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Sunday 31st December

Lamesley Water Meadows - 16 Grey Lag. Willow tit nearby on Pennyfine toad.
Timber beach - 50 Dunlin, 60- Redshank, 200 golden Plover and 200 Lapwing.
River Tyne at Costco - 27 Goldeneye.
Far Pasture NR - Kingfisher, 60 Redwing, 5 Siskin, Willow Tit. 5 Red Kite.

Red Kites at Barlow Fell [Ray Wilby]

Owlett Hill - 2 Dipper and a Kingfisher on the river..
Watergate Park - Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail, 2 Tufted Duck.
Sled Lane pond - 8 (3m) Goosander, 1 Goldeneye, 8 Tufted Duck.
Clara Vale LNR - Sparrowhawk chasing a Kingfisher again!

Saturday 30th December

Sled Lane Pond - 14 Wigeon, 4 Goosanders, 2 drake, 1 female Tufted Duck.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 8 Grey Lag.
Clara Vale - 5 Waxwings this morning but mobile.Kingfisher and Great spotted Woodpecker at the feeding station.
Timber beach - Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Dunlin, 200+ Golden Plover

Friday 29th December

Watergate Park Lake - The adult winter, ringed Mediterranean Gull again on the lake late afternoon.
Hollinhill Lane, Derwent valley - At least 80, possibly 100+ Fieldfare, plus around 60 Redwing, 20 Blackbirds. 53 Mistle thrushes flew overhead, also approx 40 Yellowhammer. Only 2 Red Kite seen in the area early afternoon
Sherburn Towers - up to 25 Red Kite were seen coming in to roost.

Collared Dove at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Thursday 28th December

Gibside - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was sighted at gibside along the "mile" feeding on acorns high up the tree at 15:00
Birtley Sewage Works - 2 Green Sandpiper, a Chiffchaff, 3 Goldcrest, Redshank and Snipe all present.Woodcock 1, Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tit.
Timber beach - 2 Dunlin
Shibdon Pond - 2 Wigeon on the ice. Lesser Redpoll, Redwing and a pair of Wigeon.
Watergate Park Lake - The adult winter, ringed Mediterranean Gull on the lake amongst Black-headed Gulls this afternoon.
Bradley Fell - Tree Sparrow this morning with a flock of c40 Yellowhammer in hedgerows just to south of the old workings . Also 3-4 Jay, numerous Redwing, several Goldcrests, Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard) and 10 Long-tailed Tit. On garden feeders - 2 Willow Tit, 2 Nuthatch, Bullfinch and numerous Chaffinches and Greenfinches.
River Tyne at Costco - Numerous Lapwing, Redshank and Teal, plus 8 Goldeneye and a Cormorant.

Wednesday 27th December

Timber beach - 400 Golden Plover

Tuesday 26th December

Blaydon - 1 Blackcap still in car park of Harford House, Cowen Road.
Ryton Willows - Goldcrest and Long-tailed tits. Nearby on the Tyne - 6 Goldeneye (4male 2 female), Kingfisher, Cormarant, Grey Heron.
Sled Lane Pond - 8 Goosanders (male and female), 2 drake Tufted Duck, 8 Mute Swan (3 adult 5 cygnets), 1 Cormorant, 100 Black-headed Gull.
Clara Vale - No sign of Mandarin Duck or Kingfisher- commoner birds counted were - 3 Robin, 3 Dunnock, 5 Greenfinch, 2 Yellowhammer, 2 Wren, 20 pair of Mallard, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Goldfinch, 4 coot, 2 Moorhen.
Stargate Pond - 3 Mute Swan ( 2 adults 1 cygnet), 5 Coot.
Thornley WC - 20 Chaffinch, 3 Robin, 12 Blue Tit, 16 Great Tit, 12 Coal Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 8 Bullfinch (5m, 3f), 6 Long Tailed Tit.
Costco/Timber Beach - 1 Kestrel, 250 Black-headed Gulls, 200+ Lapwing, 80+ Redshank, 250+ Golden Plover

Wren and Greenfinches at Clara Vale [Steve Gilbert]

Christmas Day

Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Wigeon

Sunday 24th December

Clara Vale LNR - No sign of Manadrin. 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 12 Goldfinch and 35 Chaffinch.

Goldfinch at Clara Vale [Steven Fryer]

Shibdon Pond - 3 Shelduck
Sled Lane pond - 7 Goosander
Birtley Sewage Works - Green Sandpiper on first pool on left.
Axwell Park - Female Blackcap at the feeders.
Blaydon - 3 Blackcap(mff) still in car park of Harford House, Cowen Road and a Bullfinch.

Saturday 23rd December

Clara Vale LNR - Mandarin still present until 10:00.
Watergate Park - Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail seen.
Sled Lane - 4 Wigeon but no Goosander or Goldeneye.
Derwent Walk - Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail.

Drake Mandarin Duck at Sled Lane [Gordon Pollinger]

Friday 22nd December

Clara Vale LNR - The Mandarin has moved back to Clara from Sled Lane pond. Willow Tit trapped here today, the first record for some time. 20+ each of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin.
Sled Lane pond - 8 Goosander, 20 Wigeon, couple of Tufted Ducks and Teal. Also nearby, Goldcrest. Great Spotted Woodpecker and Mistle Thrush.
Barlow Fell - up to 10 Red Kites flying about, plus a Kestrel.The Kites are putting on quite a display at the moment with much calling and even a pair tallon grappling !

Kestrel at Barlow Fell [Ray Wilby]

Far Pasture - Much ice & very little in the log book of late. 2 pr of Mute Swans, singles of Snipe, Jay & Stock Dove. Pair of Bullfinch & Song Thrush. Water Rail calling unseen from LHS. A mixed Siskin / redpoll ssp flock of 31 over. A female Kestrel mobbed by corvids, a female Sparrowhawk circling over valley. One 1 Kite NW over & another south over Gibside monument.
Birtley Sewage Works - Woodcock 1, Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tit.
Derwent valley - 5 Red Kites together flying west low over Highfield at dawn giving excellent views. Also 6 Goosander flying downstream over the Derwent bridge next to the park plus a pair of Dippers, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Long-tailed Tit by the bridge.

A pair of Goosander at Sled Lane pond [Photo Ray Wilby]

Thursday 21st December

Clara Vale LNR - 12 Chaffinches, 20+ Greenfinches, 2 Great spotted Woodpeckers, 2 pairs of Mallards, 4 Goldfinches , 20+ Yellowhammers, and 1 Redwing. .
Derwent valley - 5 Red Kites together flying west low over Highfield at dawn giving excellent views. Also 6 Goosander flying downstream over the Derwent bridge next to the park plus a pair of Dippers, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Long-tailed Tit by the bridge.

Wednesday 20th December

Swalwell bridge to River Tyne - Kingfisher perched in good view, 1 Dipper foraging,
another flew by upstream, 2 Little Grebe and 5 Mallard. Walking downstream past B&Q, 5 Teal, 23 Mallard, 10 Moorhen and a Redshank. A second Kingfisher was perched on the car wreck in the river but flew upstream. Grey wagtail here also and fresh otter tracks in the low tide mud looked like an adult and cub side by side. Riverside trees held Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Long-tailed tit, Redwing and Mistle Thrush among others, and approaching the river mouth a third Kingfisher was observed perched under the footbridge, eventually flying off up the Tyne.
Blaydon - The pair of Blackcap still in car park of Harford House, Cowen Road and today were joined by a Bullfinch.
Sled Lane Pond - Mandarin drake still present.

Robin enjoying lunch at Clara Vale [Photo Ray Wilby]

Tuesday 19th December

Clara Vale LNR- Kingfisher, Stock Dove 2, Song Thrush, usual Tits & finches plus a few of Redwing.
Sled Lane Pond - Mandarin drake, Wigeon 23, Tufted Duck 3, Mallard 36, Mute Swan 9.

Blackbird enjoying tea at Clara Vale [Photo Ray Wilby]

Monday 18th December

Blaydon - At least 1pair of Blackcap still in car park of Harford House, Cowen Road.
River Derwent by Tennis Courts - 1 Water Rail

Water Rail on the Derwent [Steven Fryer]

Hagg Hill Wood private feeding station -Green Woodpecker, 2 Great-spotted Woodpecker, male sparrowhawk, Kestrel, 2 Bullfinch 2 Treecreper 3 Nuthatch, 3 Long-tailed Tits

Sunday 17th December

Derwenthaugh by tennis courts - An Otter was seen here at 10:30.
Clara Vale LNR - 30+ Lesser Redpoll in the main reserve at clara this moring . Mainly feeding in the tops of silver birch. No Mealies unfortunately. A few Fieldfare and Redwing also present. Also, later Blackcap (m) from hide, ,in the woods a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper and a Nuthatch, 3 Fieldfare and 8 Goldeneye flew over.
Sled Lane Pond - 9 Goosander, good number of Wigeon, male Goldeneye.

Drake Goosander and Goldeneye at Sled Lane [Steven Fryer]

Stargate - Green Woodpecker, small flock of Goldcrest.
Barlow Fell - just a single Red Kite, pair of Willow Tits

Red Kite at Barlow Fell [Steven Fryer]

Shibdon Pond - Kingfisher
Lamesley sewage works - Green Sandpiper

Saturday 16th December

River Derwent - Water Rail this morning, on the river just up from the weir making its way upstream.
Clara Vale LNR - 5 Sparrowhawks being chased by crows here. Also Lesser Redpoll, 2 Cormorants flying over, 15 Yellowhammers, 20+ Greenfinches,
15+ Chaffinches and a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Lesser Redpoll at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Sherburn Towers - 6 Red Kites in the field next to the bus stop.

Friday 15th December

Sled Lane Pond - Mute Swan 10 (5 ad 5 juv), Goosander 7 (5m), Wigeon 23, Goldeneye 3 (2m),Tufted Duck 5, Mallard 44, Coot 16, Moorhen 3
.

Sunday 10th December

Lamesley Water Meadows - Grey Wagtail and 22 Curlew. Sparrowhawk and Kestrel more hunting around the floodwater. A flock of 150 Golden Plover flew over.
Shibdon Pond - 7 Shoveler, 30 Redshank and a small tit flock containing Blue, Great, Long-tailed Tit and Tree-creeper.
Timber Beach - 300 Lapwing, 25 Golden Plover and many tracks of Otter on the mud.

Great Black-backed Gull at Timber beach

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

Blaydon - At least 1 Blackcap still in car park of Harford House, Cowen Road..
Sled Lane Pond - 22 Wigeon, 10 Goosander.

Saturday 9th December

Lamesley Water Meadows - No sign of yestersays Ring Ousel
Sled Lane Pond - 18 Wigeon, 8 Goosander.

Friday 8th December

Lamesley Water Meadows - A RING OUSEL was seen in the bush opposite the house with the JCB today

Thursday 7th December

Shibdon Pond - Kingfisher, 2 Goldeneye and a flock of Pink-footed Geese flew over.
Winlaton - Blackbird nest building in a garden shed.

One of the wintering Blackcaps at Blaydon

[Photo: Peter Harvey]

Wednesday 6th December

Bradley Fell - Male Green Woodpecker showing well again today at the old workings, plus Jay, several Redwings, a few Goldfinches, 2 male Bullfinches, numerous Chaffinches, a tribe of Long-tailed Tits and a probable Woodcock. Also 1-2 Willow Tits and Nuthatch on garden feeders, a Lesser Redpoll over and a Grey Squirrel.
Thornley feeding station - This afternoon: many tits and finches as usual included the now regular Marsh tit, a couple of Yellowhammer, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, small flock of Siskin included a single Redpoll. Female Sparrowhawk made a few sorties but seemed to be just passing through rather than looking for a meal. Two Roe Deer were at the edge of the field in the distance.
Clara Vale LNR - No sign of the Kingfisher, but were treated to a slow flypast by a female Sparrowhawk, also there were Great Spotted Woodpecker and the the usual tits (including Willow Tit)

Monday 4th December

NW Gateshead - A w alk in evening produced Barn. Long-eared, Little and Tawny Owls all calling in the very still air.

Barn Owl - This bird however was not the one heard today but was seen just outside the borough [Photo: Steve Gilbert]

Sunday 3rd December

Shibdon Pond - Peregrine flew over flushing everything off pond. Also 2 Shelduck on pond.
Birtley sewage works- 8 Grey Lag and 2 Goldeneye flew over.
Bradley Fell - Male Blackcap in the garden today plus Willow Tit on the garden feeders

Dunnock [Ray Wilby]

Saturday 2nd December

Shibdon Pond - 2 Shelduck and a Water Rail
Lamesley Water Meadows- 8 Grey Lag
Bradley Fell - Male Green Woodpecker at the old workings today plus Kestrel and 1-2 Nuthatches on garden feeders.
Clara Vale LNR - Female Kingfisher present but again attacked by a Sparrowhawk, luckily it escaped. and returned later.

Friday 1st December

Clara Vale - Mandarin here briefly and the Kingfisher still present.
Blaydon - 4 , possibly 5 Blackcap in car park of Harford House, Cowen Road, Blaydon . A pair were here later.