Durham Birding (21 Viewers)

[NeilF]

Got my 'birds seen or heard whilst watching cricket list 2010' (!) off and running at Durham City's Racecourse ground today.
Nothing too exciting (birds or cricket) with Cormorant, Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush and Chiffchaff being the best of a bad bunch.
Trust the Nottinghamshire players to get in the way of a class Pied Wag photo, apparently they were debating its credentials for White Wagtail

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Got my 'birds seen or heard whilst watching cricket list 2010' (!) off and running at Durham City's Racecourse ground today.
Nothing too exciting (birds or cricket) with Cormorant, Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush and Chiffchaff being the best of a bad bunch.
Trust the Nottinghamshire players to get in the way of a class Pied Wag photo, apparently they were debating its credentials for White Wagtail

Couple of years back there was a Crane seeing flying over Chester Cricket Ground. I presume during a match.:t:

 

[Ray.Scott]

Visit to Weardale/Teesdale yesterday:
Pair Goosander near the ford at Stanhope which swam upstream, no sign of any Dippers.

Called at Bolihope quary to check for Ring ousel, walked about 1/2 mile upstream where we saw pied wag, mipits, mallard, lapwing, BH gull and a few rabits. On the way back to the car, flushed 2 Ring ousel which flew over towards the Quary area then across the road onto the fields above the other part of the quary. No chance of a photo:C, but a first time view for me:t:.

Plenty red grouse, lapwing & mipits over the moors and the odd golden plover seen just before the sign for Teesdale.

Golden plover, lapwing, pied wagtail, kestrel & a couple Wheatear seen at Cow Green Res,

Not a single black grouse seen throughout the journey and the only raptor was the kestrel at Cow Green.

Managed to get one of IanF's red grouse to pose on the wall, on our return.

Also, nice bumping into Glen on the way back:t:,as we were looking for dippers, managed a glimps of one as it flashed by us, heading down stream.
Hope your Woodcock turned out O.K. Glen!.

Excellent day weatherwise, but a bit disapointing birdwise.

 

[Ray.Scott]

A few others from yesterday.

 

[MalR]

An unusual, but very welcome, visitor to our garden this morning when a brambling called in briefly.

I just wondered if this is unusually late for a garden brambling record. The only other one I've seen here in seven years was in the depths of winter.

Malcolm

 

[IanF]

An unusual, but very welcome, visitor to our garden this morning when a brambling called in briefly.

I just wondered if this is unusually late for a garden brambling record. The only other one I've seen here in seven years was in the depths of winter.

Malcolm

Many have moved on but there's still a few around. One at Cowpen Bewley W.Pk. is still getting seen at the car park tables.

 

[MalR]

Many have moved on but there's still a few around. One at Cowpen Bewley W.Pk. is still getting seen at the car park tables.

Cheers, Ian. Funnily enough I saw one at Cowpen Bewley a few weeks back. Just didn't expect to see one in the garden in the middle of April.

 

[Shaggy2070]

Also, nice bumping into Glen on the way back:t:,
Hope your Woodcock turned out O.K. Glen!.

Excellent day weatherwise, but a bit disapointing birdwise.

Good to see you and your better half once again Ray:t:.
It was a struggle with it being so close but I managed to get a couple in focus.
I post a couple when I get them sorted:t:.

 

[Shaggy2070]

Woodcock.

Had a trip to Bollihope on Monday hoping to see my first Wheatear and Ring Ouzel of the year and managed to get a glimpse of both:t:.
But the highlight was a Woodcock which I nearly stepped on, just managing to stop with my foot inches above its head:eek!:.

 

[IanF]

Dormans Pool - am - Hooded Merganser on pool below top car park - flew in/out three times. Last seen heading towards Petroplus pools. Cettis Warbler by rusty tank but active moving to the start of the track/junction with main rood.

Rec Pond - Black-necked Grebe.

RSPB Saltholme - White-fronted Goose along path to Saltholme Hide. Black-tailed Godwit x21 on Bottom Tank.

Longnewton-Coatham Stob - pm - Barn Owl x2. Swallow x2 by Coatham Stob car park plus Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, LTT, Kestrel, Mipit and Skylark and a deer.

 

[IanF]

After a bit of a cloudy start it turned into a lovely sunny day for a ride out to the west side of the County.

The Stang - lots of Red Grouse, Curlew and Lapwing around. The first bird of note was a Jay feeding on a rabbit carcass on the road through the forest. Crossbill 20+ were flitting about near the top edge with similar numbers of Siskin and Goldfinch plus a few Linnet, Greenfinch and Dunnock. The Crossbills were in the roadside trees again but only two were coming down to the grit, likewise just two Siskin though I only stayed 30 mins as from my last visit I realised a later visit would be better light and planned on returning but ran out of time. Heading back down I came across a Kestrel and a Mistle Thrush.

Deepdale, Barnard Castle - a real blessing that the 'water-board' bridge across the River Tees reopened this week. Several Nuthatch, Wren, Robin, Blackcap and Willow Warbler were calling in the woods on the Barney side of the river. No sign of Grey Wagtail or Dipper in Percy Beck this time and nothing on the stones by the bandstand.

Lots of birds heard singing as soon as I entered Deepdale with Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Robin, Chaffinch and Blackbird near the entrance. Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit and another Chiffchaff were a little further along. I counted eight Bullfinch spread between the entrance and Raygill.

It was nice to see a pair of Dipper nesting in the traditional spot in the bankside once again. A pair of Grey Wagtail were in the streambed below.

I got all excited when I thought I'd found a LSW when I heard a quietish call and slow drumming from the remains of a tree they used to use but it turned out to be a GSW painstakingly pecking away. A hole in a tree on the other side of the valley looked recently bored out though it had two older holes as well.

Two Sand Martin were hunting flies over one of the clearings as well.

Bolliehope was the next stop where I bumped into Hilary and DaveJ who'd also gone looking for Ring Ouzel. I saw five in the end but no close views other than one flying overhead. Dave and Hilary had better luck when a pair flew onto the quarry face just as they were passing. Other birds there were Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush, Red Grouse, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Wheatear, Curlew, Starling, Lapwing, Black-headed Gull and a Red Kite soaring very high. It seemed a little odd that despite it's height a Lapwing was still repeatedly mobbing the Kite even as it disappeared from view towards Teesdale. It looks as though the Kite may have sustained some damage.

Having spent so long at Bolliehope I ran out of time and had to head back east to collect the wife from work.

 

[IanF]

Quite a crowd present this evening to watch the Barn Owls. I came across two out hunting. Shrew seems to be on the menu.

 

[ColinSev]

Tunstall Resevoir and Bollihope

Spent morning at Tunstall Res Woods looking for Redstart and Pied Flys, however only heard 1 Redstart (around the hollies) and after hour and half searching couldnt find it, no sign of Pied Flys. Moved on to Bollihope very busy there and no sign of Ouzels. I did see this Pipit - its manner was very different to a Meadow Pipit -more like a Wagtail- and with pinkish legs and eys stripe, and finer stripes on underside I think its a Tree Pipit, also saw Wheatear and Red Grouse.

http://colsdigiscope.blogspot.com/

 

[rokermartin]

Spent morning at Tunstall Res Woods looking for Redstart and Pied Flys, however only heard 1 Redstart (around the hollies) and after hour and half searching couldnt find it, no sign of Pied Flys. Moved on to Bollihope very busy there and no sign of Ouzels. I did see this Pipit - its manner was very different to a Meadow Pipit -more like a Wagtail- and with pinkish legs and eys stripe, and finer stripes on underside I think its a Tree Pipit, also saw Wheatear and Red Grouse.

I would say that was a Tree pipit .

 

[IanF]

Two Common Cranes were at Crookfoot Reservoir this morning. They were on the Durham side and after a while feeding they headed off north.

Not a lot else seen this morning other than hearing the Cetti's Warbler below the top car park at Dormans Pool.

Even Saltholme seemed pretty quiet.

 

[birding maniac]

Any news on a reported American Wigeon in the Saltholme area
Eg. Where, and is it Male? Thanks

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Any news on a reported American Wigeon in the Saltholme area
Eg. Where, and is it Male? Thanks

It is at RSPB Saltholme and it's a male and I believe it is still present. :t:

 

[IanF]

Any news on a reported American Wigeon in the Saltholme area
Eg. Where, and is it Male? Thanks

Yep! A male.

It seems pretty unsettled/active flying between the various ponds. It's been on Paddys Pool, Saltholme West and Saltholme East. My luck ddin't hold today. I'd arrived at Saltholme Hide a few minutes after it flew to Saltholme East pond so I headed around to the road only to see it fly back towards the hide. Whoever was in the hide must have got some great views as it was right in front of the hide several minutes before flying to the SW side of the reserve.

A few Swifts around today plus a few more Swallows with the Sand Martins.

 

[ian hamilton]

grasshopper warbler reeling off queens road,southwick early am.
lesser whitethroat singing from timber beach and a swallow flew east.

 

[NeilF]

Local Patch 2010

Been a good couple of day's for birds returning or passing through the local patch (Birtley/Kibblesworth), Wheatear (#100), Grasshopper Warbler (#101), Whitethroat (#102), House Martin (#103) & Redstart (#104).