Spring

Sled Lane - 1 Goosander, 2 Mute swan, 11 Coot, 5 Moorhen, 10+ Tufted Duck
Lamesley Water Meadows - 4 Greylag, 1 Wigeon, 100 Lapwing 4 Redshank
Clara Vale LNR - 2 Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) yesterday in a garden and a Comma there today
Crawcrook Quarry - Green Sandpiper on March 10th. Green woodpecker calling.
Shibdon Pond - Ruff still present though most of the Lapwing have now left for their breeding areas. Also a Kingfisher, a pair of Goosander, Oystercatcher, Sheldduck, Redshank and  Common Snipe. A Common Buzzard over drifting North. On the wing today  Peacock , Small tortoiseshell , Comma, hoverflies and Bumblebees

Comma, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell all enjoying the sun at Shibdon [George Simpson]

Tree Sparrow at Pennyfine Lane [Lee Harris]

A pair of Gadwall

Today, Sunday 9th

Birtley reedbed pools - a pair of Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe & a singing Chiffchaff.
Lamesley Water Meadows -  - 95 Curlew, 2 Oystercatchers, 1 Common Snipe. 30+ Tree Sparrow   behind the Ravensworth car park
Watergate - 2 Little Grebe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Siskin & 1 Grey Wagtail.
Clara Vale - 1 singing Chiffchaff
Chopwell Woods - 50+ Crossbill, 50+ Siskin, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker & 4 Bullfinch.
Ravensworth Grange - 4 Tree Sparrow 

Tree Sparrows at Lamesley [Lee Harris]

5th

Burdon Moor - 1 Red Kite, 200+ Golden Plover, 38 Curlew, 10 Teal- and Skylarks singing.
Lamesley Water Meadows -  89 Curlew, 1 male Wigeon, 1 Shelduck, 46 Teal, 3 Oystercatcher and 2 Common Buzzard 
Pennyfine Road, Sunniside - 1 Tree Sparrow  near Silver Hills nursery

Chiffchaff now singing

Monday 3rd March

Far Pasture NR - Chiffchaff singing. Kingfisher on pond and Lesser Redpoll in car park. 
Shibdon Pond - 1 Ruff. 
Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Shelduck, 2 Wigeon and 102 Curlew. 
Kibblesorth brickworks Pool - 2 Little Grebe, 2 Mute Swan, 2 Oystercatcher, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Curlew, 1 Green Woodpecker,

River near Copper wood - 2 Dipper and 1-2 Kingfisher, both giving great views. 50+ each of Canada Goose and Grey Lag in field juts over the Gateshead boundary there


Saturday 1st March

Far Pasture NR  - 5 Goldcrest around the car-park area, 4 Roe Deer in adjacent meadow, 4 Red Kite, 2 interacting, Sparrowhawk, 2 Buzzard, Kestrel, Tawny Owl heard not seen, also Long Tail Tits, Nuthatch, Jay & Water Rail of note.

Goldcrest, Roe Deer and Red Kite - all at Far Pasture on 1st [Derek Bilton]

100 up

Tuesday 25th Feb

Between Marley hill & Thornley - 2 Goosander (male and female), 1 Dipper, 2 Cormorant on river, Numerous red kites, 2 Common Buzzard, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel and lots of Wren singing and Dunnock displaying.
Cuthbert Hill pond, Sunniside - 20Curlew, 100+ Black-headed Gull, (one with full black head), l Lesser Black-backed Gull, 4 Common Gull, Herring gull, 7 Teal, 10 Moorhen, 40 Redwing, 30 Starlings, 2 Reed Bbunting.
Far Pasture NR - Red kite, 2 Common Snipe, 8 Teal, Canada Goose, Mallard.
River Tyne at Dunston - 2 Peregrine hunting along the river

One of the Peregrines over the Tyne [Steven Fryer]

Shibdon Pond - 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Lamesley - 3 Oystercatchers 

Thursday 27th Feb

Watergate - 5 Waxwing flew through south. Also 1 Cormorant, 2 Tufted Duck and 1 Grey Wagtail.
Burdon Moor - 2 Stonechat along with 10+ Skylarks, 2 Red Kites.
Lamesley - 1 Green Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Oystercatchers.
Stella - A 1st winter Yellow-legged Gull reported on 26th.

1st March

Wrekenton - 1 Ring-necked Parakeet flew over at 09:30
Chopwell Woods - Single Green and Great-spotted Woodpecker, plus  Goldcrest, Siskin and Red Kite.


That makes it 100 (I think) for the year

At the weekend - Nothing but LBBGs

Watergate - 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Cormorant & 1 Grey Wagtail.
Lamesley - 1 Wigeon & 2 Oystercatcher. Dipper singing under the bridge.
Timber Beach - 2 Oystercatcher & 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
Shibdon Pond - 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull & 1 Ruff.

Thursday 20th February 2014

Bradley Hall Lake - 2 Wigeon and 1 Shelduck.
Sled Lane Pond - 6 Goosander and 2 Goldeneye.
Far Pasture NR - 1 Kingfisher
Lamesley - 2 Oystercatcher & 100+ Curlew on the flash pool.

Another butterfly and a barbaric ending to a Gateshead Red Fox

18th February

Dunston - A Peacock butterfly in the vicarage garden was the second butterfly of the year on 18th.

Marley Hill - A Red Fox had been killed and hung up on show for all to see at Marley Hill

At the weekend a Mediterranean Gull was present at Shibdon Pond on both 15th and 16th, as was the wintering Ruff