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Sunday 31st August 2008

Clara Vale - Redstart seen again and a Spotted Flycatcher
Shibdon Pond - 2 Kingfisher (adult and juvenile)
Lamesley Water Meadows -1 Green Sandpiper , 24 Greylag Geese, 14+ Snipe
Kibblesworth brickworks pools - Great spotted Woodpecker. 1 juvenile Willow Warbler nearby on the old railway workings.
The Guards - 1 Willow Tit
Burdon Moor - 25 Mallard on largest pond, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Blackbird, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff (singing!), Magpie, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Linnet & Bullfinch.

Saturday 30th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - 2 Green Sandpiper
Lamesley Water Meadows - 2 Grey Heron, 24 Greylag Geese, 25+ Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper & a Kingfisher
Burdon Moor - 1 Wheatear

Friday 29th August 2008

Clara Vale - Female Redstart seen today and a Common Buzzard flew over.
Cowen Road, Blaydon - Chiffchaff calling again
Crawcrook Quarry - Green Sandpiper

Thursday 28th August 2008

Derwenthaugh - Whimbrel still present 06:15hrs
Shibdon Pond - At 1.45 pm about 50 or 60 Swallows flew in from the north and began feeding above the pond within minutes of them arriving. A sparrowhawk then stooped out of the sky and chased one swallow downwards. It all over in a split second, the swallow twisting and turning trying to evade bird of prey before lost out of view as they disappeared behind the trees. Later, presumably the same bird took a young Goldfinch in flight.
Cowen Road, Blaydon - Chiffchaff calling

Wednesday 27th August 2008

Derwenthaugh - 1 Wheatear, 1 Whimbrel, 20+Redshanks , 20+Lapwings 2 Oystercatchers and 7 Mute Swans

The Wheatear at Derwenthaugh [George Simpson]

Tuesday 26th August 2008

Mount Escomb, Beamish - 1 Crossbill and 3 Common Darter, and a flock of 25 Canada Geese flew over nearby.
Ravensworth Fell - 3 Jay,
Lamesley - 1 Grey Heron, 4+ Mallard, 14 Snipe, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Jackdaw & 100+ Goldfinch.
Burdon Moor - 2+ Teal, 2 Mallard, Moorhen, 10+ Swallow, 2+ Meadow Pipit, 1 Whinchat, 1 Wheatear on the footpath, family of Chiffchaff's, 1 Willow Tit, c40 Goldfinch & Linnet.
Shibdon Pond - Kingfisher this afternoon -

Monday 25th August 2008

Westfield Pasture - Spotted Flycatcher seen
Shibdon Pond - 1-2 Gadwall
Kibblesworth Brickworks Pool - 2 Little Grebes and a Spotted Flycatcher
Lamesley Water Meadows - 16 Common Snipe

Sunday 24th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - 4 Gadwall.
River Derwent at Swalwell - 06:30hrs - A Kingfisher seen below Swalwell Bridge flying upstream

Saturday 23rd August 2008

Timber Beach - Great crested Grebe juvenile on river . Also 1 juvenile Shelduck and a Dunlin.
River Tyne at Newburn Bridge - 7-8am - 2 Kingfisher
Axwell Park - Tawny Owl calling in the woods at 21:00hrs.

Friday 22nd August 2008

Birtley - A Stork sp. flew over at 12:30 heading SE

Thursday 21st August 2008

Kibblesworth Brickworks Pool - 8 Grey Partridge, 100+ Mixed Swallow+House Martin

Wednesday 20th August 2008

Thornley Lane -An unconfirmed report of the Black Stork at NZ 172604 in fields to south of public footpath that crosses Thornley Lane from east to west.

Tuesday 19th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - 2 Gadwall
Stargate - 2 Green Sandpiper and Green Woodpecker .

Monday 18th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - Sparrow hawks hunting the reserve, 10 Redshank and 2 Gadwall in front of hide and 2 Swifts feeding above the pond

Sunday 17th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - 2 Gadwall and 15 Shoveler.

Small Copper at Shibdon [George Simpson]

Stella - 3 Common Snipe and 250 Lapwing
Lamesley Water Meadows - Flock of about 120 Goldfinch
Bradley Hall Pond - 1 Red Kite

Saturday 16th August 2008

Kibblesworth Brickworks Pool - A couple of Green Woodpecker seen, as have been frequently the past couple of weeks.
Shibdon Pond - 11 Shoveler.

Friday 15th August 2008

Clara Vale - No sign of the Black Stork today

Kibblesworth brickworks pools - 3 Common Buzzard and 5 Sparrohawks in the area.
Watergate Park - 1 Common Buzzard
Shibdon Pond - A Kingfisher this morning

Thursday 14th August 2008

Clara Vale - Again, the Black Stork present on and off for most of the day, again, from Stannerford Road in the field west of Building Farm or by the village allotments.
East Bradley Fell - Common Buzzard this afternoon

Wednesday 13th August 2008

Clara Vale - The Black Stork present on and off for most of the day, again, from Stannerford Road in the field west of Building Farm
Mouth of Derwent - Pair of Grey Wagtail feeding , 1 Redshank, several Lapwings, 14 Mute Swans and 3 Meadow Brown.
Lamesley Water Meadows - A good count of 60+, mainly juvenile Goldfinches.

60+ Goldfinch at Lamesley [Ray Wilby]

(But one sharp-eyed local has counted 124 in the picture!)

Tuesday 12th August 2008

Clara Vale - The Black Stork present again from 6.50 - 7.10pm, from Stannerford Road. It was in the field west of Building Farm then walked out of sight just north of the farm.
Shibdon Pond -3 Swift

Monday 11th August 2008

Clara Vale - The Black Stork returned from Northumbrland to a field by the allotments mid morning. It moved to several spots in the area until 14:40 when it was seen to fly off to the south-west but was relocated bettween Crawcrook and Clara Vale a couple of hours later until it again flew off, to the south at 18:00hrs. Finally it was seen just NW of Crawcrook at NZ133639 at 20:05 hours when it flew off east. It is now look rather lethagic and is thought to be sick. Also Great Spotted Woodpecker, 10 Swift and a Common Whitethroat seen in the area.
Derwent Walk Country Park - A Dipper also back in one of the usual spots at Hagg Hilll now the river level is back near normal
Swalwell -A Green Woodpecker flying up from riverside and into trees and 3 Kingfishers flew downstream past Swalwell bridge in quick succession. A Dipper also back in one of the usual spots at hag hill now the river level is back near normal.

Black Stork at Clara Vale [Gordon Pollinger]

Kibblesworth brickworks pools - 100 Lapwing and 9 Grey Partridge.

River Tyne at Costco - Brood of Shelduck

Sunday 10th August 2008

Barlow Fell - No sign of the Black Stork today as later it was refound accross the Tyne in Northumberland but 3 Green Sandpipers in one of the flooded fields.
Clara Vale - 3 Crossbills flew over and 2 Swift still present.
Lamesley Church Pool - 2 Common Swift and 9 Pied Wagtail.
Shibdon Pond - 7 Shoveler.

Stella - 2 Dunlin

Saturday 9th August 2008

The Black Stork [Gordon Pollinger]

Barlow Fell - BLACK STORK - present until 14:50 when it flew off NE, by Reekley Mires farm or in field by Barlow Lane, 300 yards south of Greenside. As well as the probable sighting on 31st at Stargate, another report of it over Winlaton on 27th.

Friday 8th August 2008

Barlow Fell - BLACK STORK - presumably the bird from 31st July, in pasture field just north of Reeley Mires farm at NZ 148620 from 18:27 and it went to roost.
Clara Vale - A Common Buzzard was seen flying north over the quarry
Thornley Woods - Jay 5, Magpie 5, Woodpigeon 3, Coal Tits 6, Chaffinches 15+, Robin 4, Gt Tit 4, Bullfinch 2, Wren 2, Pheasant 1, Nuthatch 2, Blackbird 1, Willow Tit 1 Willow Warbler 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2, Sparrowhawk 1, Fox 1.

Thursday 7th August 2008

Clara Vale - Spotted Flycatcher seen
Cowen Road, Blaydon - a female Blackcap seen, first noted on Tuesday)
Far Pasture NR - Kingfisher seen

Grey Heron at Far Pasture [Derek Bilton]

Wednesday 6th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - There seemed a big influx of Coots today

Part of a flock of up to 100 Common Starlings feeding and hiding at Cowen Road, Blaydon [Peter Harvey]

Mass exodus of Swifts with very few left anywhere today

Tuesday 5th August 2008

Derwenthaugh Meadows - 11 Mute Swans on the river

Monday 4th August 2008

Shibdon Pond - 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (1 juvenile), 1Kingfisher ,Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Whitethroats in the reserve.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Green Sandpiper

Saturday 2nd August 2008

Shibdon Pond - 4 Reed Warbler and single Pochard, Shoveler and Wigeon.
Burdon Moor - Juvenile Whinchat seen perched on thistles from the North end of the circular footpath, also 4 Grey Partridge, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Willow Warbler, Goldfinch & Yellowhammer.
Clara Vale LNR - Sedge Warbler seen (first one at this site this year)