Teesmouth Bird Club

Renton Charman asked on Twitter why trees had been recently felled on the open moorland valley of Sleddale. The custodians of the countryside use this technique to deprive corvids and raptors of vantage points to check for nesting behaviour , grouse in this case. ( At Saltholme tall bushes have been removed over the years to assist waders' nest protection from corvids).
Conversation with my NYMNP contact, revealed that no felling licence had been sought from the F C , but then one was not required if the volume of felled timber did not exceed 5 m cubed in a 3 month period. Felling of some trees had been seen and photographed several months ago there, too. It is thus fairly obvious how the system can be manipulated, to further denude extraneous vegetation from the local grouse farms. At the very least these trees were significant in the context of landscape.
Ali McLee   4/11/21

Hartlepool Borough is soon starting to install notices and protective measures again this year at the site, following 2019 successfull breeding. Information is required from the club about sightings of the birds showing interest in the area, and I have arranged to forward this to the appropriate person handling the exercise this year, now Graham Megson is no longer in post.
Given the constraints of public movements, the club is asking those who are birding in the area to update me on their observations eg. birds seen off shore, flying over / settling on the ground, courtship behaviour etc. Remember the area may not be exactly the same as last year.
Thanks Ali McLee     
alandcarol3@gmail.com
01642 787305

TVNP is seeking 2 volunteers to participate in setting up a small grants programme for nature and environment projects in our area. For further details see
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgxwGBmtvlldDVXjKxqjvqwchHNfp

VANGUARD alta+  264AO £35

I am sorry Renton, I do not understand your question.
Ali McLee

https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+marine+turtle+tracks&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB820GB820&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=vqlw3u6XY2dChM%253A%252CpkQTm8DjxB-wIM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kSIpdZ74V0K89vQrKXmehbCCYLLNw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwirqdrI0pHhAhUBShUIHWKiAhEQ9QEwAHoECAkQBA#imgrc=vqlw3u6XY2dChM:

Google  "marine turtle tracks pictures" and see some other examples for comparison
Any turtle this far north at this time of the year is going to be found virtually moribund on the strand with no energy to crawl up a beach.

Further to Keith's comments, I was speaking to a yellow vested contractor on the site and he additionally remarked that the excavation of the ephemeral lagoons ( compensation for the loss of fresh water pools on Cowpen), had also been completed.
These are on SABIC land, not open for public access, and are adjacent to the brine reservoirs.

Durham Planning committee refused the application for an aquatic centre, caravan pitches and chalets.
11 against; o in favour and 1 abstention.
However the applicant may appeal after all what else did they buy the site for?

The club is delighted to see that the immediate environs of the pool which surrounds the breeding island, has been fenced off by SABIC. In an earlier year the cattle had invaded the island, for no obvious reason, and had inevitably trampled nests and caused desertion of others. Corvid predation soon followed. Hopefully the now ungrazed c grass will give more cover to young when they quit the safety of the island to feed at the edges of the pool. We must see in the season of 2019.

Saltholme has asked if the swans had actually flown in and landed on the road. Has anyone ever seen such an event in passed years?
One would think that a swan, having gone to all the effort to become aloft, with the intent of reaching either pool, would jolly well land directly in the pool of choice. It is my opinion that the new improved visibility across the road is encouraging the pedestrian  method.
As for holes in the fence, lets just resolve this before we get started on otters and ducklings which are obliged to walk across.

Today's post, from Keith Ryan, on twitter on this topic has been forwarded to the project manager at Stockton B C and Chris Francis at Saltholme.
The immediate message was to finish the fence webbing asap . However, the now more open aspect across the 2 pools may still encourage avian, pedestrians and more thought needs to be applied if accidents to all parties are to be prevented.
Ali McLee

The club has already informed the project manager of Stockton borough responsible for this ECP section of the path, and Chris Francis of Saltholme. Once the ownership and responsibilities have been allocated the club has been assured that actions will be taken.

I echo Graham Megson's praise and thanks to Graeme and Tom for their hard work over many years. Also I wish Harry and Chris all the best when they take over the reins in January.
Ali McLee

The club has been informed that work will soon start on Phase 3 which is the boardwalk on the east side of the main road ( A178), at Saltholme East Lake. Start date is scheduled for 2nd July and finishing 31 August, before the wintering species start to return. Note that none of the other 3 sectors are presently open.

When I went today to nest check one of my Tree Sparrow colonies on private land, I was staggered to find 5 of the boxes had been removed. They had not simply been trashed and cast aside, but had been carefully levered of the trees. This would require a ladder and some strength and determination. The boxes were unlovely objects, but highly functional, so I doubt if they will appear on Stockton market, a car boot sale or ebay. So, as they have no monetary value, I am forced to conclude that the thief wanted them for his / her own enjoyment of having nesting birds in the garden , or such place.
The logic and motivation leaves me baffled!