Gateshead Birders
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Great crested Grebe - One on the Tyne at Stella on 22nd-31st July.

Black-necked Grebe - A juvenile on Watergate Park on 22nd-31st July.

Little Grebe - breeding confimed on Goodshields Lake on 15th.

Grey Heron - 7 at Stella on 22nd July was a large count for there.

Canada Goose - 3 broods of young still on the pond on 9th July.

Teal - A pair present on 11th July but no sign of any young. 4 presnt on 18th and the first re-appeared on the Tyne at Dunston the same day.

Shoveler - A female on Shibdon Pond on 2nd -18th July.

Tufted Duck - 2 on Goodshields Lake on 15th. Brood of 7 young appeared on Shibdon Pond on 16th July and still present on 18th.

Ruddy Duck - At least 4 adults still present during the month together with a brood of 3 young. A drake was on Watergate Lake on 31st July.

Goosander - A female with single juvenile noted on 2nd July along the River Derwent by Derwenthaugh Park. Another female with a brood of young seen at Stella on 3rd and 9 noted there on 22nd July may have been the same family party.

Red Kite - The first Red Kites were released on 12th July. These were at Gibside and the birds all flew only a short distance into the trees. All 6 still there at dusk. One over Far Pasture car park on 13th. 2 soaring together on 15th and one wandering through most of the valley on the 15th. Two more released on 16th and 6 on 19th. 7 seen togethwer on 23rd. (For more details - see news)

Common Buzzard - A bird was seen in the east of the borough at the start of July.

Sparrow-hawk - One bird mobbed by Common Terns at Shibdon Pond on 2nd July, several noted in the Gibside area during the month.

[Goshawk - One reported over Fellside road, Whickham flying towards the golf course on 17th]

[Hobby - A possible bird was seen in the evening of the 15th near Ryton and again in the Stargate/Stella area on 20th]

Grey Partridge - 10 at Crawcrook on 23rd and 3 at Blaydon Quarry on 25th. 7 at Stella Haugh on 31st.

Lapwing - The first birds retuned to both Shibdon Pond and Timber beach mid July but number still small by the end of the month both there and further upstream at Stella..

Common Oyster-catcher - 1-4 regular throughout the month at Shibdon Pond and on playing fields in Birtley. A pair with their juveniles at Blaydon Quarry on 11th July, the adults still present at the end of the month but no sign of the juveniles. One on the Tyne at Timber beach on 18th.

Redshank - 20 at Timber beach on 3rd July, rising to 40 on 10th and 60 on 18th.

Greenshank - 3 on riverside mud between Stella and Blaydon on 29th-30th July. One on Shibdon Pond on 31st.

Curlew - 10 at Timber beach on 3rd July, rising to 15 on 10th and 29 on 18th.

Common Snipe - One at Stargate on 13th.

Woodcock - 1-2 seen frequently over an hour at sunset in Gibside on 6th July.

Green Sandpiper - One on Shibdon pond on 31st July was the first of the autumn.

Common Sandpiper - Singles at Shibdon Pond on 4th and near Wylam Bridge on 6th July. Two were seen at Stella on 22nd July and one on 29th and 3 on 30th.

Common Tern - Breeding on Shidon Pond went well and the birds are mobbing anything that comes near including Grey Herons, Sparrow-Hawks and Gulls. However they could not do much for the bad weather during the early part of the month and most of the nests were washed out on the rafts with few chicks surviving. 5 on 10th July were fishing over Stargate Ponds in the evening. A very high count for this site. 2 at both stargate and Goodsheilds Lake on 15th. An oiled bird, initially thought to be an Arctic Tern present 17th-18th.

Tawny Owl - At Blaydon Burn on 11th July, one laanded on tree and watched observer from a distance of one metre! Seconds later it flew onto the top of a telegraph pole to observe again from point blank range. A very tame bird. Another bird seen at Path Head Wood on 13th.

Little Owl - One on Ravensworth Fell on 3rd July and one on Pennyfine Road, Sunniside on 8th July. 2 juveniles were seen in Crawcrook Quarry on 6th July and again on 23rd and 2 at Barlow Fell on 25th.

Long-eared Owl - A bird flew over Ravensworth Fell in bad weather and landed in a nearby tree on 11th July.

Kingfisher - 1 at Shibdon Pond on 15th and 17th and 31st July and another at Far Pasture on 18th.

Green Woodpecker - 1 at Chopwell Woods on 1st July and another at Stargate on 13th-17th.

Cuckoo - 1 calling again on the late date of 5th July

Dipper - One by the bridge at Swalwell roundabout had a red ring on one leg and blue and white on the other on 2nd July. 2 Dipper probably roosting in Wylam Bridge in an old Dipper nest, from this year in Wylam Bridge on 6th July.

Grey Wagtail - Five juveniles with four adults on 2nd July along the River Derwent by Derwenthaugh Park.

Grasshopper Warbler - 1 reeling by the playing fields at Shibdon Pond on 7th July and a ringed bird was seen on 13th July, feeding 3 young nearby. One still singing and seen well at Far Pasture on 15th. 2 reeling at Shibdon Pond on 18th.

Sedge Warbler - 2 still singing at Shibdon Pond on 18th.

Reed Warbler - One seen and another heard at Shibdon Pond on 1st July.

Garden Warbler - A brood of fledged young noted at Shibdon on 18th July. Two seen at Pathhead Quarry on 25th.

Common Whitethroat - 1still singing at Far Pasture NR on 18th.

Blackcap - A brood of fledged young noted at Shibdon on 18th July. One seen at Pathhead Quarry on 25th.

Willow Warbler - A brood of fledged young noted at Shibdon on 18th July.

Chiffchaff - A bird giving an unusual song from the willows/alders where the board walk starts at Shibdon Pond on 1st July. In between bouts of preening it sang an odd tri-syllabic song.

Spotted Flycatcher - A single was observed at the start of the path from Derwenthaugh Park to Paddock Hill Wood on 2nd July. One trapped and another seen in the Ravensworth Estate during the month.

[Red-backed Shrike - a possible bird seen at Watergate on 23rd July but seen briefly and could not be refound]

Tree Sparrow - A single was still visiting a garden at Rowlands Gill on 2nd July.