Gateshead Birder Home Page

Shibdon Pond - 7 Mute Swan cygnets left the nest. One of the rafts has been deserted by the Common Terns after being raided by Gulls and Magpies

Shibdon Pond - 6 Mute Swan cygnets hatched so far +1 egg still been rolled around the nest by the Pen.
Stargate - Cuckoo heard.
Guards Wood - 100s of the moth Grass Rivulet (Perizoma albulata) were noted in late evening and these may be the first records for the borough.
Crawcrook - 4 Dingy Skipper.
Barmoor - first Starlings llft the nest.

Lamesley Water Meadows - Pair of Greylags and 6 goslings, 2 Shelducks, many Lapwings, 2 Grey Wagtail, 6 Blackbirds,4 Ringed and 1 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Oystercatchers, 1 Mallard, 2 Canada Geese,4 Lesser Black backed Gulls, 3 Goldfinches, 4 Reed Buntings, 10 Tree Sparrows, Pair of Linnets.

Far Pasture NR - Mute Swans plus 3 Cygnets, Female Mallard plus 8 Ducklings, another Female Mallard and 1 older Duckling, Swallows and Martins, Heron and eel, 1 Reed Bunting.

Timber Beach - Ringed Plover
Lameley SW - 2 Common Tern and 2 Shelduck
Shibdon Pond - Little Grebe with 2 chicks
Watergate CP - No sign of the Great Crested Grebe

Watergate Park - Great Crested Grebe also Common Tern, Tufted ducks, Grey wagtails, Linnets, Reed Bunting and a juvenile cormorant as well as a pair of Mute swans with 5 cygnets.

Owlet Hill- A female Goosander on the river.
Far Pasture - 3 newly hatched cygnets, Reed Bunting, Sand Martins, 2 Red Kites, 3 pairs of Tufties, 2 Little Grebes, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Bullfinch

Sand Martins at Far Pasture Like the Willow Warbler they were late this year but are back in their usual numbers. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

West Gateshead - Litte Owl with 2 recently hatched chicks
Guards Wood - Cuckoo this evening
Burnopfield - Woodcock roding at 10pm
Hollinhill Lane 2-3 Cuckoo singing

Westfield Pasture - Grasshopper Warbler
Eels Wood/Crawcrook quarry - Common Buzzard over in morning
Shibdon Pond - 30 Common Terns
Stargate Ponds - Common Tern

Shibdon Pond - 2 Shoveler, 2 Reed Warblers singing, 1 Ruddy Duck (male), c 15 Common Terns & possible Bearded Tit - heard 2 'pings' in reedbed next to A1 at 19.45 -waited for 20 mins but no further sign. (Also possible sighting on Wed)

Clara Vale LNR - 3 pairs Grey Partridge and Green Woodpecker yaffling nearby.
Dunston Staithes - 9 Shelduck and 1 Common Tern.
Lamesley Reedbeds - 1 Greenshank, 1 Canada Goose, c20 Coot.
Shibdon Pond - One Dingy Skipper

Stargate - Cuckoo calling and Wall, Orange-tip, Dingy Skipper and Peacock Butterflies. Also the first Large Red, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies.
Clara Vale - Another Blue-tailed Damselfly.
Rowlands Gill - 2 Cockchafer around Dipwood road in at 22:15.

Birtley Sewage Works - Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler,Cuckoo, Grey Partridge 4, big influx of Swifts with 300+
Dunston Staithes - 10 Shelduck on the Tyne

Shibdon Pond - 2 pair Ruddy Duck, 8 Common Tern.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Wagtail, Grey Lag with 5 goslings and 7 pair Lapwing.
Lamesley Reedbeds - 6 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Greenshank, 2 Shelduck and a pair of Tufted Duck. [For a warning about security at this site see News & Gossip]
River Tyne at Costco - Iceland Gull on mud at 10:30 and possibly again 11:30.
Timber beach - 2 Ringed Plover and 8 Shelduck.
Stargate - 1 Cuckoo, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Willow Tit, 1 Green Woodpecker and 2 Jay.
Axwell Park - 4 Common Tern, 2 of whicjh were perched on a dead branch in a tree.
Kibblesworth - 1 Little Owl, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Garden Warbler (first for year here), 1 Nuthatch (with food - first confirmed breeding), 1 Grey Heron, 1 Spotted Flycatcher (singing in oak wood again), 1 Kestrel, 1 Oystercatcher, 9 Whitethroats, 2 Grey Partidge, 2 Chiffchaff, 5 Blackcaps, Lapwing with 3 yng. Also - 1 Fox Cub (first confirmed breeding in set), 2 Roe Deer, 2 Hare. 2 Common Buzzard were seen nearby.
Bradley Fell - Cuckoo flew over Greenside cricket club into trees at St John's Church at 11.30 this morning. 2 singing birds were present in this area on Friday 12th.

River Tyne at Costco - The Iceland Gull seen again but flew off towards Shibdon Pond and not yet refound. Probably a second summer bird.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Little Ringed Plover and a Grey Lag with 6 goslings and a Common Snipe.
Shibdon Pond - 100 House Martin. So far the Common Terns are not too impressed with their new rafts and have yet too show any sign of settling down to breed. Sedge Warbler (2), Reed Warbler (heard), Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Litttle Grebe (2), Tufted Duck (11), Cormorant (2), Grey Heron, Swift (12+), Sand Martin (50+), Swallow (10+), Mute Swans (pair with nest), Ruddy Duck (3), Bullfinch, Reed Bunting (2), Lesser Black-backed Gull (6), Great Black-backed Gull (7+), Herring Gull (10+), Canada Goose (4), Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler (5), Song Thrush (2)

Stargate - Lesser Whitethroat, singing well and giving a couple of good views. Also, Green Woodpecker, Common Tern, Little Grebe (2), Blackcap, Kestrel, Whitethroat, Mute Swan (pair with nest), Sand Martin (3+), Swallow (5+), Skylark, Linnet (4+), Yellowhamer, Willow Warbler (6), Chiffchaff (2)

Bradley Fell - Blackcap (4), Song Thrush (4), Whitethroat (5), Chiffchaff (6), Willow Warbler (7), Yellowhammer (5), Skylark (3), Linnet (3+), Swift(2), Coal Tit (2)
Clara Vale - 4 singing Garden Warbler
Timber Beach - A Kittiwake on the river and 3 Ringed Plover.

River Tyne opposite Newburn - Osprey flew low over the river at 09:20
Shibdon Pond - What was probably a second Osprey was seen over the pond. At 14:30 during heavy rainfall the bird was seen being mobbed by Lesser Black-backed Gulls flying NW, presumablyit had been brought down by the rain.

Teams - 1 Ring Necked Parakeet on Keelan's Way, (adjacent to Rose Street) at 10.10am this morning, also 2 Blackcap, 1 Common Whitethroat & 5 Kittiwake (on river collecting nesting material).
Burdon Moor - male kestrel- a regular usually in same spot, Red Fox, Brown Hare, Yellowhammer, Pair of linnet and Curlew
Lamesley Water Meadows - 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Kingfisher and pair of Grey Lag with 8 goslings.

Wood Pigeon One of two birds watched building a nest on 11th. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Far Pasture NR - Pair of Tufted Ducks, Coot and 2 chicks, 3 Goldfinches, 2 Little Grebe, Female Mallard with 9 Ducklings only and 2 Wood Pigeons nest building.

Thornley Woods - 4 Bullfinches, 2 Nuthatches, 2 Willow Tit, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Thornley Unfortunately we cannot read the ring number but several birds have been rung here and it is most probably a local bird. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Greenside/Bradley Fell - Cuckoo singing again in trees next to garden (7am) then possibly the same bird singing from trees 100 yards south of St Johns church Greenside at 6.30pm
Stargate - First Dingy Skippers for the year (two) noted.
Lockhaugh Farm - 1 Small Copper, 1 Wall Brown, 1 Red Admiral, 3 Orange Tip and 1 Peacock butterfly.

Lamesley Water Meadows - 5 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Grey Lag, 5 Woodpigeon, 10+ Sand Martin, 4 Swallow, 6 Jackdaw, 6 Redshank Lapwing and young, Coot, 1 Oystercatcher, Starling, 5 Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Snipe, Moorhen, Magpie, 2 Goldfinch,1 Male Chaffinch, Pr Blackbird, 7 Great Black Backed Gulls flew over and were harassed by Lapwings, 1 male Greenfinch.
Shibdon Pond - A pair of GADWALL seen

Derwent Walk CP - Lesser Whitethroat singing by the car park at the Swalwell entrance.
Far Pasture NR - Mute Swan on nest, Tufted Duck, Coot with 2 chicks, Little Grebe, Reed Bunting, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Long-tailed
Tit, Wren, Goldcrest, Swallow, Sand and House Martin, Swift. 5 Orangetips and 3 Peacocks.

Bradley Fell - 3+ Cuckoos calling and chasing each other around trees next to the village between 4.30 and 5.30pm this afternoon. Eventually flew off in the direction of St John's Church. Also one of the resident Tawny Owls showing well on and off all day, a Jay and singing Blackcap plus a female Goosander over. Grasshopper Warbler reeling from usual spot and the now regular Red Kite at the former workings site east Bradley Fell this afternoon (there were 2 present on 5th).

Tawny Owl This smashing picture was taken at Kibblesworth [Photo: Mark Robinson]

Lamesley Water Meadows - 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1White Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail and a summer plumaged Dunlin.

Lamesley Reedbeds - 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper, another summer plumaged Dunlin.and a Green Woodpecker.

Common Sandpiper One of several that passed through on 6th/7th May [Photo: Ray Wilby]

River Tyne at Dunston - 1 Common Sandpiper
Shibdon Pond - Blackcap, Garden , Reed & Sedge Warblers, Common & Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Ruddy Duck, a brood of 7 Canada Geese and 20 Common Tern Late, a Common Sandpiper was seen and a Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling.

Stargate - Little Grebe, pair Mute Swans,Common Tern, Green Woodpecker and Lesser Whitethroat
Blaydon Quarry - pair of Shelduck plus c.300 holes in Sand Martin colony

West of borough - A Goshawk was seen for 5 minutes.
Stargate - Mute Swans nesting, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Tit, and Red Fox. Cuckoo all afternoon (2-5pm)
Blaydon Burn - pair of treecreepers nest building.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Grey Wagtail and a summer plumaged Dunlin. 2 broods of Lapwing chicks running around..

Lamesley Reedbeds - 1 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Whitethroat,1 Sedge Warbler and a Common Tern.

Common Tern Now back at Shibdon with occassional birds being seen at a number of other areas of water [Photo: Ray Wilby]

River Tyne at Dunston - 9 Shelduck, 1 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Tern and a Kittiwake. 4 Greylag Geese flew east over. No sign of the Common Scoter. A possible Merlin was seen at 07:00hrs.
Shibdon Pond -Reed Warbler and 20 Common Tern

Over the High Fell area of Old Durham Road -, an Osprey seen twice within half an hour, both times being mobbed by gulls. The bird was seen first flying south then half an hour later flying north at maybe 100 feet above the ground.

Burdon Moor - pair of Wheatear, 3 Common Whitethroat and a Sedge Warbler. Also a Brown Hare.
Thornley Lane - singing Garden Warbler.
Ravensworth Fell - Nuthatch in the copse but no sign of the Spotted Flycatcher

River Tyne at Dunston - A female Common Scoter found this lunchtime at Dunston Straithes and drifted up river to opposite Costco before it flew off and landed back at the Staithes. Still present 18:50hrs. This is the exact spot the last Common Scoter was at in Gateshead.

The Common Scoter on the Tyne at Dunston The first Gateshead record since a male was at the exact same spot on 11th August 1996 [Photo: Paul Davidson]

Shibdon Pond - First Reed Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat and 15 Common Tern also present.
Westfield Pasture - This first Holly Blue of this now annual butterfly.
Ravensworth Fell - A Spotted Flycatcher (singing in oakwood at Junction opposite Ravensworth), 1 Red Kite, 1 Little Owl, Lapwing & 3 chicks - first brood of the year, 1 Willow Tit, 'lots' of Tree Sparrows, 6 Whitethroats (decrease on last year), 2 Reed Buntings, 2 Nuthatch (pair), 4 Blackaps.

Red Kite No. 6 with a Carrion Crow We hope to hear some exciting news very soon. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Axwell Park - 2 Common Tern and both Noctule and Pipistrelle bats seen in the evening.
Strother Hills - Wood Warblr still singing.

Willow Warbler at Far Pasture The first bird arrived on the 5th April , a little later than usual ie 1st April in 2005 and 3rd April in 2004. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Strother Hills - Roe Deer and Woodcock
Burdon Moor - 4 Curlew, 4 skylark, 1 male kestrel, Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer and Song Thrush.

Lockhaugh Farm Bank - Common Buzzard over at 1520hrs.
Shibdon Pond - 9 Common Terns this morning pairs were displaying on the rafts. There has been a small fire in the reserve hope this is not the start something more serious.
Clara Vale - 1 Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff all singing.

Shibdon Pond - Grey wagtail (1 male), Sedge Warbler, Ruddy Duck (2 males, 1 female), Goldeneye (1 female), House Martin (1), Sparrowhawk (1 female chased by Mistle Thrush).

Yellowhammer at Burdon Moor A fine cock Yellowhammer. Did you know they have at least 20 other names, including yellow bunting, yellow amber, yellow ring, scribbler, goldie, yellow yoit and guler.[Photo: Michael Dawson]

Burdon Moor - 2 Wheatear, 3 willow warbler, 1 skylark, 1 female kestrel, pair of tufted duck, pair of greylag geese, 4 yellowhammer, 1 red kite flying low over Causey Arch pub and Tanfield railway line. Curlew and Song Thrush heard.

Male Sparrow-hawk This excellent picture is of a fine male that has been visiting a Birtley take-away (garden feeding station) for the last few months [Photo: Bill Richmond]

Ravensworth Fell - No sign of the Lapland Bunting early morning in a 20 minute search. A Short-eared Owl was present and 71 Northern Golden Plover.
Shibdon Pond - A worn First summer Iceland Gull on the water at 09:00. Three Common Terns arrived very early morning to inspect new nesting sites and still present.
Strother Hills - First Wood Warbler of the year singing.
Westfield Pasture - Singing Grasshoper & Garden Warblers.
Bradley Fell - At least 1, possibly 2 Grasshopper Warblers still reeling for the third evening running from rough grass bordering the field opposite the houses. Also a Hedgehog in agarden this evening plus Pipistrelles flying to and from the house eaves. Singing Common Whitethroat also at Dyke Heads this morning plus Skylark and Meadow Pipit.
Swalwell - 50 Swifts at the Swalweell roundabout.

Ravensworth Fell - Superb Lapland Bunting male in summer plumage in the ploughed field opposite and just east of the house. This is the first confirmed record for Gateshead. Also 44 Northern Golden Plover, 2 Oystercatcher, a Lesser Black-backed Gull and 18 Linnet in the same field.
Timber Beach - Common Tern and 2 Ringed Plover
Lamesley Water Meadows - 8 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Yellow Wagtail and 3 White Wagtail.
River Derwent near the viaduct - Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Dipper, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Green Woodpecker (heard), Buzzard, Bullfinch.

Willow Warbler at Far Pasture Though the bird does look quite like a Wood Warbler it is a Willow Warbler. The yellow never reaches as far down as this on a Wood Warbler and they are much cleaner and whiter underneath. The yellow on some Willow Warblers like this bird varies a bit in spring but even by next month it will have worn more grey-green. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Willow Warbler at Far Pasture See comments below. [Photo: Ray Wilby]

Lamesley Reedbeds -2 pair of Little Ringed Plover displaying
Bradley Fell - Grasshopper Warbler still singing.
Hedley Hall Woods - 1 Grasshopper Warbler again singing by the car park. Go through gate, bear right and listen before the footpath starts to go downhill.
Rowlands Gill - Male and female Blackcaps together at Burnopefield Road, Rowlands Gill, this morning at 10:30.