[IanF]

Ian, check the jack snipe that we took last week against the ones that were taken by Tom (yesterday) and Mick (today) please. They are two different birds, markings on the heads are slightly different, looks like adult and this years young bird.

(Blind tho)

They do look to be different birds. Last week there were several reports of at least two Jack Snipe on the Bottom Tank. There could well be more than that.

Just after you left a Water Rail showed itself for quite a while. It was right over on the far bank behind the last fence post.

 

[DCJ]

They do look to be different birds. Last week there were several reports of at least two Jack Snipe on the Bottom Tank. There could well be more than that.

I think that's got to be the case as the most recent shots have a whithered/hardened bill, t'other's bill looks plumper and lighter in colour.

(Looks like it's warming up at Saltholme, bird wise, see if you can get a patio heater installed for the lads Ian....)


(I'll get that rspb place's spelling right yet)

 

[Lapland mull]

I think that's got to be the case as the most recent shots have a whithered/hardened bill, t'other's bill looks plumper and lighter in colour.

(Looks like it's warming up at Saltohome, bird wise, see if you can get a patio heater installed for the lads Ian....)

Have posted today's pic's - I had noticed the beak on todays bird but hadn't compared it with previous pic's - well spotted.

Nice to speak to you today Dave - see you around.

 

[woodhornbirder]

anyone have a more precise loc of the RLbuzzard at rookhope?

tnx)

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - pm - Whooper Swan x3, Barnacle Geese x17, Golden Plover 500+ on Back Saltholme. A couple of odd looking geese back again. Just albanistic I think. One with a flock of Greylags and the other with Canadas. They may even be the ones that were about earlier in the year.

Staff working by screen at Bottom Tank - demolishing a fence so no birds present let alone Jack Snipe!

 

[Andy Atkinson]

RSPB Saltholme - pm - Whooper Swan x3, Barnacle Geese x17, Golden Plover 500+ on Back Saltholme. A couple of odd looking geese back again. Just albanistic I think. One with a flock of Greylags and the other with Canadas. They may even be the ones that were about earlier in the year.

Staff working by screen at Bottom Tank - demolishing a fence so no birds present let alone Jack Snipe!

Hi Ian
The goose in the Canada flock looks like the darker subspecies of Snow Goose, called a Blue Goose.
A

 

[DCJ]

RSPB Saltholme

Staff working by screen at Bottom Tank - demolishing a fence so no birds present let alone Jack Snipe!

I see they have started work on the heating system then Ian, you must have some clout down there lad.

 

[IanF]

Hi Ian
The goose in the Canada flock looks like the darker subspecies of Snow Goose, called a Blue Goose.
A

I'm not sure. It maybe a hybrid. It has a dark back and white neck but lacks any pale fringes to the primaries.