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Thursday 31st J uly 2008

Shibdon Pond - - Little Grebes 6, Coots 50+, Tufted Ducks 3, Moorhens 20+, Canada Geese 26, Black Headed Gulls 20+, Mallards 60+, Mute Swans 6, Common Terns 3, Grey Heron 2, Herring Gulls 6, Swallows 2, Sand Martins 8, Wrens 3, Woodpigeons 12+, Cormorant 1.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 4 Green Sandpipers (first seen 8.30am and still there 3pm), 6+ snipe, 20+ goldfinch mainly juveniles.
Kibblesworth Brickworks area 1 little grebe, 1 Common Whitethroat.

Wednesday 30th J uly 2008

Shibdon Pond - A very good count of 12 Common Sandpipers on platform in front of hide; Also 7 adult + 2juv Common Terns;

Tuesday 29th J uly 2008

Clara Vale - Whimbrel flying over but not seen in the mist.

Monday 28th J uly 2008

Clara Vale NR - Kingfisher, partly albino Blackbird

Sunday 27th J uly 2008

Derwent Walk by Clockburn - Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper around 14:00hrs.
Lamesley Church Pool - 1 summer plumaged Dunlin
River Tyne at Stella - 2 summer plumaged Dunlin
River Tyne at Dunston Staithes - Another 2 summer plumaged Dunlin
Saltwell Park - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and a Common Tern.

Saturday 26th J uly 2008

Far Pasture NR - Shoveler still present.
Shibdon Pond - 30 Goldfinch feeding on thistles This afternoon 35 Meadow Brown ,8 Large White , 3 Small Skipper, 3 Small Tortoiseshell .

Friday 25th J uly 2008

Byermoor - Peregrine just on border at Byermoor, attemptedt to catch a Wood Pigeon but just missed it at 16:00hrs
Far Pasture NR - . One Shoveler on the pond

Wednesday 23rd July 2008

Blaydon town centre - Sparrowhawk amongst Swifts over Job Centre area of Precinct car park.

Tuesday 22nd July 2008

Kibblesworth Brickworks Pool - . Single Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker and a flock of 46 Mistle Thrush flew over.

Sunday 20th July 2008

By River Tyne at Stella - 99 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Common Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin. and 214 Lapwing
River Tyne at Dunston Staithes - 2 Whimbrel, 1 Wigeon, 1 Ringed Plover and 9 Grey Heron.

Saturday 19th July 2008

By River Tyne at Stella - Adult Yellow-legged Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Ringed Plover and 2 Dunlin.

Friday 18th July 2008

Far Pasture NR - Kingfisher showed very well today.

Thursday 17th July 2008

Far Pasture NR - Kingfisher 1, Grey Heron 1, Reed Bunting 3, Little Grebe 3, Sand Martin and Swift 20+ of each, Chiffchaff 3, Mallard 6, Red Kite 2, Tufted Duck 2, Coot 3.
Timber Beach - Lapwing 30+, Redshank 30+, Black Headed Gull 18, Shelduck 1, Curlew 16+.
East Bradley Fell: c6 Crossbill over. Also female Sparrowhawk, Willow Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Common Whitethroat, family group of Long-tailed Tit, several Yellowhammer and good numbers of Greenfinch, Linnet, Goldfinch and Blackbird plus a few Song Thrush on the rape fields.

Wednesday 16th July 2008

Lamesley Church Pool - 2 Common Sandpiper
Costco - Whimbrel on the Tyne today from the Northumberland side about 12:30. It Was flying down the Tyne but the observer whistled it down onto 'our' mudflats. When it realised it wasn't another Whimbrel it flew off towards Costco but appeared to head straight on without landing.

Monday 14th July 2008

Shibdon Pond -15 Meadow Brown ,3 Large White , 1 Small Skipper

Sunday 13th July 2008

Shibdon Pond - One Pochard, 1 Oyster-catcher , 1 singing Chiffchaff, 3 singing Reed Warbler. Ringing session caught a juvenile Reed Warbler 14 Chichaff and 4 Willow Warbler. For full list. 3 pair of Little Grebe with young.
Clara Vale - 2 Crossbill flew over

This Wood Pigeon at Far Pasture was seen to land in the pond and gather pondweed before flying off [Ray Wilby]

Far Pastures NR - Kingfisher 1, Grey Heron 1, Tufted Duck 2, Coot Chicks 2, Mute Swan 2, Willow Warbler 3, Reed Buntings 5, Juvenile Robin 1, Red Kite 1, Little Grebe 2, Sand Martin 12+, Goldfinch 15+ , Blue Tit 6.

Willow Warbler at Far Pasture [Ray Wilby]

East Bradley Fell - Male Crossbill over the old workings (first for site?). Fair numbers of other finches being attracted to the ripening rape crop, mainly Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Linnet plus Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting. Red-legged Partridge also seen here recently.
River Tyne at Timber Beach - 3 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Tern and 2 Stock Dove.
Lamesley Water Meadows - One Kingfisher
River Tyne at Costco - Common Sandpiper, 1 Common Tern and a familly party of Willow Tit
Railway sidings at Birtley - 2+ Grayling, 2 Common Blue and a singing Chiffchaff.
Birtley sewage Works - 1 Oyster-catcher

Saturday 12th July 2008

Dyke Heads- Grasshopper Warbler singing

Thursday 10th July 2008

Birtley Reedbeds - Kingfisher seen briefly and Green Woodpecker back at the usual tree
Gibside Estate - Redstart seen (for 2nd day) and a Crossbill was caught and trapped.
Thornley WC - Great-spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Nuthatch, Jay and fledged Robin

Fledged Robin [Joanne Reavey]

Wednesday 9th July 2008

Whickham - Three oystercatcher flew over this morning at 9am.
Shibdon Pond - anada Geese 79, Coots 70+, Mallards 60+, Black Headed Gulls 20+, Tufted Ducks 12+, Common Terns 6, Little Grebe 2, Grey Heron 2, Lesser Black Backed Gulls 6, Mute Swans 10, Swifts 2, Cormorant 1, Wren 2, Magpie 2, Moorhens 2, Sand Martins 5.

Tuesday 8th July 2008

Shibdon Pond - Little Grebe with young
Lamesley Church Pool - Only 4 Little Ringed Plover remaining

Sunday 6nd July 2008

Lamesley Church Pool - 25 (3 juvenile) Little Ringed Plover present (beating the previous Gateshead maximum count of 19 on 9th July 2006). Cormorant flew over.
Thornley Lane Kennels - 25-30 Crossbills
River Tyne at Dunston - 3 Ringed Plover and 14 Curlew
Shibdon Pond - A Great Crested Grebe and a Mediterranean  Gull both present, the latter flew off towards the river but the grebe present all morning at least.4 Pochard and 1 Teal seen and Grey Heron watch to catch a large Eel and swallow it.

Saturday 5thJuly 2008

Shibdon Pond - 4 Common Pochard and a Common Sandpiper.

Friday 4th July 2008

Shibdon Pond - A fledged Chiffchaff.

Juvenile Chiffchaff at Shibdon [George Simpson]

Wednesday 2nd July 2008

Shibdon Pond - Blackcap