Durham Birding (16 Viewers)

[wongifer]

Started off heading to stanhope nice and sunny went up onto the moors, to see if we could get the black grouse, like being in a different country clouds down to the ground and snowing. All hopes of seeing grouse lost, still we drove on . Hopes went up a bit as we saw 10+ red grouse, 100+ lapwing and 8 lovely golden plover in breeding plumage, a first for us, in the fields where the black grouse were seen. Then in the distance my dad spotted some huge birds sitting in a field further on. We went round and YES!!!!!!!!!!!! it was them. They were magnificent they had all of their tail feathers raised, 15 males.

Kieran, Derek and Suzy

 

[MalR]

early owl?

Came across this little chap this afternoon sitting in a rather exposed position on a branch overhanging the road at Crow Lane in Middle Herrington. I was a bit surprised as I didn't think young would have left the nest this early in March. Or is breeding earlier nowadays than it used to be?

Malcolm

 

[craigthirlwell]

Baltic

I got dragged to the Baltic today. I still managed a few shots, including this moody one.

 

[will@bill]

no use!!

went down the leas to better dougie`s owl being sick pic but must Concede defeat maybe next time:-C

 

[IanF]

Must have been an 'Owly' day.

I had a ride back down to Zinc Works Road this evening. I was flagged down by the power station police again fully expecting to be stop-checked yet again - only this time they told me about a Short-eared Owl hunting by the first layby. I drove to the layby and parked up and the SEO landed on the fence right beside the car not 20' away from me.

Also present on Seaton Common - Grey Partridge x6 by last layby plus Common Snipe c.10 and Jack Snipe x1. Also Golden Plover c.500 trying to roost repeatedly disturbed by Merlin chasing something. Stonechat pair along fence and Curlew and Lapwing c.40 each on marsh.

 

[NeilF]

Washington WWT early pm
Wader Lake - 2 Snipe, 2 LBB Gull's, 3 Oystercatcher and numerous Redshank, Lapwing, Shelduck, Grey Heron etc.
Hawthorn Wood - 1 each of Willow Tit & Treecreeper.

Neil

 

[nellieberta]

We visited Weardale and Teesdale, went up via Edmundbyers, stopped on the tops and got Lapwing, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Red Grouse and Grey Partridge. Next stop was Stanhope where we picked up Tits, Chaffinches and a couple of Dippers at the ford. We drove over to Eggleston on a Raptor hunt. The wind (blowing a hooligan) put pay to our hopes of a high count. 1 Peregrine and possible Merlin. We then got 20 Black Grouse on Langdon Common, pictures not as good as had hoped as they were quite a way away.
Feeling extremely weather beaten we headed for the relative calm of Hamsterley Forest, no Crossbills, we did however get GS Woodpecker, Treecreeper and Goldcrest plus most of the usual suspects.

A great day in a beautiful part of the world!

Joanne & Mick

 

[geordie121]

Hi all,
I regualy look at this thread as im from Felling and used to do all my birding in gateshead but ive never been to the Leas. Could someone please tell me where it is? Im coming up in a few weeks to visit family and would love to pop along and see the SEO. When is the best time of day to see them round there?

Cheers

Geordie:t:

 

[echo24]

Thornley Woods..

Thornley hide this morning met echo 24 thats dougie in the real world good thing too he spotted a green woody coming in to feed got some shots but he will put some better ones on later.girl came to fill the feeders up flushed the woody but also flushed a woodcock we are doing well thats the 2rd one this year. there was a few kites around to.:t:

Hi Will/Bill, nice to meet you lads )

I stayed at Thornley untill about 11ish in the hope that the Yaffle would come in that little bit closer - it never did!!!.......Plenty of other stuff knocking around though, full list from this morning (missed the Woodcock) - Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock, Yellowhammer, Bullies, Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Green & GS Woodpeckers, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Stockdove, Blue, Coal & Great tits, Mallard and Kite, a male Sparrowhawk had two unsuccessful attempts right in front of the hide (too quick for photos! ) but it did succeed in scattering everything in sight!.... There was also the usual high number of Grey Squirrels and very brief views of the Fox moving across the edge of the wood...

Think that's my last for a while as i'm at work all week and decorating next weekend!!!

Good birding everyone!


Cheers, Dougie.

 

[echo24]

Hi all,
I regualy look at this thread as im from Felling and used to do all my birding in gateshead but ive never been to the Leas. Could someone please tell me where it is? Im coming up in a few weeks to visit family and would love to pop along and see the SEO. When is the best time of day to see them round there?

Cheers

Geordie:t:

Hi Geordie - the leas is the grassy coastal strip in South Shields between Trow quarry & Marsden bay - the SEO's give great views around 'the mound' (which is about 500m, south of the Bamburgh pub) either first light or dusk, but they can be seen at anytime of the day really as they're often accidently flushed by dog walkers.... hope this helps.

please see link.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&t=l&map=54.7345,-1.5776|15|4&loc=GB:54.7345:-1.5776:15&dp=841#t=l&map=54.98937,-1.39273|17|32&loc=GB:54.98939:-1.39542:17|ne34|

Cheers, Dougie.

 

[rokermartin]

I expect the SEOs wont be on the Leas in a few weeks time when geordie 121 is up here .They should be back on there breeding areas then,cannot remember ever seeing them on the Leas in April before. They usually just winter visitors to the Leas.So he might be out of luck.

 

[Ross Ahmed]

I expect the SEOs wont be on the Leas in a few weeks time when geordie 121 is up here .They should be back on there breeding areas then,cannot remember ever seeing them on the Leas in April before. They usually just winter visitors to the Leas.So he might be out of luck.

I've seen them in early April on Leas, plus what were probably different birds (migrants) at end of April/early May.

Two were still on Leas on 25th March last year - not sure after this.

 

[StevieEvans]

Came across this little chap this afternoon sitting in a rather exposed position on a branch overhanging the road at Crow Lane in Middle Herrington. I was a bit surprised as I didn't think young would have left the nest this early in March. Or is breeding earlier nowadays than it used to be?

Malcolm

Thats a pleasant surprise & a nice photo Malcolm.
You are right it is an early one, although i have it one good authority that there have been several January clutches reported this year across England.
Hope it keeps off the road & the weather stays kind.........
Steve

 

[StevieEvans]

Nz34 -

Two new birds for the Houghton List today :-
Water Pipit & Iceland Gull

Family visit this afternoon to look for rabbits (& Barn / Little Owls) - drew a blank on the owls untill we came to walk away...
Thrushes had been scolding for 10 mins - we thought they must have a LO surrounded in the Whinnies & thorns, so walked across to have a closer look...
Very surprised (to put it mildly) to see a Long-eared Owl take off & re-land almost immediately just round the other side of the copse.
This is another piece of an Owl jigsaw DC & i are trying hard (struggling) to piece together - very occasional sightings over past 3-4 years over March - August period but cannot confirm a territory here.......yet.....

ps (all the way home Jack kept saying "Short Ear Owl" - hes not even 3 year old & is already questioning my identifications !)


"Next door" NZ24 (the Durham City 10km square) tried to strike back with a ringtail Hen Harrier passing through this afternoon.

Cheers
Steve

 

[MalR]

Thats a pleasant surprise & a nice photo Malcolm.
You are right it is an early one, although i have it one good authority that there have been several January clutches reported this year across England.
Hope it keeps off the road & the weather stays kind.........
Steve

Cheers, Steve. I must admit I was a bit concerned for it, given its exposed position, as was my daughter. She kept running out to check it was okay and returned after one trip to say she'd spotted an adult in a nearby tree. I nipped back out with the camera, but even with my daughter telling me where to look it took me a while to get on to it. I'd never have spotted it myself. Kids' eyesight is a much underrated optical aid when birding!! Anyway, the adult was keeping a watchful eye on things (well, sort of ...)

Malcolm

 

[degsy_safc]

Seems like everyone had a great day today, i spent a couple of hours at Whitburn and managed a few waders i've never seen before - plus i also got my first sighting of a Dipper on the River Derwent near Thornley WC. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon :t:

 

[Shaggy2070]

i spent a couple of hours at Whitburn and managed a few waders i've never seen before -

It looks like your Turnstone is missing a toe:eek!:

 

[geordie121]

Last week of March i'll be up so maybe i'll be lucky enough to see them. It's not that far from me so it's no bother really! Thanks for your reply's

Cheers

Geordie:t:

 

[seggs]

dropped into the wwt as the weather was not the best before dinner, much the same as neils report from yesterday, wader lake had 2 pair of oystercatchers, numerous shelduck and the drake mallards must out number the females 7-1..here..
5 siskin over..
bullfinch centrel...
still a bit of activity but not as much as a month ago.. a male spughunter buzzed thro-
and a female soared over the area...the lonely reed bunting still here.
went down for a visit to coxgreen.. no man. duck here whilst i was here, 3 jays flew over the river and a tawny owl heard ..
ps. the coal tit is around the right way..

 

[StevieEvans]

Nz34

2Tree Sparrow, Kingfisher, several 10+ Short-eared-Owl hunting
3Jack Snipe inc 1 flying in from way off to land. No sign of Water Pipit today
Having a go with a Long-eared Owl nesting basket in a very quiet corner & a nice chunky Kes box up too
Think Dereks got some pics.... ?
SE

---------------------------------
Red Kite & 3 Buzzards nr Frosterley yesterday.