Durham Birding (4 Viewers)

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - west pond - Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Ruff x2, Little Gull x5, Black-tailed Godwit x18, Dunlin x3. Peregrine x2 (juv & adult).

East Pond - Red-crested Pochard

Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x5, Ruff x2 (different pair), Snipe c.50.

The Peregrines were more in evidence today hunting over Saltholme Ponds, Haverton Viewpoint and the Wildlife Watchpoint - seen making kills at the latter two.

Greatham Creek - 6.30pm - Spotted Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Sparrowhawk, Dunlin x3!

 

[2slo]

Ever seen a Woodpecker being aggressive? This male GSW hates small birds eating 'his' food. Here he is on approach scattering Tits, Robins and Nuthatches before having a feed:

 

[A W Gregory]

Saltholme-Bottom Tank today.
Just to add to Ian's- Greenshank x 6 plus Marsh Harrier x 1 flying up towards Haverton Hole.

 

[2slo]

Delighted when I saw a pair of Spotted Flycatchers today near Trimdon:

 

[IanF]

Greatham Creek - 11.45 - Redshank x.100, Ringed Plover x23, Dunlin x63, Knot x6.

RSPB Saltholme - Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x6, Snipe c.20, Ruff x1, Buzzard x1.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - 11.00am - Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x2, Snipe c.20, Heron - until staff member with strimmer came out and chased everything away!

Seaton Common - Kestrel & Curlew x20 including a locally colour ringed bird from 2000.

Saltholme west - 7.00pm - Little Gull x5, Black-tailed Godwit x12, Dunlin x2. Black Tern flew in from east pond briefly hunting over west pond before heading over to Back Saltholme and lost from view

 

[Ray.Scott]

A couple of shots of our local garden visitor, hasn't been seen for a long while, but saw evedence of a kill the other day at the bottom of the garden.

 

[TimG]

Greatham Creek this afternoon the Wood Sandpiper was still present on the far side of the tidal pool, but I only located it at low tide. As well as this there were Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew and all the usuals.

Saltholme:
c.30 Snipe and 3 Greenshank from Phil Stead
3 Little Gulls, 1 Avocet, 1 Ringed Plover, Curlew, Black-Tailed Godwit from Saltholme Pools Hide

Also Lots of Ruddy Darters in amongst the Common Darters on the path from the centre to Back Saltholme.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - east pond - Little Gull x3.

West pond - Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Yellow Wagtail x3. Swift x3 still plus several hundred Sand Martin.

Phil Stead Hide - Greenshank x2, Snipe c.20.

Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park - pm - Marsh Harrier x2 (m&f). Long-tailed Tit x6. Moorhen x21 on the lake.

RSPB Saltholme - Saltholme Hide - pm - Black-tailed Godwit x15, Avocet x1, Ruff x4, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Snipe c.20, Little Egret x2, Greenshank.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Phil Stead hide yesterday.
4 greenshank, single ruff & green sandpiper, snipe, kestrel, marsh harrier over, teal, little grebe etc.

Video clip of the Ruff & Green Sandpiper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1b7UXxwZpg&list=UUUxeffcFmd-0-I9sTZ7w5TA&index=1&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOGva0-uJGU&list=UUUxeffcFmd-0-I9sTZ7w5TA&index=2&feature=plcp

 

[James Thomas]

Travelling down the A1 this morning and about half a mile before the Darlington turn some road-kill on the hard shoulder appeared to have blue feathers. Could be a jay, feather duster, nothing feathered at all or something more interesting but some of you may be passing and could get a better look.

 

[IanF]

Low Barns yesterday morning.

West Pond - Heron x3, Great Spotted Woodpecker x3, Jay, Willow Warbler, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Willow Tit, Coal Tit.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - Phil Stead Hide - Green Sandpiper, Greenshank x3, Water Rail, Snipe c.40 on ground another 60+ in flock flying over.

West pond - Black-tailed Godwit x24, Reeve, Dunlin, Garganey female. Black Tern resting on west pond but feeding over east pond, also Little Gull x3 & Red-crested Pochard.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - east pond - Black Tern, Little Gull x4, RC Pochard. Marsh Harrier on Dormans Pool.

West pond - Black-tailed Godwit x42, Ruff x2, Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin, Greenshank, Lapwing c.100, Golden Plover x2.

Phil Stead Hide - Snipe x3, Greenshank x1.

Weasel on way down to Saltholme Hide. Migrant Hawker on dragonfly pools.

 

[rentoncharman]

Kingfisher at Low Barns

Had a visit with grandchildren to Low Barns today hoping to see Kingfishers. We weren't disappointed with birds visiting the posts in front of the west hide a number of times during the morning. Good views also of Jay and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, both adult and juvenile.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Started at Whitburn with the hope of seeing the Bonaparte's gull, no luck there.
Nice to see Mark and a few others, Just missed a cracking photo opportunity when A Foghorn fell, while coming down the embankment :-O:-O.
Other birds were yellow & pied wagtail, sanderling, dunlin, ringed plover, curlew, oyster catcher, 2 med, gulls, house martin, swallow, kestrel, turnstone and the usual gulls.
Moved on to Souter Stack,
The stack more or less clear of bird life apart from a few cormorants, fulmar etc and a few guillemots in the water.
South Shields pier next, didn't venture onto the beach, to crowded.
At least 5 adult roseates and 4 juv's amongst the commons and a single sandwich tern, while watching the roseates etc the black tern came in and gave excellent views, also, looks like I photographed another, earlier in the afternoon, without knowing. see image 1.
Other birds were cormorant, eider, guillemot, golden plover.

 

[Ray.Scott]

Few more from yesterday.

 

[IanF]

RSPB Saltholme - am - west pond - Little Gull x4, Yellow Wagtail x4 (2ad, 2 juv), Ruff x2. Snipe 20+, Black-tailed Godwit c.20, Red-crested Pochard resting on island.

No sign of the Black Tern when I was there but reported on Dormans Pool.

Phil Stead Hide - Sparrowhawk, Greenshank x14, Snipe c.12, Water Rail x2.

 

[The Liverbirder]

Congratulations

Ian F, Ray and Renton - your images of the Weasel, Golden Plover and Kingfisher resp. are absolutely breath-taking. You have surpassed yourselves. :t:

 

[dannyboy]

Ian F, Ray and Renton - your images of the Weasel, Golden Plover and Kingfisher resp. are absolutely breath-taking. You have surpassed yourselves. :t:

Hear Hear:clap: