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New Year's Eve 2009

Clara Vale -6 Tree Sparrow
Westfield Pasture - Tawny Owl and Woodcock at dusk
Sled Lane Pond - Drake Shoveler on the frozen pond.

Wednesday 30th December 2009

Thornley WC - A female Sparrowhawk was watched to catch a Blackbird and then drag it to the pond and drown it.

Female Sparrowhawk drowning Blackbird at Thornley The top image number shows her in the undergrowth on the edge of the pond with a Blackbird. In the image, above she has dragged the blackbird down to the waters edge to drown it.   [David Wilson]

Tuesday 29th December 2009

Clara Vale - 3 Tree Sparrow and a Willow Tit again in one of the gardens in the village.

Sunday 27th December 2009

Shibdon Pond- 2 Water Rail, 1 Sparrowhawk and a Tree-creeper
Watergate - 1 Water Rail and a Green Woodpecker this morning
Clara Vale - Barn Owl calling last night.
Summerhill Meadows - 6 Curlews

Redwing [Gary Storey]

Saturday 26th December 2009

Shibdon Pond- 2 Water Rail, 1 Tree-creeper and 100 Siskin also seen.
River Derwent at Swalwell - Little Grebe, several Dipper and a Goosander.
Blaydon Burn - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dipper, Nuthatch and Treecreeper.
Stargate - 2 Mute Swan, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker and 2 Roe Deer.
Path Head Quarry - Mixed finch flock feeding in alders comprising of mainly Goldfinches with several Lesser Redpoll and a few Siskin.
Summerhill Meadows - 6 Curlews.

Christmas Day 2009

Redwings Many sought food in gardens during the snow and ice over Christmas [Anne Briggs]

Clara Vale - 4 Tree Sparrow and a Wilow Tit in one observer's garden.
Rowlands Gill - 30 Redwing and a Red Kite
Blaydon Burn - Tawny Owl observed plus 10 Fieldfares and 2 Willow Tit.
Summerhill Meadows - 10 Curlew

Christmas Eve 2009

Team Valley- A flock of 10 - 15 Fieldfare feeding in the trees on Eleventh Avenue beside Jedburgh Court
Birtley - 1 Red Kite over the Front Street

Wednesday 23rd December 2009

Winlaton Mill - A male Blackcap and a Brambling
Lamesley sewage works - Male Stonechat

Stonechat at Birtley This male was at the sewage works at Birtley, the same day another turned up in a garden at North Dene by the A1 [Will Cook]

Burdon Moor - Woodcock stood in middle of road at 7.30am.
Birtley - A Stonechat in a garden at North Dene

Tuesday 22nd December 2009

Derwent Walk - A Peregrine flew over and a flock of 50-60 Siskins behind the woodland centre.
Ryton - 1 Woodcock flew over
Cowen road, Blaydon - 3 Redwing and a male Bullfinch
Shibdon Pond - 2 Common Snipe

Monday 21st December 2009

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Clara Vale LNR - 21 different species from the hide including Kingfisher 1, Yellowhammers 3, Chaffinches 8, Long Tailed Tits 10, Dunnocks 8, Robin 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Tit 1, Gt Tit 7, Blue Tit 3, Coal Tit 7, Bullfinch 1, Siskin 1, Blackbird 3, Magpie 2, Moorhen 1, Pheasant 5, Cormorant 1 ( flew Past), Woodpigeon 3, Sparrowhawk 1, Wren 1.

Willow Tit at Clara Vale [Joanne Reavey]

Ryton - Barn Owl heard calling and a Red Fox was watching hunting voles in the snow

Dunnock at Clara Vale [Joanne Reavey]

Sunday 20th December 2009

Clara Vale - A large flock of Pink-footed Geese heard to fly over (these birds were also heard over Newcastle at Throckley)

Goldfinches at Clara Vale [David Wilson]

Saturday 19th December 2009

Clara Vale - 3 Tree Sparrow in one of the gardens. Moorhen, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Wren, Dunnock, G.S Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Kingfisher, Robin & Magpie on the reserve

Great Tit at Clara Vale [Joanne Reavey]

Thornley Woodland Centre - Yellowhammer, Robin, Nuthatch, G. S Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Pheasants, Jay, Dunnock, Blue Tit, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wren, Yellowhammer and a fantastic view of a Buzzard which swooped through the reserve and headed out towards the back left hand side.
Lamesley Water Meadows - - Common Snipe, Moorhen, BH Gull, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing, Woodpigeon, Lapwing & Carrion Crow

Male Bullfinch at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Tuesday 15th December 2009

Derwent Walk - 2 flocks of mixed finches on totaling 100 + - Lesser Redpolls, Goldfinches and Siskins with the odd Tit and a Nuthatch among them.

Siskin at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Monday 14th December 2009

Near Winlaton - Female Stonechat in fields between Clavering House and Winlaton.

Sunday 13th December 2009

Timber Beach - 6 Dunlin and 300 Golden Plover
Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Kingfisher, 1 Sparrowhawk, 3 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing and 20 Teal
Birtley reedbeds - 2 Kestrel, 2 Sparrowhawk, 1 Mute Swan, 60 Teal.
Stella - 300 Herring Gull including 6 of the Scandinavian race
Clara Vale LNR - 1 Kingfisher (On permanent view for 1 hour) , Siskin, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow Tit Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Jackdaw, Pheasant, Dunnock, Wren, Moorhen, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Robin, Magpie and Yellowhammer.

Kingfishers at Clara Vale David Wilson (top),Michael Eccles(middle) and Ray Wilby (bottom)

Thornley feeding station - Siskin, Kestrel and SparrowhawkI
Shibdon Pond - 1 Kingfisher

Saturday 12th December 2009

Great Spotted Woodpecker [Ray Wilby]

The Angel, Low Fell - Great spotted Woodpecker
Stargate - 1 Green Woodpecker and 3 Goosander

Friday 11th December 2009

Cowen Road, Blaydon - 1 male Bullfinch
Clara Vale - 6 Tree Sparrow in one of the gardens today, highest count at this site for several years.

Tree Sparrows at Clara Vale [Gordon Pollinger]

Sled Lane Pond 30 Wigeon, 6 Goosander, 1 Shoveller, 4 Tufted Duck, 1 Little Grebe, 2 Goldeneye with a Green Woodpecker calling nearby.

Goosander and Wigeon at Sled Lane [Ray Wilby]

Birtley - Tawny Owl calling

Thursday 10th December 2009

River Derwent - 1 female Goosander

Goosander on the Derwent [Christopher Brackley]

Beacon Lough - Male Brambling

Male Brambling at Beacon Lough [Christopher Brackley]

Wednesday 9th December 2009

Sled Lane Pond - Goosander 10, Wigeon 20+, BH Gull 40+ , Mute Swan 4 , Little Grebe 1, Cormorant 1, Mallard 20+, Tufted Duck 5, Grey Heron 1, Kestrel 1.
Clara Vale LNR - Moorhen 2, Robin 2, Blue Tit 4, Great Tit 6, Coal Tit 5, Dunnock 2, Blackbird 2, Kingfisher 1, Sparrowhawk 2, Wren 2, Jackdaw 2, Woodcock 1 (flushed from bushes in carpark) and a Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail at Clara Vale [Michael Eccles]

A1 near the Angel - A Barn Owl flew over the road towards Birtley and a Common Buzzard nearby

Redwing [Ray Wilby]

Tuesday 8th December 2009

Blaydon - 12 Mistle Thrush by Cowen road.
Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail,Long-tailed Tit, Willow Tit, Yellow Hammer, Bullfinch, Sparrowhawk

Pheasant at Thornley feeding station [Joanne Reavey]

Monday 7th December 2009

Clara Vale LNR - 1 Willow Tit and 2 Pheasants fighting amongst the commoner birds.
Derwent Walk - 30 Lesser Redpoll

Magpie at Thornley feeding station [Joanne Reavey]

Sunday 6th December 2009

Clara Vale - 28 Goosander on the Tyne.
Thornley Lane - Several Tree Sparrows

A very unhappy Jay in the rain at Thornley [Paul Davidson]

Sled Lane Pond - Goldeneye 1, Goosander 13 (9m, 4f), Little Grebe 1, Mallard 50+, Mute Swan 4, Black-headedH Gull 100+, Tufted Duck 2, Coot 30+, Cormorant 1, Grey heron 1, Long Tailed Tit 2.

Cormaorants at Shibdon [Ray Wilby]

Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher 1, Robin 1,Great Tit 8, Blue Tit 9, Pheasant 4, Blackbird 2, Coal Tit 6, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Chaffinch 2, Goldfinch 1, Moorhen 2, Wren 2, Dunnock 3 , Bullfinch 1, Magpie 2, Willow Tit 1, Long Tailed Tit 6.

Saturday 5th December 2009

Shibdon Pond - 11 Common Snipe, 4 Goldeneye and a pair of Common Shelduck. Many Goldfinch and Bullfinch in the reserve.

3 of the 11 Common Snipe at Shibdon [Ray Wilby]

Derwenthaugh Meadows - 1 Jack Snipe, 1 Kingfisher, 30 +Curlew and 13 Common Snipe with a Grey Wagtail on the stream leading to the Tyne.
Sled Lane Pond- Coot 15+, BH Gulls 30+, Mute Swans 4, Mallard 30+, Goldeneye 1, Wigeon 20, Tufted Duck 2, Goosander 4, Canada Goose 2, Moorhens 4, Magpie 1.

Friday 4th December 2009

Shibdon Pond - Common Snipe 17, Shelduck 2, Mallard 30+, Grey Heron 1, Coots 20+, Black-headed Gull 40+ Cormorant 6, Teal 20+, Goldfinch 6, Moorhen 3, Lesser Black Backed Gull 1, Herring Gull 3, Long Tailed Tit 10+, Canada Geese 40+ plus 1 Hybrid, Robin 1, Kestrel 1, Bullfinch 5, Barnacle Goose 1.

Little Grebe at Far Pasture [Anne Briggs]

Thursday 3rd December 2009

Birtley - An unrnged White Stork flew over Birtley and may have landed in the Lambton Estate. Note there is a Pheasant shoot in progress on the estate today.

Jay at Thornley [Derek Bilton]

Tuesday 1st December2009

Far Pasture NR - Redwing 1, Red Kite 2, Kestrel 2, Snipe 3, Robin 1, Blackbird 1, Chaffinch 1, Moorhen 1, Wren1, Bullfinch 1.
Sled Lane - Goosander 2, Wigeon 10+, Black-headed Gulls 30+, Coot 10+, Mute Swan 4, Mallard 10+.
Barlow Fell - Red Kite 3, Carrion Crow 30+.
Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher 1, Moorhen 2, Willow Tit 1, Chaffinch 3, Coal Tit 6, Long Tailed Tit 8, Cormorant 1 (flew by) Blue Tit 5 , Wren 1, Dunnock 3, Great Tit 4.

for previous months bird records see bottom of page