Animals Insects Flora Sites News & Gossip

Sunday 31st

Timber Beach - 2 Dunlin and 4 Ringed Plover.
Shibdon Pond - Common Sandpiper still present. Now 4 Shoveler and 3 broods of Tufted Duck.
Far Pasture - 4 Red Kites in the trees in the sweage Works compound.
Stella - 10 Grey Partridge.

Saturday 30th

Shibdon Pond - Common Sandpiper and 2 Shoveler on the pond.

Friday 29th

Far Pasture NR - Two Kingfishers showing well again in the afternoon.
Shibdon Pond - A Kingfisher seen briefly

Wednesday 27th

Washingwell Woods - 5 Crossbill seen
Clara Vale golf course -3 juvenile Green Woodepckers on the golf course.
Far Pasture NR - Two Kingfishers showed from the hide.
Shibdon Pond - A Kingfisher flew over the pond.

Monday 25th

Far Pasture NR - Two Kingfishers gave prolonged views showing well in the afternoon.

Sunday 24th

Far Pasture NR -A Little Egret was seen at 12:30 as it attempted but failed to land. It flew off to the east but despite much searching could not be relocated.
Timber beach - 4 Ringed Plover. 50 Redshank, 16 Curlew and still 3 broods of Shelduck on the river.
Shibdon Pond - Kingfisher flew past. New broods of Rudddy Duck (4) and Tufted Duck (9) seen.
Crawcrook Quarry - Little Owl
Chopwell Woods - Great Spotted Woodpecker

A cute Mallard Duckling at Shibdon [Photo: Steven Fryer]

Saturday 23rd

Now 35 young Red Kites released.
High Spen -5 Crossbill flew over [Over the last few days there have beeen several unconfirmed reports of Crossbills in the High Spen/Chopwell area].

Friday 22nd

Far Pasture NR - A Reed Warbler singing from left-hand reed bed.

Tuesday 19th

Shibdon Pond - Reed Warbler seen well and a large toad on path by swimming baths

Sunday 17th

Timber Beach - 8 Ringed Plover and 2 Common Sandpiper. Also a family party of Lesser Black backed Gulls.
Stella - A few adult adult and fledged juvenile Common Terns feeding on the river.
Bradley Fell - Breeding of Spotted Flycatcher greatly suspected.

Friday 15th

Shibdon Pond - A bird, very high up, was seen flying up the Tyne valley towards Wylam and the observer thought it may well have been a Great Skua

Grey Herons were active at Stargate and Far Pasture [Photos: Steven Fryer and Ray Wilby]

Wednesday 13th

Far Pasture NR - 3 Kingfisher, possibly a family group present and seen by at least 4 observers.

Monday 11th

Clara Vale - Two Lesser Redpoll flew over.
Bradley Fell - Little Owl and Spotted Flycatcher in teh evening.
Chopwell - A recently fledged Wheatear seen in good breeding habitat.
Late News - Peregrine seen soaring over Gibside last Thursday (7th) and was probably also seen earlier that day at Shibdon and today (11th) over Rowlands Gill.

Sunday 10th

Far Pasture NR - 2 Kingfishers both showing well and 3 Red Foxes present. The young cygnet is still doing well.
Clara Vale - Lesser Spotted woodpecker again by the river and then flew across to Close House.
Derwent Walk CP Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap still singing, plus a Willow Tit.
Timber Beach - 4 Ringed Plover, 30 Redshank
Bradley Fell - The Spotted Flycatcher opposite the entrance to the old workings at Bradley Fell continues to show well.
West of the borough - Barn Owl showed well this evening at 9.20pm-ish at the known breeding site. Also a Little Owl seen.

Great Spotted Woodpecker -a juvenile bird with a red cap typical of this plumage [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Saturday 9th

Barn Owls - The breeding pair have three chicks and these were rung on the 8th. Another, different individual was seen a couple of miles away on 2 seperate dates and a report by a local farmer yet another bird hunting in one of his fields.
Clara Vale - Kingfisher from new hide in the evening.

Friday 8th

Greenside - Quail singing this evening in Rockwood Road in field SW of walled field with a grey horse.
Clara Vale - 4 Whimbrel flew west over in the evening.
Metrocentre - A green parrot/parakeet at 2.45pm flying between Asda and the 'back' road to the Metrocentre, eventually settling on hawthorn bush and calling loudly,
Shibdon Pond - Brood of newly hatched Tufted Ducks

Thursday 7th

Timber beach - A Greenshank and 8 Ringed Plover including 2 juveniles. nearby 60 Curlew on the river by Costco.
Derwent valley - The first of the new batch of Red Kites release

Greenshank on the Tyne mud at Timber beach, the first of the year [Photo: Paul Davidson]

Tuesday 5th

Near Greenside - Green Woodpecker nest hole found

Monday 4th

Clara Vale LNR - A Kingfisher this morning from the new hide. First sighting for a couple of months.

Sunday 3rd

The Ruddy Ducks have sucessfully bred at Shibdon [Photo: Steven Fryer]

Barlow Fell - A Spotted Flycatcher was seen this morning perched on gorse bushes at the entrance to the old workings at Bradley Fell, before flying off into a small wooded area. This is the local birders first record of this species in the Bradley Fell area, despite the availability of suitable habitat across the Fell. Also 2 Willow Tit present.

Saturday 2nd

Barlow Fell - 31 Lapwings present
Far Pasture NR - Only 4 Coots and a few Mallard and the cygnet.
Thornley Woodland Centre - 3-6 Jays. Young Great Tits on the feeders having just left the nest.

Jays usually show well with a bit of patience at Thornley [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Friday 1st
West Gateshead - Following up from a report by a member of the public, a Barn Owl was seen and found to be breeding. It was watched feeding its chicks at 19:15hrs.
Thornley Woods - As yesterday plus Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Nuthatch

Barnacle Geese have also bred this week at Shibdon[Photo: Steven Fryer]