Durham Birding (3 Viewers)

[IanF]

The Headland - pm - BT Diver, Goldeneye pair & Glaucous Gull x2 in fish quay. RT Diver x7 & Guillemot c.8 in harbour mouth.

Glaucous Gull seen over Heugh Pier. Flyover of Pink-footed Geese c.90 heading south.

Seaton Common - WF Goose x18, PF Goose x1.

 

[IanF]

A rather soggy day to start off the New Year.

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - RN Duck, Goldeneye x5 (3m,2f), Pochard x3, Gadwall x10, Tufted Duck x6 on lake. Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting on car park feeders.

A689/Blackfords Nursery - Ring-necked Parakeet x8, Fieldfare x9.

The Headland - am - RT Diver c.12-15, BT Diver, Glaucous Gull, Med. Gull, Guillemot. Only Grebe I saw was Great Crested.

Jacksons Landing - RB Merganser x2.

Newburn - Black Redstart & Rock Pipit. RT Diver. Med Gull by car park.

Rosmere Park - Goosander x8.

 

[Ray.Scott]

A start to the New Year

Harlepool Lighthouse: Velvet & common scoter, GC grebe, RT diver, eider and single porpois.
Pilot Pier: guillemot, RT diver, cormorants and 2 seals.
Fish quay, Only 1 glaucous seen and very distant BT diver + about 30 more cormorants.
Newburn Bridge area: Black redstart, rock pipit & 3 RB mergansers.
Zinkworks Road: Curlew, WF & greenland goose + single pink footed also merlin flying along the top fence line. Kestrel seen on our way home.

 

[Ray.Scott]

A couple of the geese at Zinkworks.

 

[birding maniac]

New years tour today and I clocked up 84 species. I started with the headland:
Rt diver, Slav grebe, velvet scoter, purple sand and me gull notable. Also saw a leucistic knot. The fish quey held bt diver, 2 glaucous gulls and a single kittiwake which was a shock.
Cowpen held a variety of ducks including the ring necked and some goldeneyes, and there was a pair of redpoll in the trees by the lake.
Finally we went to saltholme and had merlin, peregrine, marsh harrier, snipe (flushed) and the barnacle geese while others saw a water rail.

 

[2slo]

Visited the riverside today and saw the following:

Cormorant enjoying the winter sun (heavily cropped from the opp bank):



Pink footed goose:



Male tufted duck:



Female tufted duck:



The usual suspects!:



Mark.

 

[ted hilland]

great pics mate, what gear do you have

 

[2slo]

great pics mate, what gear do you have

Thanks. Taken with a Canon 7D and 70-200mm F/2.8 L lens. Hoping to get a longer lens soon, I'd really have liked a closer shot of that posing Cormorant!

 

[keith]

Visited Hurworth Burn Res. this morning, bloody cold but did see Smew, 2 Scaup, Goosander,`all females` and Red-necked Grebe amongst many other great birds. Also met some of the local guys including Geordy who looks after the feeding station, he's doing a great job, a very important one as far as I'm concerned, well done mate!.

 

[IanF]

The Headland - am - Med. Gull, RT Diver x17 in the harbour plus BT Diver, Guillemot &, RB Merganser, GC Grebe. Glaucous Gull x1 in the fish quay with Kittiwake x3, Cormorant 60-70.

Jacksons Landing - RB Merganser x27.

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - RN Duck still.

 

[dannyboy]

Riverside today

I'll add these to the pictures taken by 2Slo

 

[2slo]

I'll add these to the pictures taken by 2Slo

Ha, small world! Dunno what time you were there but did you see the Cormorant on the far bank? It was there for the 30 mins or so I was there between 12 and 1.

 

[dannyboy]

Ha, small world! Dunno what time you were there but did you see the Cormorant on the far bank? It was there for the 30 mins or so I was there between 12 and 1.

I did see it. I only took one picture because it was so far away. I must have been there about the same time as you about 12.00ish. Did you see the Whooper? I noticed one had been seen at Rainton Meadows and wonder if it's the same one.

 

[2slo]

I did see it. I only took one picture because it was so far away. I must have been there about the same time as you about 12.00ish. Did you see the Whooper? I noticed one had been seen at Rainton Meadows and wonder if it's the same one.

Good shot of the Cormorant, looks like it's just eating something! No I missed the Whooper unfortunately.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Hartlepool Headland:
Very close views of one of the glaucous gulls also kittiwake, BT & Rt divers, guillemot, cormorants, GBB gulls etc.
Newburn Bridge. No sign of the redstart but, med gull, RB merganser, sanderling, ringed plover, redshank, knot, turstone, purple sandpiper.
Flock of around 50 twite seen at Dormans.
Fox crossing the main road to Cowpen Bewley.
The usual tree sparrows, yellow hammers, blue, great tits etc at Cowpen car park on our way home.

Nice to have a sunny day, for a change :t:.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Some of the glaucous, great to see It close :t:.

 

[Ray.Scott]

And a few to round off the day.

 

[mattwhite]

I had a nice, allthough cold, couple of hours at Low Barns yesterday.

Highlight was great views of a Goldcrest feeding on the floor next to the feeders.

Matt

 

[Mark Newsome]

I'm sure many will be aware of Brian Unwin and his contribution to bird watching in the region over many many years. Not to mention his long assocation with Durham Bird Club, birding publications and regular birding articles in the Northern Echo. He passed away on Thursday following a long battle with cancer.

Should anyone wish to attend, Brian's funeral service is on Wednesday 11 January, 10am, at St Mark's Church, Hylton Road, Sunderland.

A nice tribute to Brian is on the Northern Echo website:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/9447273.Tributes_to_North_birdlife_expert_and_journalist/

Mark

 

[Adam W]

Can anyone kindly tell where exactly is best to view the fish quay at Hartlepool?

I was down that way this afternoon but couldnt seem to find anywhere that seemed to be the right place. About a dozen each of RB Merganser and RT Divers around the two piers also a single Shag.

Ring Necked Duck still at Cowpen Bewley this afternoon though as distant as it could get.