165 entries.
Saltholme 21/08
Peregrine on mud flat near Saltholme hide.
Apparently had been stooping before I arrived.
3 immaculate Greenshanks very active.
Ruff and Barnacle Geese. Sand Martins ,swift and swallow.
Also free Jelly beans from Peter the very Knowledgeable hide guide.
Out of area again.
Flock of 30 eclipse Gooseanders on lake Windermere the most I have personally seen together.
Leighton Moss yesterday - I would highly recommend the sky tower . It provides excellent views of the reserve overall. Witnessed 3 Marsh Harriers and a Great Egret in the space of 15 minutes.
Out of area.
Currently in Ambleside. Just had wonderful close up views of a Buzzard being mobbed by three Herring Gulls. I know we can pretty much all see them over our own North East gardens these days . But still fascinating to watch. Takes me back to my early birdwatching days when I could only often see them over this side of the country.
10 Bar Headed Geese on Cow Green Reservoir at 9:30 this morning
Garden tick: a jay just dropped in (19:30, Monday 8th July). NW Billingham.
Coming down Sleddale today (15:20) I saw two kites eyeing up rabbits as I stopped to open the gate by the cattle grid. They drifted slowly on up the valley whilst being hassled by a kestrel.
I have noticed a lot birds flying in and out of holes in the sand dunes at the southern end of the beach at Seaton Carew. Some of the sand dunes had collapsed here in storms earlier in the year leaving a flattish front to the dunes and this is where the holes are. Are these birds sand martins? Hope someone can help as they are fascinating to watch.
Recent Saltholme highlights: The night heron was still around on Friday afternoon, although not highly visible. Others reported seeing a bittern from Haverton viewpoint. On Saturday, a little gull was feeding at Paddy's pool.
Hi Peter. Yes, there have been at least two Egyptian geese in the area for a couple of years now. They seem to spend a lot of time on Cowpen Marsh but are sometimes seen in other locations.
In meadow south of Seaton Carew golf course today I saw two grey geese which had red and black feathers at the rear of their bodies. In my Birds of UK reference book the closest I can identify them with is Egyptian Geese.
Are these rare on Teesside? My book says sightings have happened in South East England south of the Wash.
Sunday afternoon highlights from Saltholme:
I spent a couple of hours at the night heron twitch, where it was mostly playing hard to get, partially visible below and behind a bush at the edge of the reeds. Plenty of little egrets, several grey herons, and some other visitors had a bittern. A kestrel was also hunting in the area. A total of 36 bird species were recorded at Saltholme Pools Hide, including very late pintail, a male goosander, little ringed and ringed plover and peregrine.
Saltholme highlights from this afternoon. The obvious highlight was two temminck's stints near Saltholme Hide, which were sitll present at closing time but sometimes elusive. About 30 other species were seen from Saltholme Hide, including little ringed plover, some early avocet chicks and two very late pintail. Elsewhere, a drake goosander wqas on Paddy's pool, with a presumed escapee red-breasted goose hanging out with 5 barnacle geese on the wet grassland. A single drake garganey was on the flash pool to the south of the meadow, and two sets of great crested grebe chicks were visible from the Haverton viewpoint.
Mid evening walk on Saturday 18th May on the very top of Osmotherly Moor at 18:30 produced excellent, breathtaking views of a male and female Golden Plover with a chick in toe !
Full summer plumage ( northern) worn by male with gold spangled back separated by acute white line above eyes, with black face neck and belly. Female calling to responding chick as male perched sentinel- like on rock.
Rewarded on descent with an unknown raptor going away - dark with angular wings in slow flight, then a Short - Eared Owl.
Non-bird sighting: emergence of dingy skippers at Dormans, at least a dozen along the track between the stone blocks.
Also, several cetti's and sedge warblers, and water rail calling.
Snilesworth area this morning: one cuckoo seen and several heard. Redstarts and green woodpecker heard but not seen.
There has been a Red Throated Diver in full plumage at the Tees Barrage for the last 3 weeks or more. Last saw it around 6pm on Sunday 7th May. Also saw it there a week before. Grasshopper & Willow Warblers heard on the nearby Portrack Marsh Reserve.
Out of Cleveland, there’s good birding now near York at the Wheldrake and Bank Island Nature Reserves - with Hobbies & Red Kites in plain sight. A Garganey, and 2 nesting Common Terns present.
Two Egyptian geese at Sub-station flash again at 6pm today. Also, several black-tailed godwits in breeding plumage.
Whitethroat and Chiffchaff singing on railway line behind Sainsbury's Station Lane.Lovely to hear Swifts calling over head again 🙂
Sunday afternoon highlights from Saltholme:
Warbler numbers are slowly rising, with lots of chiffchaff, several blackcaps, at least one reed warbler (in the Discovery Zone) and a whitethroat or two (one singing along the path to Saltholme Hide). Cetti's warbler was singing by the WWP. 18 avocet, 4 black-tailed godwits, 5 snipe and 2 oystercatcher from the Phil Stead Hide. Several pochard, little grebe, grey heron, little egret and water rail from WWP (marsh harrier seen by others before I arrived). Pintail still present on wet grassland (2) and back Saltholme(1) and 2 goldeneye at Saltholme. Great crested grebes at Paddy's and Saltholme pools. Avocet, oystercatcher, little ringed plover, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, curlew and redshank all observed among at least 40 species seen from Saltholme Hide, plus linnet, white wagtail and others.
a great day out yesterday birding mostly in and through Snarlesworth, redstarts, pied flycatchers, tree pipets, stonechats, green woodpecker, lots of red legged partridges, mistle thrushes, buzzards, meadow pipets and grouse to name but a few...