Young Little Owl

Rung near Clara Vale

Ahhh ain't it cute.... No, ... so you can see the razor sharp talons and the blood from its last meal still on its bill then.

[Photo: Gordon Pollinger]

Monday 31st July

River Tyne at Derwenthaugh - Bar-tailed Godwit flew up the river today at 2:25 pm. It flew from entrance of Derwent up the Tyne towards Newburn

Sunday 30th July

Derwent Walk CP - Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail on river by viaduct
Timber beach - A possible Bar-tailed Godwit was seen (see 31st).

Sunday 30th July

Derwent Walk CP - Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtial on river by viaduct
Timber beach - Bar-tailed Godwit was seen but no sign later. 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Dunlin, 200-300 Redshank and a Reed Bunting.
Shibdon Pond - 1 Gadwall

Robin at Far Pasture

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

River Tyne at Ryton- 3 Common Buzzard flew up river.
Saturday 29th July

Shibdon Pond - 1 Gadwall

Thursday 27th July

Kibblesworth Brick Pond A covey of 17 Grey Partridge also seen.
Burdon Moor - s. Lesser Repoll also flew over.
Headley Hall - between 12 and 12.30 a Pied Flycatcher was singing in the mature wood on the western edge of Headley Hall. Walking from the car park south going down a dip and up the other side you reach the northern tip of the mixed oak wood. The bird was not heard after 12.30.
Blaydon Burn - Red Kite reported over this morning

Tuesday 25th July

Birtley - Common Swifts streaming south this lunchtime - autumn will soon be here |!!!

Pheasant at Thornley

A nice portrait of what some would say a gaudy bird

[Iain Thompson]

Monday 24th July

Follingsby - 1 Long-eared Owl hunting at Follingsby Way on eastern edge of industrial park but inside Gateshead Borough in the late evening.
Winlaton - Red Kite reported circling over Blackstone Court this afternoon

Sunday 23rd July

Bomb Pools, Chopwell Woods - AGreat-spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch there.

Derwent Walk Again but no sign of the fledged Red Kite.
River Tyne at Costco - 2 Stock Dove and 2 broods of Shelduck. Also a Willow Warbler still singing.
Timber beach - Another Willow Warbler singing.
Saltwell Park - 100+ Canada Goose, 1 Greylag with red/orange neck collar, 12 Mute swan, family of 5 Nuthatch, 10+ Long-tailed Tit and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Shibdon Pond - Common Sandpiper.
Westfield Pasture - Also Green Woodpecker
Stargate Quarry - Green woodpecker

Canada Goose at Shibdon

This species is now a very familiar bird in the borough, When teh Birds of Gateshead was published itb was classed as "A scarce passage and rare winter visitor."

[Iain Thompson]

Saturday 22ndJuly

Derwent Walk - . The fledged Red Kite present being fed by its parents.
Thornley feeding station: Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl, Great-spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch.
Far Pasture NR - very quiet: 2 Little Grebe, Mute Swan with 1 cygnet and Grey Heron.

Skylark

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

Friday 21st July

Derwent Walk -2 adult Red Kites from ninarches viaduct (no juveniles), Kestrel, Tree-creeper.
Birtley - A pair of Swalllows have managed to raise a brood in a factory warehouse despite the doors of the building being constantly opened and shut.

Thursday 20th July

Derwent Walk - One of the newly fledged Red Kites seems to have disappeared and is presumed to have died. The other youngster is doing ok.
Watergate Lake- 1 Great crested Grebe (adult), 1 Kingfisher 2 Common Terns

Wednesday 19th July

River Derwent - Kingfisher seen at the wear It looked the brightest bird the observer has ever seen in this strong sun light.
Stargate - 4 of the 5 Mute Swan cygnets have survived.

Tuesday 18th July

The Red Kites have fledged !!!!

Shibdon Pond - A Common Sandpiper,

Goldfinch at Far Pasture

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

Sunday 16th July

Kibbleworth Brickworks Pool -. Pair of Little Ringed Plover still around.

Owlet Hill, Derwent Walk - Kingfisher, Dipper on the Derwent.

Kestrel at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]

Far Pasture NR - Grasshopper Warbler still showing

Cormorant at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]

Saturday 15th July

Thornley Woodland Centre - k. Great Spotted Woodpecker
River Tyne at Costo - Lapwing and Redshank roosting on the wooden jetty at nearby Timber beach and on waste land a flock of 30 Curlew and around a dozen Long-tailed Tits.
Far Pasture NR - Blackcap, Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Common Whitethroat all seen .

Nuthatch at Thornley [Ray Wilby]

Friday 14th July

Lamesley sewage works - Several Little Ringed Plovers still present
Far Pasture NR - Someone had wrote "No wildlife to be seen waste of time coming here" in the log even though 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, 2 MuteSwans and 1 Cygnet, 2 Little Grebe2 Coots, 6 Reed Buntings, 8-10 Young Willow Warblers, 1 Grasshopper Warbler heard but not seen, 8 Mallards, 3 Red Kites (one being a Green tag this years release) 4 Robins, 6 Blue Tits, 1 Wren, Chiffchaff heard but not seen, 4 Whitethroats, s and 1 Grey Heron were present!

Nuthatch

Though this looks like a juvenile, looking carefully is an adult bird in moult. Nuthatches can start their moult from late May and extending right through to September. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Thursday 13th July

Common Terns

Again several pairs have bred sucerssfully at Shibdon.

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

Shibdon Pond -The young Common Terns were rung today - 16 young . At 9-10pm: Tawny Owl hunting, 2 Ruddy Ducks, Ccommon Sandpiper, Cormorants and numerous very young Mallard chicks.
Far Pasture NR - 8-9pm: - 3-4 Reed warblers feeding together (tucked around right side corner of hide, 2 Little grebe, Coot, Grey Heron, Swans with cygnet Mallards with chicks, Grasshopper Warbler heard in field opposite car park, but not seen.

Ruddy Duck at Shibdon

[Photo:Ray Wilby]

Thornley woodlands centre feeding station 7-8pm: Nuthatch, 2 Great spotted Woodpeckers, family of Great Tits, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie and Pheasant.

Young Great Tit

Another bird feeling the heat

[Photo: Ray Wilby]

River Derwent - Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper.
Ravensworth Fell - 200-300 Swifts hawking over the two oil seed rape fields was an absolutely amazing sight.  Above them were probably a few hundred more. 

Wednesday 12th July

Winlaton - A Tawny Owl observed atop a lamppost

Grasshopper Warbler

As anyone familair with this species knows, it is extremely difficult just to see this bird never mind photograph it.

[Photo: Steven Fryer]

Far Pasture NR - Grasshopper Warbler still showing. A possible Reed Warbler was also seen.

Common Whitethroat at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]

Tuesday 11th July

Teams - Ring Necked Parakeet calling all afternoon in gardens of Tyneview Place
Far Pasture NR - Grasshopper Warbler seen and photographed again.

Wren at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]

Monday 10th July

Kibbleworth Brickworks Pool - Little Ringed Plover still present.
Far Pasture NR- Grasshopper Warbler heard and seen. Also a daytime feeding Barred Straw moth photographed.
Shibdon Pond - Reed Warbler singing.

Sunday 9th July

Kibbleworth Brickworks Pool - A pair of Little Ringed Plover with quite recently fledged young. A

Red-legged Partridge

This species continues to be released for shooting purposes.

[Photo: Steven Fryer]

Lamesley sewage works - Reed Warbler singing, an excellent count of 18 Little Ringed Plover (adults and fully fledged young). 1 Grey Wagtail and a Green Sandpiper.
River Tyne at Costco - 1 Ringed Plover, 2 broods of Shelduck and 5 young Goosander.
Sled Lane Pond - 28 Mallard.

Common Sandpiper at Shibdon Pond
[Ray Wilby]

Shibdon Pond - Common Terns feeding young and a Common Sandpiper.

Reed Bunting [Ray Wilby]

Far Pasture NR - Grasshopper Warbler and the pair of Common Whitethroat's young have left the nest near the car-park.

Like last year, only one young Mute Swan remains at Far Pasture

[Ray Wilby]

Stargate - Excellent views of a family party of Green Woodpecker (2 adults and 3 juveniles)
Crawcrook Sand Quarry - Female Kestrel watched hunting Sand Martins, it perched on a narrow sand ledge by their nest hole & waited for birds to emerge

Saturday 8th July

Lamesley sewage works - Swift 50, Sand Martin 20+, Swallow 20+, House Martin 15+, Pied Wagtail 30+, Yellow Wagtail 2 juv, Mallard 50+, Sedge Warbler 1, Snipe 1 and a Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen to take recently fledged Coot.

[An Osprey just over the boundary at both Whittle Dene and Prudhoe today]

Friday 7th July

Derwent Walk - Grey Wagail a

Thursday 6th July

Shibdon Pond - Still a Wigeon on the pond.
Ravensworth Fell - A Common Tern was seen flying SE, also 30 Curlew.
Barmoor - Sparrowhawk male in concerted effort to catch House Martin at low level

Black-headed Gull

This birds is only about 6-8 weeks only

[Ray Wilby]

Tuesday 4th July

Shibdon Pond - 3 singing Reed Warbler, 40 Common Tern with at least 6 young, 71 Coot, 2 Wigeon, 4 Teal and 2 Shoveler.

Monday 3rd July

Warm weather but things very quiet.

The birds at Thornley such as this Blackbird and Robin were also feeling the heat [Ray Wilby]

Costco - One Ringed Plover still present

Ringed Plover at Costo [Ray Wilby]

Sunday 2nd July

Kibbleworth Brickworks Pool - Also 3 Little Ringed Plover (adult and 2 juveniles).
A Green Woodpwecker.

Garden Warbler

This bird, hunting for food was at Far Pasture

One observer wrote in to say "Congratulations to Ray Wilby for managing to get a photo of a Garden Warbler - the local singing males have so far refused to emerge from the thickest bushes they could find and I've yet to see one this year!".

[Ray Wilby]

for previous months bird records see bottom of page