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Saturday 30th June 2007

Shibdon Pond - 18+ Common Tern chicks on the platforms.
Birtley Sewage Works - Long Tailed Tit 34, Chiffchaff 10+, Willow Warbler 4, Whitethroat 4,Oystercatcher 2, Ringed Plover 2, Curlew 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Swift 20, Pied Wagtail 15+

Friday 29th June 2007

Clara Vale LNR - Kingfishers can be seen almost daily with the river being high with all the rain.

Thursday 28th June 2007

Shibdon Pond - Many Swift and Swallow this morning over the pond

Wednesday 27th June 2007

Shibdon Pond - 3 male, 1 female Ruddy Duck on the pond.
Team Valley - 3 Goosanders on the river Team in the middle of the Industrial Estate.

Tawny Owl, Little Owl & Long-eared Owls all with young in the south of the borough, with hunting Barn Owls close by.

Tuesday 26th June 2007

The Guards, Derwent valley - 6 Crossbill and 2 Common Buzzard.

Sunday 24th June 2007

Blaydon Quarry -2 Green Sandpipers present today.
Shibdon Pond d 26 Common Tern currently sitting on nests on the rafts.
Far Pasture NR - ringing session appears to confirm that recent prolonged period of rain has taken a heavy toll of recently fledged birds with only the following juveniles ringed Chiffchaff 5, Wren 2, Dunnock 1, Great Tit 3- all of this in 5 hours! Other sightings - Red Kite, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Kestrel & a Great Tit mimicing Blackbird.

Winlaton - Grey Heron up a tree in a garden on the Hanover Estate

Saturday 23rd June 2007

Birtley sewage-works - Several Kestrels, a male Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, pair of Shelduck, Greeen Woodpecker and a family of Whitethroats.

Male Bullfinch at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Friday 22nd June 2007

Marley Hill - Common Buzzard circling just south of Marley Hill around 12 noon, with a Grasshopper Warbler singing in the rough ground between NW Marley Hill and Tanfield railway line. Also there, two singing Garden Warblers
Ousborough Woods (on Gateshead Boundary) - Possible singing Wood Warbler 3pm Ousborough woods on Gateshead South boundary (bird only did one distant trill). Also there Spotted Flycatcher there.
Clara Vale LNR - 7 Blackbird, 8 Greenfinch, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Kingfisher, 3 Great-spotted Woodpeckers (one taken by a Sparrowhawk), 2 Nuthatch and a Bullfinch.

Juvenile Wren at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Barlow Fell - 6 Red Kite including 1 untagged bird.

Red Kite at Barlow Fell This is an untagged bird [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Far Pasture NR - 5 Red Kite, 2 Common Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Garden Warbler, 5 Canada Geese (flying overhead), 1 Little Grebe, 5 Mute Swans (2 adult 3 cygnets)

The Canada Geese that flew over Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Monday 18th June 2007

Stargate Quarry - Also Cuckoo, Common and Lesser Whitethroat and the first Meadow Brown and Narrow-bordered Five-spotted Burnet Moth of the year.
Shibdon Pond - This morning there were 100’s of Swifts and Swallows over the pond. Brood of young Pheasant chicks in the reserve

Sunday 17th June 2007

Birtley Sewage Works - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Willow, Coal, Long Tailed, Blue & Great Tits, Skylark, Sedge Warbler 2, Whitethroat 2, Bullfinch 2, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Curlew.
Kibblesworth - 9th & probably last CBC of the year (where has the year gone??) Results will follow later this year.... 1 probable Hobby (very brief & tantalising sighting only), 2 Spotted Flycatchers (oak wood - confirmed pair for 5th year running), 1 Moorhen (nest flooded out), 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Red Leg Partridge, 2 Willow Tit, 1 Little Owl (possibly 4 pairs), 2 Treecreepers, 1 Grey Lag (N), 40 Lapwing (post-breeding flock), 6 Oystercatcher, 1 Kestrel, 18 Willow Warbler, 6 Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler, 10 Tree Sparrow - incl several juvs.
East Bradley Fell old workings today - Male Reed Bunting still singing by the now rather damp large meadow. Good numbers of Yellowhammer, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Song Thrush. Also Common Whitethroat singing, 1-2 Kestrels, Jay, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Stock Dove, Linnet and family parties of Willow, Long-tailed and Coal Tits.
Far Pasture NR- 6 Little Grebe, 1 Red Kite, 2 juvenile Grey wagtails, 1 Blackcap. I

Saturday 16th June 2007

Chopwell Woods - Regular Great Spotted Woodpeckers coming to feed in garden by Chopwell Woods. Also regular visits from Blackbirds, Jackdaws, Magpies, Jays, Great / Blue / Coal Tits,and occasional visits from Red Kite. A Cuckoo heard here too.
Birtley Sewage Works - Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Curlew, Redshank, Lapwing with a recent fledgling,Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Starling 250, Swift 30, Sand Martin 10, Swallow 20, House Martin 15, House Sparrow 2 - takes species list to 100 since 01/03/06

Sand Martin at Shibdon [Paul Davidson]

Clara Vale LNR - Pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding 2 youngsters, 2 Nuthatch, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warbler 2 Tree sparrow, and Common Whitethroat. Fly overs include 5 Oystercatchers and a Cormorant.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - This adult feeding one of three youngsters was seen at Clara Vale. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Common Whitethroat at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Kibblesworth Brick Pools -- 2 Canada Geese & 5 yng, 1 Little Grebe, 5 Tufted Duck, 2 Mute Swan, c 20 Skylark.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Chopwell [Martyn Read]

Thursday 14th June 2007

Watergate Park -The Mute Swans are down to 2 cycgnets here.
Clara Vale - At 9.50 pm on a Barn Owl flew across the fields a few metres in front of the observer on the footpath behind Buildings Farm, Stannerford Road.

Wednesday 13th June 2007

Birtley Sewage Works- Hobby seen at 16:15hrs today.

Tuesday 12th June 2007

Rowlands Gill - 8 Bullfinches in a garden including one juvenile female.
Derwent Walk CP - Pair of Mute Swans with five cygnets on the river,

Monday 11th June 2007

Clara Vale LNR - A juvenile Kingfisher seen
Rowlands Gill - Tree Sparrow

Kingfisher at Clara Vale [Iain Clyne]

Sunday 10th June 2007

Birtley Sewage Works- Lapwing 21 flushed from the Clay Pits by motorbikes, Garden Warbler (1ct), Whitethroat (1ct),Willow Tit (1ct), Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff
Far Pasture NR - 2 Mute Swan, 5 Little Grebe,1 Moorhen, 4 Mallard, 2 Robin, 3 Reed Bunting, 6 Sand Martin, 1 Red Kite, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Woodpigeon, 2 Blackcap (M&F), 1 Wren, 1 Great Tit, 1 Magpie and 6 Swallow,
East Bradley Fell - Male Reed Bunting singing in the large meadow next to old workings this morning and for the past week or so - although an occassional winter visitor, this is the first suspected breeding here. The meadow and adjacent cropped & fallow fields look as good as anywhere in this part of the Borough for Quail. Other species included 30+ House Martins plus numerous Swifts and Swallows feeding overhead, 4-5 singing Common Whitethroats, several Yellowhammer, Skylark, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Tit (heard) and Linnet (poor year for this species at the old workings area, very few singing males, although a couple of pairs on adjacent farmland). Local Tawny Owls showing well but no sign of any young.

Saturday 9th June 2007

Birtley Sewage Works- Lesser Whitethroat (singing) & Water Rail calling in the reedbeds. In the STW - Sparrowhawk, Kestrel 2, Blackcap(11),Bullfinch (4), Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Starling 300, Grey Wagtail 2, Pied Wagtail 10+,

Thursday 7th June 2007

Shibdon - Three Red Kite’s over the pond at 2:40 pm cleared all the gulls off, they then the drifted away towards Blaydon Burn

Wednesday 6th June 2007

Shibdon - Field Vole in the top pasture.
Lobley Hill - Partial albino Blackbird seen and a Common Buzzard flew over at 18:00hrs.
Far Pasture NR - 4 Little Grebe, 2 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Heron and a Red Kite overhead. 2 Common Whitethroatin the field by the car park.
Thornley Woodland Centre - Loads of young Blue, Great and Coal Tits along with adults, also young nuthatches and chaffinches. 6 + Bullfinch, one pair of Yellowhammer feeding from the tables, pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker

Partial albino Blackbird [Liam Cook]

Southern part of the borough- Two recently fledged Long-eared Owl chicks with an adult in rough scrub. This is one of at least 7 pairs found this year in the borough at least 2 pair with chicks. Also Tree Sparrow and Willow Tit feeding young.

Seven hatched chicks but another 2, two days later somehow!

Stargate- Reed Warbler again singing and a Common Tern flew over. Yellow Shell moth seen,
Shibdon Pond - 40 Common Tern, 3 Ruddy Duck.

Note the one-footed Lesser Black backed Gull in the middle at Shibdon [Photo: Paul Davidson]

Lamesley Water Meadows - . Common Whitethroat (pair with at least one young), 1 Grey Partridge, c.12 Sand Martin.
Kibblesworth brickworks pools -1 Little Ringed Plover.

Brood of Canada Geese at Shibdon [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Saturday 2nd June 2007

2 Oyster-catchers at Shibdon [Photo: Paul Davidson]

Stargate- . Also singing Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler and a Willow Tit.
Kibblesworth- 8th CBC - 1 Spotted Flycatcher (singing in Oak Wood), 1 Cuckoo, 1 Red Leg Partridge, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Little Owl, 10 Common Whitethroat, 24 Willow Warbler, 2 Moorhen ( 2 diff pairs), 22 Canada Geese (flying N), 3 Kestrel, 6 Bullfinch, 5 Tree Sparrow.

Friday 1st June 2007

Birtley Sewage Works - Oystercatcher 1, Lapwing 4, Green Woodpecker 1, Starling 300+, Pied Wagtail 7, birds ringed included Blackcap 3 (inc 1st fledgling), Bullfinch 3, Willow Warbler, Long Tailed Tit (juv).