Teesmouth Bird Club

Worth having a good read of this before you submit any bird news over the next few months....
http://www.rbbp.org.uk/downloads/rbbp_guidelines_reporting_R_B_Birds_to_BIS.pdf

Hello TBC 

Some friends of mine are walking from RSPB Lakenheath to Saltholme in 13 days, starting on March 29th. We will be hosting them down here at RSPB Frampton on the 31st but was wondering if you could show off your local hospitatlity by offering a garden/field/bed for them when they're in your neck of the woods. They will be in/around Whitby on the evening the 8th, Saltburn on the 9th and Saltholme on the 10th of April. If you can or know of anyone that might be able to put them up, please get in touch with Jonny Rankin at jonnyrankin@hotmail.com

If you want to know more about the cause and walk then have a look here http://dovestep.wordpress.com/

Thank you very much guys and hope you're all well

T

Hello TBC members Long time no see, hope everyone's well.

Had a call from a friend of mine on the other side of the river who had some numpties clambering into trees looking into Barn Owl boxes some time last week. Unbelievable! I know it's ridiculously early to say this and no doubt the whole 'Schedule 1' card will get repeatedly flogged once again but it as against the law to disturb birds on this list at the nest so please tell all your birding friends not to be tempted as they would be breaking the law.

You can also go one step further...

The Birders Against Wildlife Crime pages on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/BAWCUK?fref=ts and Twitter https://twitter.com/birdersagainst will give you more details but we are trying to promote 'The Three R's - Recognise (know what the crime is), Record (take photos/videos/car number plates), Report (pass the correct details onto the correct authorities)'. Follow us to learn more and make a difference.

The Tees Ringing Group will keep tabs on nests and productivity so we'll review their location at the end of the season. The rafts aren't fixed in place so can be moved and will be if not effective. Just want them to get sitting now rather than micro manage. We've also replaced the single raft in Holme Fleet and again if that doesn't work our we will look to relocate that too.

Sorry to drag this up again for those thinking they'd seen the back of it but needs must I'm afraid. Have had a couple of reports of 'nature enthusiasts' not following the TBC code of conduct - http://www.teesmouthbc.com/Main/VolGuide.aspx  and ignoring all three guidelines at two different sites in the last couple of days.

The Nightingale is back at Cowpen Bewley and reports have come back of tape luring as well as strying off paths and into the vegetation to look for it. The wardens have a hard enough job there with the council cuts and reduced man power without having to police the area for reckless and irresponsible behaviour from those that should know better. Nightingales are by their nature a very skulking species and also not much to look at so why anyone would go to such lengths to see one and risk disturbing a potential breeder at the northern limit of its range is beyond me  Nightingales have declined by 91% in the last 40 years and a fascinating research project was done a few years ago to study their movements - http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u27/downloads/bw-nightingales.pdf  If it's the same bird as the last two years then there's a good chance this bird has flown a minimum of 25 THOUSAND MILES!! I don't think it has gone to all this trouble just for someone to get a good view or play a tape for it. If you have time, go and listen for it and enjoy it for what it is, a fantastic vocalist.

The second incident is the accessing and viewing of the Great White Egret on Cowpen Marsh. This bird has shown perfectly well, though distantly, from the easily accessible gate at the triangle turn off. The gate isn't hard to see as it is red and has a 'No access to unauthorised personnel' sign next to it. We are managing the marsh to try and encourage breeding waders back onto the site after many years of neglect, overgrazing and drainage and already we have seen an increase in both Lapwing and Redshank in the last two years as well as a doubling of Yellow Wagtail pairs. By walking across Cowpen you are potentially disturbing these species while actively disturbing the Egret as the bird was flushed. Fortunately it didn't fly very far but could just as easily have lifted and left the area completely. Once again no consideration was given to the welfare of the bird, the habitat, or the experience of others who may have wanted to see it.
 
As a few of you may know I won't be around for much longer as I've taken up the warden's post at the RSPB's Lincolnshire Wash Reserves (Frampton Marsh and Freiston Shore) so you won't have to put up with me for much longer 

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank the Teesmouth Bird Club and all its members for being so welcoming and hospitable towards both the reserve and myself over the last four and a half years. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and it will be a shame to leave you all but I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead, though I don't think they will be anywhere near as tricky as trying to convince Messrs Grieveson and Dunnet that we know how to manage our habitats....

Thank you again and hopefully see you down in Lincolnshire soon

T

We're chasing TVWT as best we can Jamie. Unfortunately the original supplier of the materials had gone out of business so that delayed us by a week and I was hoping to go out to over see the installation today but got a call this morning and one of their team members is unavailable so they couldn't make it. We've been told they'll be done by the end of next week. We are pressing as best we can and I'm sure TVWT are doing their best to as they are aware of the time scale and need to get the rafts in asap.

Plans were to get them in by this week or next so still on target. Problem with the last ones were they were a bad weather day away from breaking up. They literally disintergrated when they were removed. Leaving them there was a risk not only for the terns but any other species, especially those that nest early like Coot, Moorhen and Canada Goose, that chose to use them. If something had nested on them then we woudln't have been able to remove them meaning we would have had to move them further along the creek and therefore further from a suitable viewing point in the triangle. The combination of late reply from National Grid and workload of the TVWT meant that this was the earliest window available to order, manufacture and install the rafts.

We have just put a raft of our own in front of the Visitor Centre with another coming next week so be good to see how productive they are.

Hi Jamie,

The rafts were in very poor condition and there were concerns that they may break up being hazardous to anything nesting on them as well as the wider habitat. As apart of the National Grid works these are being replaced with brand new ones. Tees Valley Wildlife Trust are constructing them as we speak and they are scheduled to be in place for this years breeding season. We will also be getting some on the reserve and if succesful will look to get more over the coming years.

Not sure if it's a good or bad idea dragging this up (apologies if it's bad) as we already have a feeding station set up at Coatham but was Tilery Wood considered? Having read Ian's reports recently and was there with my old man this morning, it has incredible potential. How many places locally can we get Marsh and Willow Tit together? Do Crossbills use feeders (we know Two-barred's that visit our neighbours in Yorkshire do)? Even if they don't they are still in the area and with all the Siskin's there, I'm assuming Redpolls frequent the area too? Outside chance of Brambling as well? We could look into having it off the beaten track to avoid pinching/vandalism (round the back of the Forestry hut for instance). I know Ian mentioned he feeds up and the bird tables had some food on but do Siskins, Redpolls and the woddpeckers use that?

Just wondering if it's worth a thought.

I know a few people didn't get chance to see the Scandinavian Rock Pipit down at Saltholme but fortunately Garry Harrer got a cracking picture of it. I've not seen littoralis before and never got good enough views when I found it on Wednesday to lean on one side of the water/scandy rock id or the other. Pale legs and paler upper wing bar suggest Water Pipit but flank streaking is too heavy. Reading up it does seem that littoralis can have pale legs and a paler upper wing bar, but further reading also shows they can be pretty tricky to seperate. Please share any thoughts on this bird as well as any id features that would help us tell one from the other if we're lucky enough to find one in the field, I know i could do with learning more. I'm on my phone so can't attach the picture but here's a link to it http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-01-24-67/0652.555545_5F00_10151341233525334_5F00_1537494239_5F00_n.jpg

Hi Davie, A lot of the early sightings we've posted recently have been seen while we're doing surveys and we just want everyone to knwo what's about and what to look for. Reserve staff are on site from 8 (or earlier if surveying/during lambing season) to open up the reserve, do our morning safety checks, feed the sheep, fill the bird feeders, check livestock, update the sightings boards, get kit ready for work party, and make sure the hides are spic and span. 70% of the reserve can be seen from publicly accessible areas outside of our opening hours anyway. The reasons for leaving the reserve open late that I mentioned below are the same as not opening the reserve up early.

There have been calls for us to open late several times and during the Hartlepool tall ships event we stayed open for 4 nights over a weekend till 8pm. In those 12 extra hours we only had a total of 100 extra people coming on to the reserve. Both Dave Nelson and Peter Simcock opened up Saltholme Pools Hide early over several weeks two years ago and there were few if any takers (Dave or Peter may be able to explain more) so we have tried to accomodate wishes for early and late closing but they haven't been very well recieved. The points I've posted below in terms of late opening could also be applied to early openings. If this is something you'd be interested in doing with a friend Davie, get in touch and we can see if it could work.

Unfortunately Jamie that would pose too much of a security risk. We would have no idea who's coming or going so if any damage was done/any accidents happened we wouldn't know about it or how it was done and also Sembcorp wouldn't be able to keep track of who should or shouldn't be there. Luckily for Leighton and some of the other more rural reserves they don't have the naughty neighbours we do and can offer that all hours service. Unfortunately for us it does pose a big risk that we can't afford to take. Hope you understand.

Hi Jamie,

I have printed out some more of the causeway access forms so will happily re-issue those in return for your old ones.

As far as I know, we are happy for any birders to come onto the reserve after hours as long as the following criteria are met....

1. There must be a designated key holder pairing. For health and safety reasons we can't allow just one person to have a key to lock and unlock the main gate and Saltholme Pools Hide.

2. Access will be from 6pm and to Saltholme Pools Hide only. Park in the lower car park bay (after remembering to close the front entrance gate behind you) and access the hide along the path to Saltholme Hide via the service track that runs round the back of the playground.

3. The key holder pairing(s) will be given access to the RSPB Saltholme announcements page where they will post the date and time they will be on site to open the hide. This needs to be done at least a day in advance so we can let Sembcorp know when they are doing their security checks.

4. When the key holders are on site, the front gate will remain closed, but not locked. This will prevent passers by from popping in and by keeping the news on the TBC page, it means access will be exclusively to club members.

5. There is a signing in and out book in the Hide, please fill this in with the key holders details and all visitors and bird sightings.

6. It will be the key holders responsibility to ensure all visitors are off site and the car park is empty. The two keyholders will be the last off site. It may be best to state and end time as well as an opening time when you let members know the hide will be open.

7. While we are only opening Saltholme Hide, Bottom Tank and Fire Station Field will also be viewable. Please make sure these areas are checked before the key holders leave.

8. If a rare/scarce bird is found that can only be seen on the reserve, please make sure I am the first point of contact so we can organise suitable staffing and access. More information here >> http://www.teesmouthbc.com/forumtbc/index.php?topic=2875.0

Hope that makes sense. Please feel free to comment back on here, send me an e-mail or give me a call if you want any more information.

Toby

I see at least 1 young crow a year exhibiting these or similar features Eddie. Now you know what to look for look at groups of crows at the end of summer and in Autumn and I'm sure you'll see more. As to why, Mr Sibley may be able to offer an explanation.....

http://www.sibleyguides.com/2011/08/abnormal-coloration-in-birds-melanin-reduction/

A friend of mine is looking to do a video project on foxes for their university course. Does anyone in the Stockton/Norton/Billingham/Seaton/Hartlepool area know of any dead cert fox territories and haunts?