Tuesday 28th February

Shibdon Pond - Green-winged Teal still present
[Golden Pheasant seen just over the border in Prudhoe today]

Monday 27th February

Shibdon Pond - Green-winged Teal still present

Sunday 26th February

Shibdon Pond - Green-winged Teal still present. Also 2 Oyster-catcher, 2 Goldeneye and 4 Shelduck .
Clara Vale LNR - A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker reported.

Saturday 25th February

Shibdon Pond - Green-winged Teal back again.
Burdon Moor - Red-legged Partridge, Stonechat, Common Snipe and many singing Skyklark.
Far Pasture NR - No sign of Otter, but Kingfisher showed quite well as it buzzed around the ponds. Also a Red Kite, Kestrel and 2 Mute Swans.

Kingfisher at Far Pasture

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

Victoria Garesfield - This afternoon 2.00pm - Green Woodpecker and 5 Siskin
Clara Vale - This afternoon between 3-4.00pm - Lesser Redpoll, 6 Siskin and a Kingfisher showing well on pool beside hide.

The colour ringed Mute Swans at Shibdon

[Photo: George Simpson]

Friday 24th February

Thornley Woodlands hide - An early singing Bullfinch

Thursday 23rd February

Shibdon Pond - 3 Curlew feeding on the top field the one with the feed strips in

Tuesday 21st February

Far Pasture NR - Otter on show again.
Clara Vale NR - A Kingfisher present for about 20 mins. Also Great Spotted Woodpecker and Siskin

Sunday 19th February

Thornley - Birds in the area by the river close to bridge there were 2+ Red Kites, 1 Common Buzzard, a Dipper and 2 Grey Wagtails.

Rabbit
[Photo: Ray Wilby]

Saturday 18th February

Far Pasture NR - The Green-winged Teal and the Jack Snipe were showing today.
Ravensworth Fell - 50 Golden Plover and a Red Kite.
Shibdon Pond - Reed Bunting singing this morning and 2 Goldcrest.
Stargate - Green Woodpecker still present.

A Great-spotted Woodpecker on a nut-basket
[Photo Martin & Maria Price]

Friday 17th February

Far Pasture NR - After a patient wait and search for the Jack Snipe it was finally visible amongst the other (10) Common Snipe. In the end it was showing really well but still well camouflaged in the reeds opposite the hide. Nothing else of note other than three Red Kites in the Gibside monument area.
Bradley Fell - Common Buzzard showed well circling low over Coalway Plantation late this afternoon before drifting off west.

Thursday 16th February

Far Pasture NR - No sign of the Green-winged Teal but a Common Buzzard and a young Grey Wagtail seen. - see photos opposite
Shibdon Pond - 11 Goldeneye (8 male, 3 female)

Wednesday 15th February

The Green-winged Teal (behind) with a Common Teal at Far Pasture
[Photo Steven Fryer]

Far Pasture NR - The Green-winged Teal still present and the Jack Snipe seen again. The Otter showed itself again 0840hrs - 0930hrs giving really good views as it had swam/hunted a very large proportion of both bits of the pool. See photos opposite
Burdon Moor - 6 Teal, 1 Snipe, male Stonechat, 20 Linnet and a Willow Tit. The latter was in the small clump of birch trees on the south side of the pond closest to the cycle route. Report by a non-birder of a Short-eared Owl.
Clara Vale LNR - More Skylarks singing today. Kingfisher again on the reserve.
Shibdon Pond - 2 Mutes Swans back on the pond with darvic rings NPV and VUN

Tuesday 14th February

A skein of Pink-footed Geese over Far Pasture on 14th
[Photo Alan Mould]

Far Pasture NR - The Green-winged Teal on the pool and a Great spotted Woodpecker drumming on one of the pylons, Water Rail squealing but could not be seen. .A skein of 130 Pink-footed Geese flew over. No sign of the Jack Snipe but 7-8 Common Snipe present. 44 Teal, single Little Grebe and Grey Heron. A pair of Sparrowhawks hunting, the female of which swooped on a group of Teal on the pond sending them scattering in all directions. Two Red Kites in the vicinity the whole time, one of which was particularly inquisitive when the observer was arriving and leaving, coming quite low overhead a few times looking directly at him. This bird showed pink and yellow tags of a 2004 bird, and interacted with (i.e. chased) both Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.
Shibdon Pond - The first frog spawn of the year.
Burdon Moor - Skylarks singing

Great Spotted Woodpecker using a pylon to drum on
[Photo Alan Mould]

Monday 13th February

Clara Vale LNR - 2 Kingfishers on show today.

Sunday 12th February

Shibdon Pond - The Green-winged Teal in front of the hide and a Great spotted Woodpecker at the new feeding station. Also counted were 86 Common Teal, 3 Shelduck, 6 Goldeneye and a Kingfisher in the reed beds.
Far Pasture NR - Otter showed very well all morning feeding on crayfish and fresh-water mussels. Also both Jack Snipe with 17 Common Snipe and a Water Rail on show.
Birtley town centre - 20 Waxwings in The Avenue early afternoon.
Stargate Quarry - Very loud screeching when investigated resulted in a Sparrow-hawk seen having just caught a (the) Green Woodpecker. They were flushed but the hawk caught it again. However the Green Woodpecker just matched to escape for a second time but seemed badly hurt.
River Derwent - Kingfisher by Swalwell bridge, 4 Little Grebe, 5 Goosander, 2 Redshank, 2 Grey Wagtails, 93 Lapwing flew over.
River Tyne at Costco - 9 Goldeneye.
Crawcrook Quarries - 2 pair of Oyster-catcher

Saturday 11th February

Rowlands Gill - Common Buzzard again. This bird is frequenting this area. It is believed that the second bird that has been seen was killed due to a collision with some cables at Barlow and the bird frequenting Sherburn which was often present there has not been seen since and may well have been the dead bird.
Shibdon Pond - Blackcap present again and a Green Woodpecker plus 2 Grey Lag.
Clara Vale - A skein of Pink-footed Geese flew west this morning.
Lamesley - A Jack Snipe and 7 Common Snipe, plus 46 Curlew. 2 Grey Lag roosting on the ice.
Far Pasture NR- A Mink was seen running across the ice.

Goosanders on the Derwent at Swalwell [Steven Fryer]

Friday 10th February

Thornley Woodland - A Common Buzzard was circling in the sunshine over the Thornley/Paddock Hill woods area this afternoon
Clockburn Lake - Kingfisher showing well, Tufted Duck, Mute Swans, Little Grebe, Flock of 30 Siskins, 20+ Long-tailed Tits and 3 Goldcrest.
Lintzford - A nest of wood mice must be near a garden in Lintzford as there are 3 separate mice visiting it at the same time feeding on dropped bird seed.

Thursday 9th February

Shibdon Pond - 15 Goldeneye (10 male 5 female) and 7 Shelduck.

Wednesday 8th February

Clara Vale - Kingfisher showing well and Marsh Marigold in flower

Tuesday 7th February

Female Mallard [Ray Wilby]

Rowlands Gill/Highfield - 3 Badger sets have been dug out at Low Thornley and there have been a few more in the Highfield area all done by what is believed to be the same person. - See Animals page.

Robin [Ray Wilby]

Monday 6th February

Shibdon Pond - The Green-winged Teal still present and 2 Siskins at the new feeding station.
River Team just north of the A 1114 dual carriageway. - The Green winged Teal, plus 15 Common Teal, 11 Mallard, 4 Moorhen and one Little Grebe, today at 1pm.,
Far Pasture NR - The ermine Stoat gave great views right in front of the hide hunting!

Goldrest [Ray Wilby]

Sunday 5th February

Shibdon Pond - The Green-winged Teal still present and 11 Shelduck, 4 Goldeneye and the male Blackcap again.
Lamesley - Flock of 26 Tree Sparrow behind the Ravensworth Arms.
Far Pasture NR - Jack Snipe on show
Sled Lane Pond - Whooper Swan, 15 Wigeon and 2 Goldeneye.
River Tyne at Dunston - 7 Lesser Redpoll, 1 Pheasant, 3 Dunlin, 1800 Golden Plover, 300 Lapwing and 2 Shelduck.

The Green-winged Teal, left, with a Common Teal on Shibdon Pond[Steven Fryer]

Saturday 4th February

Shibdon Pond - The Green-winged Teal still on the Pond, together with Kingfisher, 7 Shelduck and 2 Goldeneye.
Lamesley Water Meadows - Common Buzzard slowly drifted over.
Birtley STW - Still 1+ Green Sandpiper present.
Stargate - Green Woodpecker..

Friday 3rd February

Shibdon Pond - The Green-winged Teal now on the Pond and a Blackcap feeding on apples at the new feeding station to the left of the hide.

Male Goosander on Sled Lane[Steven Fryer]

Thursday 2nd February

River Tyne at Dunston, - The Green-winged Teal on the river again, on the Gateshead side
Winlaton - Peregrine seen over Winlaton library in direction of Barlow..

Wednesday 1st February

River Tyne at Costco - A Common Eider, thought to be a 2nd year male on the river swimming upstream. Last seen 14:00 close to Scotswood Bridge.
Shibdon Pond - A pair of Water Rail just through the first gate onto the reserve.
Sled Lane Pond - 21 Wigeon now present
Clara Vale - 14 Goldeneye, 11 Goosander and 31 Mallard on the Tyne.

All of 2005 records

for previous months bird records see bottom of page