Durham Birding (6 Viewers)

[StevieEvans]

Picked up waxy for a trip over to hamsterley and the moors 1st raptor seen over the A1M at Chester le street nice sparrowhawk next up was a kestrel then a little owl sitting on top of a farm house at hamsterley. We had a ½ hour looking for a goshawk but we deem it too cold and overcastted seen a few buzzards of cause after a quick show of hands we decided to have a look for the GG shrike but on the way over seen a cracking male merlin catching a bird then eating it on the side of the hill about 50 yards away best view that everybody in the car had ever seen. we watched it for about 20 mins with waxy taking about 200 pics hopefully he put a pic on later as i thought i had forgot my camera but found it when putting my gear back in the house what a bummer. Two mistle thrushes came within 30ft of the Merlin as it eat the song thrush as it turned out to be very brave of them we thought. Had a walk over the moor towards the shrike that’s if it still there?
As we never seen it did see stonechat robin pair of grey wag mistle thrush and about 6 dead female red grouse along the track?? It did not look like they had been shot?
Next stop was going to be bollihope quarry to try for an early ouzel but stopped in our tracks by a hen harrier about a mile from the quarry heading north west looked like a 2nd winter male no really! not a waxy joke:-O quarry was quiet with only a few lapwings and a few gulls common/black headed which we fed with a spare loaf of bread
Great day had by all
pic of what the merlin left behind:eek!:

The speed that gamekeeper drove down that track, when he give me & The Finch a lift last week, makes me think those Grouse were 4X4'ed :eek!:

Good going with the raptors - Has thew telt Mr Olley 'bout tharrier ?

 

[will@bill]

The speed that gamekeeper drove down that track, when he give me & The Finch a lift last week, makes me think those Grouse were 4X4'ed :eek!:

Good going with the raptors - Has thew telt Mr Olley 'bout tharrier ?

forgot about john just pm`ed him

 

[Alan Tilmouth]

Has thew telt Mr Olley 'bout tharrier ?

And anyone else who may be interested regardless of motives.

 

[balvert]

Spent a quick 10-15 minutes at Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park checking out the fabled feeding station.

What a brilliant feeding area, with such a wide range of birds! I was pleased to see that Yellowhammer were the most numerous (6) birds there, with Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Tree Sparrow, Dunnock and Blackbird all making appearances. Reed Bunting across by the car park.

I'm always surprised by the levels of dog traffic at this location.

 

[IanF]

Tilery Wood/A689 near Billingham this morning - Crossbill 50+ very active seldom settling for more than a few minutes, Siskin c.20, Woodcock x1, GSW, LTT, Coal Tit etc.

 

[balvert]

Tilery Wood/A689 near Billingham this morning - Crossbill 50+ very active seldom settling for more than a few minutes, Siskin c.20, Woodcock x1, GSW, LTT, Coal Tit etc.

Hi Ian,

I'm wondering if you know more about the situation with the Tillery Wood and the current building work? I called in last week and access to the pathway to the wood was closed from this side. Is it still possible to access Tillery Wood by parking in the eastbound carriageway car park and walking across the bridge?

Thanks,

 

[IanF]

Hi Ian,

I'm wondering if you know more about the situation with the Tillery Wood and the current building work? I called in last week and access to the pathway to the wood was closed from this side. Is it still possible to access Tillery Wood by parking in the eastbound carriageway car park and walking across the bridge?

Thanks,

Actually I parked in the west bound car park but I dare say you could park in the other one as well and walk over the bridge/road. It's was a little strange in that the signs are still up saying the paths are closed for the work likey until mid-May yet today there was no tape across the gates or stiles and no sign of any machinery or workmen. Plenty of cars in the car park and people out walking.

 

[will@bill]

waxy snap

here is yesterdays merlin eating prey

 

[balvert]

Actually I parked in the west bound car park but I dare say you could park in the other one as well and walk over the bridge/road. It's was a little strange in that the signs are still up saying the paths are closed for the work likey until mid-May yet today there was no tape across the gates or stiles and no sign of any machinery or workmen. Plenty of cars in the car park and people out walking.

Thanks Ian. The place looked very unwelcoming when I was there, it was all very "enter and ye shall perish" ! I'll have a pop along tomorrow perhaps.

RSPB Saltholme
Headed to Saltholme this afternoon for my first visit as a visitor and not as a volunteer. Highlights included black-tailed godwit, spotted redshank, ruffs and a beautiful snipe.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Weardale/Teesdale today:

Called at frosterly, dippers active on the river, chaffinch and grey wagtail.
Plenty red grouse, lapwings, jackdaws, crows etc on the way over to Langdon Beck but no sign of any black grouse when we arrived.
On to Cow Green and surrounding farmland, more lapwings, golden plover, red grouse, fieldfare, pheasant, oyster catcher, redshank, and the usual starlings, blackbirds, crows etc. Also no sign of black grouse here either.
Called at Bollihope Quary on the way back, 1 wheatear on our arrival which flew of, not much else appart from more lapwings, a few gulls, red groouse and single mipit.
Also went in search of Adder :eek!:, but failed :C.

 

[waxyplumer]

Merlin Pics from Tuesday

Gear.Lumix FZ18+Converter, Pallette, Oils, Brushes and canvas

 

[waxyplumer]

Couple more from my day out with Will and Bill

Cheers, Mick "Waxy" Gibson.

 

[IanF]

Tilery Wood/A689 - pm - nicely sheltered from the strong winds - Crossbill c.20, Siskin 20+, LTT x2, Marsh Tit x1, Coal Tit c.6, Goldfiinch,Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Jay, Dunnock, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit plus two Lesser Redpoll.

For info all the notices and maps about closure of the footpaths have been removed. Looks like the wood and walkway are fully open to the public again :t:

 

[June Atkinson]

Tilery Wood

Tilery Wood/A689 - pm - nicely sheltered from the strong winds - Crossbill c.20, Siskin 20+, LTT x2, Marsh Tit x1, Coal Tit c.6, Goldfiinch,Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Jay, Dunnock, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit plus two Lesser Redpoll.

For info all the notices and maps about closure of the footpaths have been removed. Looks like the wood and walkway are fully open to the public again :t:

Where is this wood, Ian?
Would it be suitable for us - bearing in mind that we need car parking and close access to anything worthwhile.

 

[IanF]

Where is this wood, Ian?
Would it be suitable for us - bearing in mind that we need car parking and close access to anything worthwhile.

The paths are flat with no hills but the bird watching can be hard going. The wood itself is mostly conifers and often appears devoid of birds.

There were loads of birds in the wood today, probably like me shletering from the winds but often you just get glimpses. I just sat on a tree stump and about 40 minutes later the Crossbills flew in - but it's hit and miss where they land. I fell lucky yesterday and today but in a dozen plus previous visits I've only had fleeting glimpses in the tree tops.

There are feeder tables by the picnic table in the car park and people put out food along the car park fences so there are always birds about - but usually just Chaffinch and tits. Marsh and Willow Tit were coming to the tables over winter as well. The first 100m of path as far as the old scout hut is where I see most birds but the path does a circle over about a mile back to the car park via the walkway if you don't want to retrace your steps.

Tilery Wood - map - the car aprk is under the arrow.

 

[StevieEvans]

DBC Castle Lake Nature Reserve

Called in passing for a quick visit this afternoon.

Now 3GCGrebe, several Goosander & Cormorant remain - hopefully with all these fish, we should manage to attract breeding terns...?

Couple of pair of Shoveller, 70 or so Wigeon & numerous pairs of Gadwall - possibly the most abundant breeding duck here....?

Wind was very rough, in fact two ruff

 

[ian hamilton]

2 Canada Geese flew nw over southwick at 0830

 

[Ray.Scott]

Called at a couple of locations on the way back from Stockton:

Cowpen Bewley Hide very quiet compared to recent visits with just a few of the usual chaffinch, robin, dunnock, yellow hammer, blue & great tit, blackbird, tree sparrow and could hear chiffchaff in the surrounding trees/bushes.

Bus stop hide: pair shell duck, pair gadwall and single redshank. 1 avocet East of the hide amongst 14 other shelduck.

Nothing of note at Znkwks, North Gare or Jacksons Landing.

Newburn Bridge: ringed plover, turnstone, redshank, oyster catcher and unusual to see 2 canada geese about 1/2 mile ofshore, maybe the strong winds forced them down.

No sign of RN Parakeets at Ward Jackson Park.

 

[IanF]

I spent the morning at RSPB Saltholme in the company of Quacker. Sunny but wild and windy again.

Not a great deal of note seen other than the reported Water Pipit from the visitor centre that's looking really colourful now with grey back and head and pink flush below.

Several Ruff from Saltholme hide plus Redshank, Shelduck, Goldeneye, a male RB Merganser, and two Pink-feet in amongst the geese.

Little Grebe x2 and Great Crested Grebe x2 from Paddy's Pool hide.

Gadwall, Little Egret, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, Redshank and Meadow Pipit from Wildlife Watchpoint.

 

[IanF]

Tilery Wood/A689 - 9.00-10.00am - Crossbill x12 males in one flock and another mixed group of around 8, Siskin x6, Lesser Redpoll x2, GSW x3, Jay x1, Sparrowhawk x1, Buzzard x1 passed low over wood, Marsh Tit plus usual suspects.

Photos: 1. & 2. Common Buzzard - 3. Sparrowhawk - 4. Crossbill - 5. Blue Tit