Birds, birds (new for year), mammals etc., insects & flora

Thursday 26th January 2012

Dunston Staithes - 1 Bar-tailed Godwit flew over and 1000+ Golden Plover.
Stella - A 1st winter Glaucous Gull and an adult Yellow-legged Gull reported here
Shibdon Pond - 2 Ruff, 44 Snipe, 8 Shelduck & 1 Tufted Duck.
Watergate - 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 Kingfisher.
Ravensworth Fell - 2 Short-eared Owl and a Kestrel

Wednesday 25th January 2012

Cowen Road, Blaydon - The first Red Kite record for this site, one soaring over the road
Far Pasture NR - at least 5 Goldcrest and 1 Firecrest in the shrubs
Greenside - 1st winter Glaucous Gull
Stella - Presumably the same 1st winter Glaucous Gull as at Grennside (see above) seen here later
Stargate - Pair of Kestrel

Tuesday 24th January 2012

Lamesley - A Short-eared Owl this evening on a fence post on Pennyfine Road and 2 Tawny Owls.
Jackie's Plantation, Greenside - 10+ Brambling with Chaffinches & tit flock.
Shibdon Pond - 2 Ruff, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk & 2 Shelduck. Several Bullfinch & Goldcrest with tit flock by hide.
Watergate - 3 Water Rail showing well as work being carried out around pond. 100+ Siskin with a few Lesser Redpoll.
Ravensworth Fell - A Short-eared Owl and 300+ Golden Plover over south.

Monday 23rd January 2012

Greenside - 10+ Bramblings at Jackie Plantation this morning,

Sunday 22nd January 2012

Far Pasture NR - 1 Firecrest showed well, on and off, for most of the day.
River Tyne at Timber Beach - 1 -Ruff and a Dunlin
Shibdon Pond -1 Ruff
Bradley Hall- 1Wigeon with another
Sled Lane- 8 Wigeon, 2 Common Goldeneye and 4 Tufted Duck
Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, l, Long Tailed & Willow Tits, Yellowhammer, G.S.Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Stock Dove,

Friday 20th January 2012

Team Valley -1 Grey Heron at the Coal House Roundabout,10 foot from edge of road searching through the grass etc

Wednesday 18th January 2012

River Tyne at Costco - A flock of 20+ Mistle Thrush, 6 Redwing and a lone Curlew.

Tuesday 17th January 2012

River Tyne at Ryton to Clara Vale - 12 Goosander, 2 Goldeneye and a small roost of Cormorant. 1 Bank Vole at Clara Vale LNR
Landfill at Stargate - 2 Glaucous Gull, an adult and a 1st winter
Shibdon Pond - 1 Jack Snipe showing very well at lunchtime on the inlet stream. Also 1 Woodcock seen here
Burdon Moor - 12 Grey Partridge, Short-eared Owl, Coal Tit & Willow Tit.
Stella - 1 male Goosander & 1 Little Grebe on river.

Monday 16th January 2012

Far Pasture NR - 1 Firecrest again
River Tyne at Stella -1 Juvenile Glaucous Gull present.
Greenside -10 Brambling

Sunday 15th January 2012

Far Pasture NR - 1 Firecrest plus 11 Red Kite, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Jay, Willow Tit, Great spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll, Sparrowhawk & 3+ Goldcrest.
Blaydon Burn - Grey Heron, 2 Red Kites, Nuthatches and 3 Roe Deer
Stargate - Sparrowhawk
Burdon Moor - 1 Fieldfare
Ravensworth Fell - 1 Short-eared Owl
Ryton - Female sparrowhawk enjoying some fresh wood pigeon in 1 observer's garden

Saturday 14th January 2012

Stargate - pair of Mute Swans and 4 Tufted Ducks
Blaydon Burn - Red Kite, Kestrel, Nuthatches and 2 Treecreepers
Path Head Wood - Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming and Nuthatch
Summerhill - Sparrowhawk and Willow tit
Birtley - 1 garden feeder held a pair of Reed Bunting, 2 Mistle Thrush, 11 Blackbird, 6 Goldfinch, 2 Robin, 9 Chaffinch, 3 Coal Tit, good numbers of Great and Blue Tit, 3 Greenfinch, 6 Jackdaw, 3 collared Dove, 3 Wood Pigeon, 3 Dunnock, 1 House Sparrow and a flock of 12 Long tailed Tit.
Stella - Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Friday 13th January 2012

Shibdon Pond - 1 Jay
Sled Lane - 3 Mute Swans, 19 Wigeon, Tufted Duck and 3 Goldeneye.
Greenside - 1 Brambling
Lamesley - 1 Barn Owl just up hill from Lamesley garden centre.

Thursday 12th January 2012

Clara Vale - 2 Common Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher, Willow tit, 2 Nuthatch and 4 Yellowhammer.
Ryton - 8 Goosander, 45 Curlew over golf course and a Treecreeper.
Far Pasture NR - Goldcrests, Willow Tit, Treecreeper, Jay and Grey Wagtail. Firecrest heard but not seen.
Bradley Fell - 10+ Tree Sparrow
Shibdon Pond - 2 Ruff

Wednesday 11th January 2012

Far Pasture NR - Firecrest seen again
River Tyne at Stella -1st winter Glaucous Gull again on river, then flew down river after been flushed by rowing boats.
Watergate -1 Little Grebe, 8 Tufted Duck and adult Mediterranean Gull
Washingwell Wood - Grey Wagtail plus a flock of c.100 Siskins

Tuesday 10th January 2012

Clara Vale LNR - A Bat sp. flying around in teh unusually mild weather today.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 30 Greylags flew in from the south,but did not land. 9 Teal, 80+ Black-headed Gull, 4 Herring Gulls, 1 Grey Heron, 6 Curlew
At 2.50pm 2 White Fronted Geese, took off from the reeds at the far side and headed north.
River Tyne at Stella - 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull
Chopwell Woods - 1 singing male & 5 female Crossbill by carriages.
Ravensworth Fell - 1 Little Owl, 1 Short-eared Owl and 1 Kestrel.
Shibdon Pond - 2 Ruff, 3 Dunlin, 5 Shelduck, male Sparrowhawk & a summer plumage Black-headed Gull.

Late news for Sunday - FIRECREST trapped at Far Pasture

Monday 9th January 2012

Greenside -1st winter Glaucous Gull in field with other gulls

Sunday 8th January 2012

Ravensworth Fell - Little Owl and Short-eared Owl.
Rowlands Gill - Green Woodpeck in Strathmore Road in the centre of town.
Shibdon Pond - 2 Ruff
River Tyne at Dunston - 6 Goldeneye
Watergate - 1 female Wigeon. 2 Crossbill over from Ravensworth.
Burdon Moor - 2 Tree Sparrow in Yellowhammer & Chaffinch flock.
Sunniside - C150 Geese over heading south east.
Chopwell Woods - 3 Crossbill over car park and 2 near the carriages

Saturday 7th January 2012

Lamesley Water Meadows - Only 2 Grey Lag Geese present. Also 59 Curlew, 4 Teal and 2 Common Buzzard. ! male Goosander flew over. 78 Redwing and 12 Fieldfare by Lamesley Garden Centre
Stargate - Little Grebe, Mute Swans, 4 Tufted Ducks, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk
Blaydon Burn - Red Kite, Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Bullfinches
Path Head Wood - Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch
Lintzford Lane - 7 Red Kite

Friday 6th January 2012

Lamesley Water Meadows - No sign of any White-fronted or Bean Geese todasy until dusk when the White-fronts arrived high from the south
Blaydon Burn - 2 Grey Heron and 17 Curlew
Barlow - Kestrel, Red Kites, 10 Grey Partridge, Willow Tit, a few Tree Sparrows and 1 Yellowhammer
Brockwell - 3 Willow Tit
Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher, 8 Yellow Hammer, 3 Siskin, plus usual species.
Shibdon Pond - 20 Snipe, 150 Lapwing.

Thursday 5th January 2012

Follonsby Lane (Gateshead side) - 2 Waxwing
Barlow Lane - 90+ Pink-footed Geese flew over heading west
Far Pasture NR - Willow Tit showing well in car park.
Lamesley Water Meadows - Bean Goose with White fronts, Greylag & Curlew.
Burdon Moor - Tawny Owl hunting over road by unfinished house at 8pm.

Wednesday 4th January 2012

Lamesley Water Meadows - 7 White-fronted Geese and a Tundra Bean Goose still present, by the stables
Burdon Moor -2 Tree Sparrow with Yellowhammer & Chaffinch flock.
Clara Vale village - 25 (possibly up to 30) Tree Sparrows in a garden these past couple of weeks. Kingfisher showing well on the reserve

Tuesday 3rd January 2012

Lamesley Water Meadows - 7 White-fronted Geese and a Tundra Bean Goosestill present, by the stables
Ravensworth Fell -500 Golden Plover

Monday 2nd January 2012

Lamesley Water Meadows - 7 White-fronted Geese and a Tundra Bean Goosestill present. 2 Tawny Owl hunting. One down to 10 feet sitting on post at 19:00hrs.
Shibdon Pond -2 Ruff
Derwent Walk CP - Several Red Kite and a Kingfisher
Blaydon Burn - 35 Curlews
Path Head Wood - Nuthatch

Sunday 1st January 2012

Lamesley Water Meadows - 7 White-fronted Geese and a Tundra Bean Goose present. Adult Mediterranean Gull (at least 2 adults in the borough at the moment).
Shibdon Pond - 2 Ruff
Burdon Moor - 3 Short-eared Owl
Watergate- 1 Dipper, 2 Water Rail, 1 Pochard & 1 Wigeon.

1 observer saw 78 species in the borough today