A big Gos today

Clara Vale - Female Goshwak over today
Greenside - 12 Small Tortoiseshell and 3 Peacock plus a pair of Tree Sparrow  prospecting suitable nesting sites. Also 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler and 2 Blackcap
Saltwell - Sparrowhawk took a immature Blackbird.
Derwent Walk Country Park - at least 7 Blackcaps singing between Clockburn Lake & Nine Arches Viaduct.
Cowen Road, Blaydon - 1 Blackcap
Hagghill - Blackcap and Willow Warbler in one garden today

Jay and Blackcap at Hagghill [Steven Fryer]

Ryton -  3 Siskin and a singing Chiffchaff in one garden.

Overnight - Greenside- moth trap
0663  Diurnea fagella  1
2187  Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi)  2
2190  Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica)  9

Roe Deer at Dunston [Revd David Atkinson]

Scarred Deer

West Kyo - 7 Wheatear, pair of Grey Partridge, pair of curlew and 3 Skylark
Derwent Walk CP -  Two female roe deer and further along one buck. One of the female roe deer appeared to have old scars around her neck! The buck was lame when walking with looked like a bite to his rear leg!. The observer asked is there a problem with poaching around here or could be a dog attack? 15 Sand Martin here yesterday evening

Roe Deer - note scars on bbth animals [William Cowings]

Watergate - 1 Black necked grebe, 2 Little grebe - summer plumage, 1 Swallow and Willow Warbler
Burdon Moor - Skylarks - several and in full voice, 10 Curlew, 2 Grey partridge, 1 Kestrel, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow warblers, Lapwing and Red Kites


Late News:
Bensham - A flock of 20 Waxwing spent 3 days around 7th April in the area.
Rowlands Gill - 1 Blackcap in a garden in March for several days.

Bits and pieces on 13th April

Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Wigeon and 2 Gadwall

Birtley reedbeds - Single Swallow and Sand Martin,

Hagghill Woods - 3 Roe Deer visited one observers' garden today (buck and 2 does).

One of the Roe Deer [Steven Fryer]

River Tyne at Ryton - 17 Goosander

Westfield Pasture - The second butterfly species of the year - a Speckled Wood. 3 Woodcock, 3 singing Chiffchaff plus Scarlet Elf Cap fungi and flowering Woodruff and Moschatel.

West Kyo - 4 Wheatear, pair of Grey Partridge and 2 Chiffchaff

Shibdon Pond - Common Toad and Lesser Celandine in flower

Lesser Celandine, Common Toad and a Millipede, probably Tachypodoiulus niger  

Yesterday

Clara Vale - A pair of  Mallard have hatched 15 ducklings today. Hopefully not just hors d'oeuvres for the local cats. at least two pairs of tree sparrows in the Reserve. Two chiffchaffs singing yesterday. No sign of them today.

A Long-eared Owl has been seen twice in suitable breeding territory in the last few days in the west of the borough.

First Doctor's Duck of the year

Lamesley Water Meadows - Pair of Gadwall on Horse World pool.

Thornley Woodland  - From the hide this morning 2 male Roe Deer moved through, one with, 1 without velvet on the antlers. Also 9 Pheasant and many Grey Squirrel

Buck Roe Deer at Thornley [Bill Cowings]

Shibdon Pond - Whooper Swan still present but looking a bit poorly today. 2 Red Kites over , 2 Oyster-catchers on the island plus 15 Shedduck and a Greylag
Derwenthaugh meadows - well flooded now and 50+ Curlew, plus several Pied Wagtail and Redwing.

Pied Wagtail at Derwenthaugh [George Simpson]

Kibblesworth Grange - 3 Tufted Duck and 1 Oyster-catcher.
Burdon Moor - 20 Golden Plover

Yesterday at Far Pasture

Far Pasture NR - 4 Common Buzzards calling & circling overhead and pair of Red Kite seen mating in trees adjoining timber yard on access road.  1 Roe Deer in field opposite timber yard & Kingfisher flew over road towards river.

Buzzard and Roes Deer at Far Pastyure [Derek Nilton]

A couple of raptors showed well

Clara Vale LNR - Virtually all the usual suspects plus Great-spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk & Yellowhammer in main reserve.
Thornley Woodland Centre - 2 Sparrowhawk & Common Buzzard overhead, plus 2 Roe Deer, Red Kites  Jay,  Great-spotted Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Nuthatch and surprisingly not that many Grey Squirrel.

Sparrowhawk and Buzzard showed well today [Derek Bilton]

New Year's Day

The lists were off to a below average start  by the sounds of things  with a grand total of 71 species reported by end of play).

The best birds so far reported seems to be -

Watergate Park - 2 Water Rail, 1 Green Woodpecker and 20 Lesser Redpoll.
Pennyfine Road - 1 Little Owl.
Sled Lane Pond -  1 Water Rail, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 17 Wigeon, 1 Goldeneye and 6 Tufted Duck
Bradley Fell - 15+ Tree Sparrow
Far Pasture NR - Willow Tit, Red Kite, Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, Snipe and 5 Long Tailed Tit .
Swalwell Cricket Club - 1 Common Buzzard
Shibdon Pond- 1 Kingfisher
Low Greenside - Brambling on garden feeders. Also 1-2 Willow Tit and 5+ Bullfinch.

A few sightings of Roe Deer in the Derwent valley area were also reported.

Derwenthaugh meadows - 50 + Curlew , 20 Teal , 6 Grey Herons , 5 Snipe  1 Kestrel  with Lapwing, Redshank  and Dunlin on the adjacent Tyne muddy banks.

Derwenthaugh Meadows

Plants in flower today - Gorse, Common Mullein, White Deadnettle, Annual Meadow-grass and Hogweed

Common Mullien