Teesmouth Bird Club

Over the last couple of days I have noted the following at South Gare: 1x Short-Eared Owl on exposed rocks next to beach (25th, 26th Oct), 1x Merlin (25th, 26th Oct), 1x Whinchat  (25th Oct), 2x Blackcap (25th Oct), 1x Chiffchaff (25th, 26th Oct), 1x Rock Pipit (26th Oct), 2x Black Redstart (26th Oct), 2x Wheatear (26th Oct) and 1x Goldcrest (26th Oct) as well as lots of Robin, Wren, Song Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare and Blackbird. I have also attached a couple of record photographs of one of the Black Redstarts.

I received word back from the BTO today about a ringed Kittiwake (EG24879) I saw at South Gare on the 10th October. "This bird was ringed by Tees Ringing Group as age Nestling, sex Unknown on 08-Jul-2008 at The Headland, Hartlepool, Hartlepool".

South Gare (Today): 40+ Common Scoter, 4x Red-Breasted Merganser (Bran Sands), 2x Red-throated  Diver, 1x Merlin, 1-2x Woodcock (Cabin Rocks), 5+ Short-Eared Owl, 1x Black Redstart (Near Lifeboat Station), 1x Goldcrest (Cabin Rocks), 5x Twite (Beach). I have attached a record shot of today's Black Redstart.

South Gare (Today): 1x Red-Breasted Merganser, 3x Red-throated Diver, 1x Great Crested Grebe, 2x fm Blackcap and 1x Common Chiffchaff.

South Gare (Today): 8x Teal (Blast Furnace Pool), 7x Common Scoter (flew past the Gare End), 1x Grey Plover (Beach), 30-40 Snow Buntings first sighted flying over the beach, continued across the estuary heading towards North Gare. 2x Snow Bunting seen later attempting to land near the Blast Furnace Pools. 1x Merlin made five unsuccessful attempts at trying to catch Starlings whilst I was there, the closest it got was after skilfully flying low across the beach towards the Starling flock, successfully catching one only to lose concentration  and let the Starling go when 1x Peregrine approached to try and steal it's meal. The Starlings tactic of screaming non-stop may well have saved its life.

South Gare (Today): 1x Great Northern Diver and 2x Red-Throated Diver in the estuary, 1x fm Goldeneye in the bay and 1x Merlin in pursuit of a Skylark over the Fishermen's huts. I have also attached some record photographs of today's Great Northern Diver.

Another photograph of the Great Northern Diver

South Gare (Today): 13x Gadwall (blast furnace pool), 5x Wigeon, 1x ml Eider, 1x fm Common Scoter, 1x fm Long-tailed Duck (in bay), Red-Breasted Merganser, 1x ml Pheasant (beach), 3x Red-throated Diver, 1x Great Northern Diver (in bay at 12:30), 2x Guillemot and 1x Stonechat. Also there was an oiled Black-Headed Gull flying around, unfortunate for the gull but may allow its movements to be tracked for the time being.

South Gare (Today): 7x Gadwall (Blast Furnace Pool), 1x Grey Heron (flying along the bay), 1x Guillemot, 1x Rock Pipit and 67x Snow Bunting (First seen on the beach and later drinking at the Blast Furnace Pool).

South Gare (Today): 5x Wigeon (in bay), 1x Common Scoter, 1x fm Goldeneye (in bay), 3+ Red-throated Diver, 1x Grey Plover (beach), 1x Purple Sandpiper (Gare End), 7x Bar-tailed Godwit (beach), 5+ Guillemot (estuary), 1x Razorbill (estuary), 1x Rock Pipit (beach), 2x Stonechat (Cabin Rocks) and 2x Harbour Porpoise (estuary).

South Gare (Today): 2x Shoveler (1ml,1fm on Blast Furnace Pool), 2x male Eider (Estuary), 1x male Red-Breasted Merganser (In Bay), 5+ Red-throated Diver, 3x Purple Sandpiper (Gare End), 2x Stonechat (Beach), 2x Fieldfare (Cabin Rocks), 1x Blackbird (Near Paddy's Hole), 2x Twite (Beach), 60-70 Snow Bunting (Beach) and 3x Harbour Porpoise (Gare End).

South Gare (Today): 2x ml Eider (Gare End), 5+ Red-throated Diver, 3x Purple Sandpiper (Gare End), 1x Iceland Gull (Flew in from the sea, circled the estuary, then landed on the beach), 1x Razorbill, 2x Stonechat (Beach), 1x Twite (Beach), 6+ Reed Bunting (Beach), 60-70 Snow Bunting and 1x Grey Seal Pup (Gare End).

A couple of photographs of the Seal Pup. I think it could smell the sand extraction plant at the end of the Zinc Works Road in the second photo!

South Gare (Today): 45x Pink-Footed Goose (flew over heading towards Hartlepool at 1pm), 1x fm Scaup (Blast Furnace Pool), 6x Red-Throated Diver, 3x Grey Plover (Beach), 14x Skylark (small passage with flocks of 7, 5 and 2 over heading North West), 50+ Snow Bunting (beach) and 4+ Harbour Porpoise.

A couple of photographs of the Harbour Porpoise seen today.