Animals Insects Flora Sites News & Gossip

Thursday 30th

Shibdon Pond - Two Gadwalls still present and the Feral Barnacle Goose has a gosling.
Ryton - 5 Hawfinch seen feeding in a cherry tree yesterday.
Thornley Woods - Pheasant, Woodpidgeons, Robins, Blackbirds, Blue/Great Tits, Bullfinch, Sparrow and a pair of Jays.

The Barnacle Geese at Shibdon

Wednesday 29th

Shibdon Pond - Two Gadwalls still present andthe Ruddy ducks have hatched 6 chicks. Quite a strange spectacle this morning about 40 to 50 coot in a tightly packed group they must have arrived last night. One of them seemed to have a wing tag on its left wing.
Stargate - Kingfisher, Green woodpecker and 2+ Sedge Warblers. The Little Grebe has chicks

Monday 27th

Shibdon Pond - Two Gadwalls in eclipse arrived. The Reed Warbler with the unusual song seen again.

The Gadwalls at Shibdon Pond

Sunday 26th

Shibdon Pond - 2 Reed Warblers still singing and a brood of juveniles noted. 18 pairs of Common Terns counted. Unconfirmed report of a summer plumaged Little Gull.
Timber beach - 3 broods of Shelduck with their parents on the river Ringed Plover. Also a Ringed Plover, Redshank and Curlew present.

Shelducks at Timber beach

Far Pasture NR - The Kingfisher showed well today.

Saturday 25th

Far Pasture NR - The young Mute Swan is still on its own.

Friday 24th

Ravensworth Fell - The Spotted Flycatcher's nest failed, predated probably by grey squirrel.
Birtley - Herring Gulls and perhaps 2 pairs of Oyster-catchers are breeding on the roofs of the Komatsu Factory.
Thornley Woodland Centre - Willow Tit on the feeders.
Rowlands Gill - Great Spotted Woodpecker juvenile in a garden.

Thursday 23rd

Clara Vale - A Honey Buzzard was watched this morning flying west, being mobbed by crows.
Far Pasture NR - Kingfisher, Cuckoo and both Common Whitethroat and Garden Warbler still singing. What is probably a Reed Warbler was heard for the second time this week.

Tuesday 21st

Far Pasture NR - Only one cygnet still on the pond and no sign of the adult for several days now.

Stargate Pond - Sedge Warbler present.

The Sedge Warbler at Stargate

Sunday 19th

Shibdon Pond -The Reed Warbler singing like a Marsh Warbler still present. It sometimes sings like a Reed Warbler but then quite Marsh Warbler-like with mimicry of Oyster-catcher, Great Tit, Blue Tit, House Sparrow, Greenfinch and Goldfinch. The bird shows no features of anything but Reed Warbler. The 2 singing Reed Warblers are still present and look identical in plumage but are singing normally. It did not respond to either Reed or Marsh Warbler tapes but flew of when Blyth's Reed Warbler was played. It quickly returned.
Two drake Pochard on the pond and at least 13 pairs of Common Tern are breeding.

Reports from "early morning 19th"
Long-eared Owl single juv heard "in the Gateshead Borough"
2 singing Quail nr Tanfield Railway, at 3AM, approx 2 mile apart.
1 nr Andrews House Station in Gateshead. NZ 210 574
(plus another nr East Tanfield Station, in Derwentside. NZ 194 547)
Little Owls with juvs in Gateshead at Blackburn Fell and Birkheads Lane.
Red-legged Partridge - 1 watched at close range, calling from large rock pile at partial built house between Sunniside Station & Ravensworth Grange, at NZ 220 574, a second bird calling to the south of here.
Cuckoo 2 single singing singing birds at:-
Hedley Hall Fm community woodland NZ 560 220
Ravensworth Grange (N.east of) at NZ 226 573

Grasshopper Warbler
Reeling birds prominent, warm but not calm.
Total of 12 in parts of South West of Gateshead Borough
2+ reeling between Marley Hill & Sunniside NZ 205 583
1 reeling nr Andrews House Station. NZ 210 574
7+ reeling (inc 2seen) in part of Hedley Hall Community Woodland, part of Grt Nth Forest, at Hedley Fell NZ 215 565. (large proportion of site not covered)
1 reeling at Barcusclose Lane, nr Crookgate Bank NZ 184 562
1 reeling to south of Byermoor (quite distant) NZ 187 573approx

Saturday 18th

Far Pasture NR - The pair of Mute Swans still have one cygnet, Coots nest building, 2 Little Grebe, Mallard with 6 ducklings, a pair of Tufted Duck, Sand Martins, Grey Heron,

Shibdon Pond - A bird initially thought to be a Marsh Warbler but later probably just a Reed Warbler with an unusual song along the western boundary path singing in the small phragmites bed in the scrub on the tip just before the gate into the reserve.
Thornley Woodland centre - 4 juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers
Blaydon - The Canaries have abandoned their nest after the verges were strimmed. You can see the nest at the woodlands centre.
Red Kite - Word has reached us that what appears to have been a dead Red Kite was seen on the central reservation of the A1(M) near the Chester-le-Street turn-off in May.

Thursday 16th

Barmoor - Cuckoo heard.

Wedneday 15th

Birtley - Two Oyster-catchers flew over and later a male Shoveler.

The Red-legged Partridge at Sunnside

Monday 13th

Ravensworth Fell -Grasshopper Warbler, Tawny Owl and Red-legged Partridge
Far Pasture NR - A Green woodpecker flew over and the Mure Swans are now down to one cygnet.

The Green Woodpecker at Far Pasture

Saturday 11th

Kibblesworth - A brood of 3 Little Owls ringed, nearby another adult noted but nest location not yot found. Nearby a nest of Spotted Flycatcher with 5 eggs found.
Lamesley Water Meadows - An adult Snipe feeding at 17:30 and a pair of Redshank. It would seem by their behaviour, that they have juv(s).

Friday 10th

Shibdon Pond - Reed Warbler Still singing.

Breeding Common Whitethroat

Thursday 9th

Rowlands Gill -- Cuckoo calling
Thornley Woods - Wood Warbler still singing
Far Pasture NR - The resident Mute Swans now have only three cygnets remaining out of the original eight.

Wednesday 8th

Crawcrook -- Common Buzzard over.

Tuesday 7th

Gibside -A juvenile Tawny Owl sitting in an Oak Tree by the river
Stargate - No sign of Nightjars again despite much searching last night. 2-3 Grey Herons around plus 1 Common Tern, Kestrel, c10 Sand Martins

Common Kestrel

Monday 6th

Clara Vale LNR - A Pink-footed Goose was on the river Tyne and a pair of Great Spotted woodpecker were watched feeding a chick which was just out of it's nest on a branch next to feeder making plenty noise. Reed Bunting was confirmed breeding for the first time.
Victoria Garesfield - A Little Owl was seen on the road near Garesfield Golf course.
Thornley Woods - Wood Warbler still singing

Sunday 5th

Ravensworth Fell - Quail called on 2 occassions early morning but not subsequently. Nearby Spotted Flycatcher still showing in the small oakwood on the corner with Pennyfine Road.
Thornley WC - Wood Warbler still singing by the old railway line behind the hide in Thornley Woods

Saturday 4th

Ravensworth Fell - Quail calling most of morning at least from the partly-built house in the rape field opposite.

Friday 3rd

Thornley WC - Wood Warbler singing (2nd bird).
The Nuthatches have now left the box at Thornley and Blue Tits are on the screen now.
Stargate - 2 Nightjars again reported last night (21:00-22:30) .
Blaydon - The pair of Canary are now sitting on 5 eggs.

Thursday 2nd

Ravensworth Fell - A Quail calling from the wheat field at the corner of Kibblesworth bank and Birkland Lane.
Rowlands Gill - Cuckoo calling this evening (8.45pm).