Still no summer migrants

Still no summer migrants

Saltwell Park - 15 Redwing still and a Great-spotted Woodpecker
Shibdon Pond - Pair of Gadwall, 1 Mediterranean  Gull (2w) and 1Whooper Swan.
Kibblesworth Grange -1 Wigeon
Lamesley Water Meadows -  Pair of Common Buzzards displaying  and a  pair of Teal mating. Also a pair of Shelduck
Greenside/Burnhills reclaimed landfill site - Female Peregrine this afternoon showing well from bridleway.
Woodside - Little Owl this evening
Whickham golf course - 3+ Woodcock
Gibside - 100+ Golden Plover and 10+ Fieldfare 
Far Pasture NR - 4 Chiffchaff, Willow tit and Goldcrest
Derwent Walk CP -  Green woodpecker in Cooper's wood

 

Chiffchaff at Far Pasture NR [Steven Fryer]

Late news from the last week

Late news from the last week, all from the same observer

Monday - The adult Mediterranean Gull was present again and a Green Sandpiper,  both on the flash pools at Lamesley.
Tuesday - 5 Common Buzzard over the Ravensworth Estate
Thursday -  singing Chiffchaff at Birtley Reedbed Pools and 2 Common Buzzard over Pennyfine Road, Sunniside.

Siskin at Wardley [Joanne Reavey]

Back to today

Wardley - 1 or 2 Siskin visiting a bird feeder.



Lamesley Water Meadows - a pair of Gadwall still on Horse World pool.
Shibdon Pond - 1 Whooper Swan, 1 Mediterranean Gull (2nd winter) and 10 Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Watergate Lake - 1 Green Woodpecker & 1 Siskin.

Chiffchaff and Pink-feet

The Nordic Jackdaws, there now seems to be 3 of them are being seen off and on at Shibdon but otherwise its been quiet during the week.

A little more activity today with a Chiffchaff at Far Pasture again and 3 skeins of Pink-footed Geese totalling about 450 birds headed west over Swalwell early afternoon

Early birds

The first birds of the day
Westfield Pasture - Tawny Owl and Woodcock.

Later in the day -
Far Pasture NR - A Chiffchaff was found yesterday on the track by the sewage works. Today two were found, a nominate race bird and a northern (Scandinavian) abietinus bird. 100+ Pink-footed Geese flew West at 11:55. Also Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Tit , Common Buzzard, 6 Goldcrest
Bradley Fell- 26 Golden Plover present and 4 Crossbill flew over as did a skein of 150 Pink-footed Geese heading north at 12:12.

126 Pink-feet over [Steven Fryer]

Watergate Park - 2 Dipper in outlet stream.
Shibdon Pond - Kingfisher, 6 Shelduck
Winlaton Mill - 1 Jay
Clara Vale village - 2 Waxwing
Stargate landfill -  2 adult Lesser black backed Gulls and a Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker [Steven Fryer]

Tawny Owl, Woodcock, Dipper, Crossbill and Chiffchaff all new for the year putting the total on 85.

 

A little bit of tittle-tattle from further afield.
While at Saltholme RSPB Reserve at Teesmouth this morning one of the volunteer wardens walked up to us. The usual 'Seen anything?' we asked. 'Only something I couldn't identify' he replied. 'It flew towards you, you didn't see anything?'. 'No didn't see anything unusual, What did it look like?' we asked. 'It was black and white and thrush sized, Oh and it had some red on it'. We not only could not find the bird but even hazard a guess as to what it was. When we gave up he walked off saying 'if I was abroad I would have said it was a Pied Kingfisher'. The mind boggles sometimes.