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 April 2008 |
A Pipistrelle Bat was seen on 2nd at East Bradley Fell, a Common Toad and a Stoat noted near Burdon Moor on 3rd and a Red Fox at Thornley WC on 4th . A Wood Mouse was noted at Ryton on 9th. On 13th at Far Pasture, an adult Otter seen briefly but its cub seen well not in the main pond but in the
pools on the right as you drive to the car park. It was eating frogs, and appeared to have a cataract.
[Shaun Mcdonagh]
The same weekend also produced Brown Hare and Roe Deer at Kibblesworth and Badger tracks at Clara Vale. A Common Seal was under the Tyne Bridge on 20th when a Grey Squirrel and several Pipistrelle Bats were seen at East Bradley Fell. The 24th produced Common Toad & Hedgehog the latter drowned in the pond. Brown Hares were noted almost daily Burdon Moor towards the end of the month.
The Wood Mouse at Ryton [Paul Davidson] |
March 2008 |
A Red Fox was seen on several occasions at Far Pasture during the month.
Red Fox at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]
A Pipistrelle Bat was seen on 14th at Far Pasture at dusk and 3 Brown Hares were watched 'boxing' at Burdon Moor on 15th. A Stoat was seen at Shibdon on 23rd and a Weasel on Ravensworth Fell on 25th. A Red Fox at Clara Vale LNR on 28th showed very well. A Badger entered the Komatsu factory at Birtley on 25th and was chased out again by nightshift workers.
Roe Deer at Thornley [Joanne Reavey]
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FEBRUARY 2008 |
A Badger was well seen at first light feeding on a public footpath on 2nd . Rabbit, Brown Rat and Grey Squirrel noted at at a number of sites throughout the month. On 16th Brown Hare were seen at Burdon Moor and on 17th Roe Deer and Weasel were at Far Pasture and the and the Common Seal was again seen at Timber beach. A Stoat was seen at Watergate on 18th. A Red Fox was watched sunning itself at the back of the pond, from the hide at Shibdon on 19th. 2 Red Fox were at Thornley feeding station on 20th. From Gibside Woods can an unconfirmed report of Red Squirrel again on 21st. Brown Hares continue to be seen regularly on Ravensworth Fell
The first Frog spawn of the year was noted at Watergate Park on 10th
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JANUARY 2008 |
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Otter at Far Pasture in mid April [Shaun Mcdonagh]
Red Fox at Clara Vale
[Venetia Parkins]
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Weasel at Far Pasture on the ice
l [Derek Bilton] |
Rabbit at Clara Vale LNRl
[Jim Duncan] |
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Red Fox at Clara Vale LNR [Jim Duncan] |
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Roe Deer at Thornley [Joanne Reavey]
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Rabbit and Grey Squirrel noted at Thornley on 1st when Red Foxes were by the hides at both Shibdon Pond and Clara Vale LNR. The next day both Roe Deer and Brown Hare were noted at Lamesley. An Otter and 2 cubs noted on the river Derwent near Rowlands Gill on 3rd and another one under the road bridge at Swalwell next day. Roe Deer were at Burdon Moor on 5th and the Common Seal was again seen at Timber beach oin the 6th when a Grey Squirrel was noted at Bradley Fell in Jacky's Plantation. Roe Deer were noted at Gibside on 6th & 23rd, Far Pasture on 13th and Thornley Woods the same day.
Roe Deer at Thornley [Carole Jeffrey] and below at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]
On the 13th excellent views were had of a single Red Squirrel moving through the canopy quite near to the Octagon at Gibside, Grey Squirrels and Brown Rats showed well on many days at the back end of the month. At Gibside, the strangest sight of the day on 23rd was was when the observer leaning on a farm gate, felt a thud on the gate and looked down to see a panicky Rabbit pass under it, followed by a bedraggled looking Stoat. A typical zig-zag chase ensued but it was more like a slow trot rather than the usual super fast show of sleek efficient predator and running on fear prey. In fact, the stoat especially, looked
knackered. They came back through the fence and headed away up the road, the uphill part seemed too much for the stoat and it stopped, then so did the rabbit just a matter of feet ahead of it. Then the
stoat began to run again but the rabbit ran off quickly from a standing start and the stoat gave up, slinking off into the undergrowth after a couple of indecisive 'should I or shouldn't I' moves. A very strange scene, they either must have been running for miles and were knackered or the stoat
was a bit under the weather and the rabbit was just taking the p**s.
Whatever, it made his day.
Brown Rat at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby] |
