2nd January and what about this Little Gull?

A few more birds added to the year list  though nobody seems to know about the reported Little Gull at Shibdon which came on the pager at 1:30 pm .  One local observer was standing there at that time but he saw nothing resembling it.

What was seen in the borough today was -

Birtley - 15 Waxwing by the Avenue
Shibdon Pond- Lesser Black-backed Gull
Ravensworth Fell - Little Owl and Red-legged Partridge.
Ryton - 1 Tree-creeper
and 2 Long-eared Owl roosting at one site.

The yearlist now stands at 79 (perhaps more if anyone has seen Fieldfare, Meadow Pipit, Skylark or Linnet this year)?

Also a small bat, probably a Pipistrelle sp. over Tyneside GC, Clara Vale late afternoon

 

23rd December 2012 - Record of the day - Mediterranean Gull

The original Gatesheadhead Birder site (www.gatesheadbirders.co.uk) will be getting phased out over the next couple of months, but don't worry all of our records will continue to get published here (and also on the original site while it is up). The reasons are several including cost, the flexibility of using and updating a blog and it's accessibility. Unfortunately our email account will also be changing. The new one is gatesheadbirder@gmail.com but the burt@gatesheadbirders.co.uk will forward any messages for a while.
So, welcome one and all.

So what was about today in the strong wind.
Birtley Reedbeds- Watching at dawn this morning, the following emerged from roost. 234 Starling, 7 Reed Bunting, 12 Chaffinch, 1 Grey Wagtail, 4 Pied Wagtail and a Bullfinch. Nearly 800 Black-headed Gull flew over as did 1 Common Buzzard, a Sparrowhawk, a Cormorant and 23 Lapwing.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 73 Teal, 72 Curlew, 95 Lapwing, 2 Red-legged Partridge, 1 Grey Heron and a Grey Wagtail.

One of the two Red-legged Partridges at Lamesley

Clara Vale LNR -  Long-tailed Tits, Willow Tit, Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Jay and Kingfisher.

The Kingfisher at Clara Vale [Derek Bilton]

Watergate Park Lake - An adult Mediterranean Gull

The Mediterranean Gull at Watergate [Rob Stonehouse]

A report of an escaped golden eagle in the Derwent valley around the time of the Chopwell White-tailed Eagle sighting last month. The falconer recovered the eagle after it was hit by a car on Fellside. This was maybe the eagle first reported on birdline over Chopwell Woods?