Animals Insects Flora Sites News & Gossip

The first Spotted Flycatcher, Whinchat, Garden Warbler, Tree Pipit & Yellow Wagtail have arrived this month.

LamesleyWater Meadows is well flooded during May was excellent for breeding waders with displaying Lapwing, Oyster-catcher, Redshank, Snipe and Curlew.

Curlew singing at Ravensworth and Lamesley

Tuesday 31st May

Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Yellow Wagtail.
Bradley Fell - 2 Cuckoos singing this evening (8.30). 1 showed well at a regular spot used last year - a hedgerow ash tree NE of Jackie's Plantation.

Monday 30th May

Lamesley Water Meadows - 2 Common Tern present.
Timber Beach - 1 Curlew
Lintzford Bridge - 1 Spotted Flycatcher still
Chopwell Woods - Singing Tree Pipit and 2 Blackcap
Thornley WC - Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler

Sunday 29th May

Stargate Quarry - A possible Hobby seen on 2 occasions. Also a Cuckoo and a Common Tern.
Lintzford Bridge -Pair of Spotted Flycatcher and a Blackcap
Rowlands Gill - Spotted Flycatcher
Blaydon - A breeding pair of Canaries are nesting in the wild and currently sitting on 3 eggs.

The f emale Canary on it's nest

Lamesley Water Meadows - Kingfisher

Saturday 28th May

Ravensworth - Spotted Flycatcher showing well in the little Oak wood off Pennyfine Road at the same site as last year.
Thornley WC - Cuckoo calling

Little Owl breeding near Victoria Gatesfield [SF]

Friday 27th May

Shibdon Pond - Water Rail confirmed breeding .
Blaydon - A very unusual report concerns a pair of CANARY found breeding in a tree.
Bewes Hill - A Cuckoo calling.
Blaydon Quarry - Another Cuckoo.
Derwent valley - good numbers of summer visitors and partuilcarly better than normal numbers of Garden Warblers. Two observers have commented on a decline in Swallow numbers this year. The stretch of river from the Viaduct to Derwenthaugh Park held two Dipper a single Grey Wagtail and a Grey Heron. A Cuckoo was calling regularly from the woodland across the river opposite Clockburn Lake.

Thursday 26th May

Far Pasture NR - 3 Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler and a blackcap singing. 2 Red Kites flew over. Earlier, a Red Fox showed well again stalking the wildfowl, but in an amazing act of defiance nigh on every duck swan and coot on the pond swam in a mass flotilla over to where the fox was lying in wait, in what must have been an attempt to ward it off. Seemed to do the trick as the fox lost interest and fell asleep in the sunshine.

Common Whitethroat singing male

Tuesday 24th May

Derwent valley -A Cuckoo calling at Butterfly Bridge and another at the top of Winlaton Mill Road.

Kestrel at Far Pasture [SF]

Monday 23rd May

Watergate Park - A Quail calling.
Stargate - No sign of any Nightjars but 2 Grasshopper Warbler. Also a Little Grebe.

Friday 20th May

Clara Vale - Whinchat (female) this morning at Clara along Footpath 98 that goes up to the Crawcrook- Wylam road.
Rowlands Gill - Single Tree Sparrow still visiting gardens and as last year suspected of breeding. However no mate has been seen so it may be hybridising with the local House Sparrow population.
Stargate - Report of probable Nightjars singing the last couple of nights. Also a Cuckoo present.

Wednesday 18th May

Thornley Woods - Wood Warbler still singing.
Clara Vale - Cuckoo calling
Barlow Fell - Grasshopper Warbler singing in evening.

Tuesday 17th May

Shibdon Pond -Eight young swans emerged from under their mother's wing and took to the pond.
Bradley Fell - Singing Garden and Sedge Warbler still..
Dyke Heads - Singing Sedge Warbler and a Tree Sparrow
Thornley Woods - Wood Warbler singing

Sunday 15th May

Shibdon Pond - Sedge & Reed Warbler singing
Far Pasture NR - Mute Swans have hatched young.

Saturday 14th May

Derwent Walk - A Green Woodpecker heard early morning
Far Pasture NR- 6 warbler species early morning comprising numerous Willow and Chiffchaffs, a pair of Blackcaps, 3 Common Whitethroats, a Sedge Warbler heard coming from the direction of the river and a Garden Warbler gave excellent views in the sunshine by the road.
Shibdon Pond - Mute Swan's youngsters have hatched today.

Friday 13th May

Shibdon Pond - Spotted Flycatcher in the scrub
Dyke Heads - A male Sedge Warbler singing and showing well in an oilseed rape field 50 yards west of Dyke Heads at 9pm this evening, with 50+ Swallows feeding overhead.
Thornley Woodlands Centre - A Green Woodpecker heard yaffling by the hide.

Starling

Thurday 12th May

Derwent Walk - A Green Woodpecker heard close to 9 Arches Viaduct and 2 Linnets seen feeding on freshly mown grass verge in Rowlands Gill

Wednesday 11th May

Shibdon Pond - Canada Geese still on eggs and the first Coot have hatched
Whickham Golf Course - The first tee has at least 2 Tree-creepers there on a regular basis giving views to about 4 or 5 foot and appearing quite tame.

Tuesday 10th May

Crawcrook Quarry - The first White Wagtail of the year Monday 9th May
Burdon Moor - A Whinchat present.

Sunday 8th May
Winlaton - No sign of any Whinchat along Thornley Lane
Ryton - Singing Grasshopper Warbler on path to Peth Head.
Shibdon Pond - 8 Common Terns and 4m2f Ruddy Duck Lamesley Water Meadows -3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Canada Goose and 2 Grey Lag.
Westfield Pasture - Garden Warbler and Blackcap.
Far Pasture NR - Garden Warbler. A Red Fox raided a Pheasant's nest.
Blaydon Quarry - 120+ Sand Martin nest chambers with frenzied activity today
Path Head Quarry - Garden Warbler singing
Blaydon Burn - Green Woodpecker
Timber Beach - 1 Ringed Plover and 2 Shelduck.
Stargate - 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat. A Little Grebe, 2 Common Terns, pair of Green Woodpecker
Hedley Hall - Little Owl with a singing Curlew on nearby Ravensworth Fell. Saturday 7th May
Winlaton - Still 3+ Whinchat along Thornley Lane also a Grey Partridge
Bradley Fell - Singing Garden Warbler.
Shibdon Pond - 6 Common Terns
Lamesley Water Meadows -3 Little Ringed Plover, 2 Canada Goose and 2 Grey Lag.
Stampley Moss - singing Garden Warbler

Blue Tits

Friday 6th May

Winlaton - 4 or 5 Whinchat in rape field.
Lamesley Water Meadows -A Little Ringed Plover, 3 Canada Goose and 2 Grey Lag.

Wednesday 4th May

Far Pasture NR - Garden Warbler again singing. Coots have hatched young.
Shibdon Pond - Whinchat in the reedbed
Clara Vale - Jackdaw feeding, struggling but successful on the nut feeders.

Jackdaw

Rowlands Gill - Red Kite at 08:30 at Tescos and flew over to Townley Arms then behind the trees 3 Jackdaws and 1 Swift chased it.
Blaydon - 15+ Sand Martins over St Thomas More School. Fair numbers of Swifts and House Martins now in.
Bradley Fell - Grasshopper Warbler still singing in set-aside

Tuesday 3rd May

Clara Vale - The Kingfisher made a grand entrance after been absent for a few weeks now, In full view for 30-40 mins then retired into the trees right of main pond. No sign of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
Sled Lane Pond - is now deserted and has been for a while now. Not even a Mallard there today.
Bradley Fell - Grasshopper Warbler singing in set-aside and a Sedge Warbler singing in a rape field. Also a Common Swift.

Monday 2nd May

Blaydon Burn - Cuckoo overhead this morning, 2 Swifts, Common Whitethroat and Fox
Stargate - singing Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat and Reed Bunting
Path Head Quarry - 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat and Common Whitethroats
Lamesley Water Meadows - Little Ringed Plover and 4 Wheatear
Burdon Moor - A Cuckoo seen mobbed by Meadow Pipits.
Shibdon Pond - A Tawny Owl called and flew over during the 'Bat Watch'. 2 Common Terns present later and the Reed Warbler still singing..

Juvenile Tawny Owl

Far Pasture NR - Green Sandpiper and Common Whitethroat. Garden Warbler singing in the afternoon
Pockerley Farm Pond - Green Sandpiper and 7 Greylag Geeese.
Bradley Fell - 5 singing Common Whitethroats

Sunday 1st May

Shibdon Pond - Grasshopper Warbler singing in SW corner with Common Whitethroat in same patch, which is 25 metres in from the football pitch. Also Reed Warbler, 2 Sedge Warbler and a Wheatear. Many hirundines and Swifts, Water Rail, 5 Ruddy Duck and 2 Goosander.
Sunniside - Little Owl on Pennyfine Road, sitting in an oak tree on the Sunniside to Lamesley road opposite the stables.
Clara Vale - No sign of Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Goosander and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Blackcap.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 6 Dunlin, 3 Ringed and a Little Ringed Plover. 2 Oyster-catcher. Yellow Wagtail, the first of the year present mid afternoon.
Timber Beach - 3 Ringed Plover
Far Pasture NR - Many hirundines and Swifts. Green Woodpecker @ 1800 hrs.

Green Wood

Parson's Haugh, Ryton - 2 singing Grasshopper Warbler.
Chopwell Woods - Tree Pipit
Blaydon Quarry - 2 Shelduck, 2 Wheatear and 4 Linnet
Stargate - Green Woodpecker, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Linnets and 2 Yellowhammer
Blaydon Burn - Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Nuthatch

Great Spotted Woodecker