Animals Insects Flora Sites News & Gossip

Saturday 28th November 2009

Derwenthaugh Meadows - A Ruddy Shelduck present at 15:10hrs but took off and flew up the Derwent Valley.
Thornley WC - 1 Marsh Tit (present for last few days) and a possible Hawfnch was heard to call twice.
Shibdon Pond - 21 Common Shelduck
Sled Lane - Goosander 2, Shoveler 3, Mute Swan 4, Wigeon 10+, Coot 10+, Moorhen 3, Mallard 20+, Tufted 2, Black-headed Gull 30+, Grey Heron 2.

Wigeon & Shoveler at Sled Lane This small pond is on its way to the best spot in Gateshead for waterfowl [Ray Wilby]

Clara Vale NR - Kingfisher 1, Leucistic Blackbird 1, Robin 1, Wren 1, Mallards 2, Moorhens 3, Dunnock 1, Blue/Great/Coal Tits 6+ of each, Pheasant 2, Magpie 2.

Kingfisher at Clara Vale LNR [Ray Wilby]

Thursday 26th November 2009

Clara Vale LNR - 3 Redwing x 3 on edge of reserve, 1 Great spotted Woodpecker, 1 Sparrowhawk and a Kingfisher on nearest perch to hide.
Far Pasture NR - 1 Little Grebe

Tuesday 24th November 2009

Birtley - 2 Barn Owl have seen on a number of occassions the past two weeks.
Shibdon Pond - pair of Goldeneye , 2 male Shoveler and a pair of Grey Squirrels
Derwenthaugh Meadows - 200 +Teal feeding on the flashes plus the Curlew numbers are beginning to build up 50 + this morning. Also Grey and Pied Wagtail.

Monday 23rd November 2009

Axwell - Woodcock seen at Axwell Gardens
Low Fell - A Red Fox seen at about 8 pm as it ran across Saltwell Road South near Station Road, second time it's been seen here.

Sunday 22nd November 2009

Timber Beach - 500 Golden Plover and a female Goosander

Thursday 19th November 2009

Westfield Pasture - 1 Woodcock and a calling Tawny Owl. 60 Redwing over
Shibdon Pond - 1 Kingfisher, 2 Water Rail, 11 Common Snipe and 46 Cormorant.

Wednesday 18th November 2009

Westfield Pasture - 1 Woodcock and 80 Redwing over

Tuesday 17th November 2009

Various-named Goose at Shibdon [Derek Bilton]

Sunday 15th November 2009

Timber Beach - Single Golden Plover and Dunlin
Lamesley water meadows - Green Sandpiper and 9 Curlew on the Church Pool, 166 Teal counted on the main water meadows, plus Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. 30 Fieldfare flew over.
Thornley - 3 Red Kite, Kestrel, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Redpoll, Wren, Pheasant, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Robin, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Willow Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Woodpigeon, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie & Carrion Crow
Shibdon Pond - 20 Canada Geese, 2 Barnacle Geese, Kingfisher, Teal, Cormorants, 10 Common Snipe, Lapwing, Moorhen, Mallards

Barnacle Goose at Shibdon [Derek Bilton]

Birtley reedbeds - 1 Water Rail, 2 Sparrowhawk (mf) and 2 Stock Dove nearby.
Watergate Pond - Female Mandarin, 9 Tufted Duck, 2 Little Grebe and a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull. Green Woopecker calling.

The female Mandarin at Watergate

Saturday 14th November 2009

Shibdon Pond - 2 Kingfisher
Sled Lane - 2m 1f Shoveler, 12+ Wigeon, pr Goosander, 2f Goldeneye, 1m 6f Tufted Duck, 1 Canada Goose, 4 Mute Swan, Grey Heron & numerous Mallard, Coot and Moorhen

Kestrel at Lamesley Water Meadows [Derek Bilton]

Friday 13th November 2009

Clara Vale LNR - 2 Kingfisher

Tuesday 10th November 2009

Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher, Redwing, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Siskin noted

Monday 9th November 2009

Ryton - 1 Tawny Owl calling this evening.
Derwenthaugh Meadows - 1 Jack Snipe (a much smaller bird, much darker and it was lying flat to the ground) and 20+ Common Snipe Also Curlew and Redshank
Shibdon Pond - 1 Wigeon and a pair of male Shoveler

Sunday 8th November 2009

Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Wigeon, 150 Mallard, 100+ Teal, 280 Lapwing, 1 Common Buzzard and 1 Kingfisher. A Great spotted Woodpecker nearby.
Birtley - 65 Pink-footed Geese flew over heading south.
Sled Lane -Mute Swan 4, Wigeon 6, Tufted Duck 2, Coots 10+, Mallard 10, Little Grebe 1.

Cormorant at Sled Lane [Ry Wilby]

Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher 1, Moorhen 2, Goldfinch 3, Pheasant 3, Magpie 3, Blackbird 2, Robin 2, Wren 2, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Great Tit 8+, Blue Tit 6+, Cormorant 1 (Flew By), Dunnock 2, Coal Tit 6+, Long Tailed Tit 6+, Chaffinch 1, Jackdaw 10+, Treecreeper 2.

Tree-creeper at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

East Bradley Fell - Very good count of farmland birds west of cricket club: Large numbers of several species feeding amonst stubble & adjacent fallow fields included up to 100 Yellowhammer (possibly more), 20-30 Tree Sparrow, c70 Linnet, 50+ Goldfinch, 500+ Wood Pigeon & a scattering of Skylark. A variety of other species included Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay & a tribe of Long-tailed Tit.

Kingfisher at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Saturday 7th November 2009

Grey Heron at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Friday 6th November 2009

Shibdon Pond - A singing Chiffchaff today.

Goldfinch at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Wednesday 4th November 2009

Lamesley Water Meadows - A Green Sandpiper on the Church Pool.
Shibdon Pond - A big influx of Blackbirds to the reserve with a few Redwing among them, also in the reserve Goldfinch ,Greenfinch , Bullfinch and Reed buntings

Sparrowhawk at Clara Vale Compare this bird with the picture underneath and never say you get mixed up with Sparrowhawks and Kestrels again. [David Wilson]

Clara Vale LNR - Kingfisher 1, Blackbirds 12+, Long Tailed Tits 6+, Blue/Great/Coal Tits 10+ of each, Nuthatch 2, Magpie 2, Wren 2, Dunnock 2, Grey Heron 1, Cormorants 2 flew by, Robin 1, Coot 2, Goldfinches 6+, Great Spotted Woodpecker 1, Bullfinch 1, Greenfinches 3, Kestrel 1, Pheasant 1, Sparrowhawk 1.

Long-tailed Tit at Clara Vale [Ray Wilby]

Sled Lane Pond - Cormorant 1, Black-headed Gulls 20+, Coots 4, Canada Geese 2, Tufted Duck 3, Mute Swan 4.

Tuesday 3rd November 2009

Shibdon Pond - 50 + Goldfinch feeding on Teasel
Derwenthaugh meadows - After the rain the flashes have filled up and held 20+Curlew and 2 Redshank with Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail on the burn that runs from there to the Tyne

Monday 2nd November 2009

Lamesley Water Meadows - Magpie, Black-headed Gull, Snipe, Teal, Mallards, Starlings, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Collared Doves, Woodpigeon, Kestrel, Curlew, Long Tail Tit, Wren, Carrion Crows Kingfisher, Moorhen, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrow & Blackbird

Mistle Thrush Visiting a bird table at Birtley again [Roy Jackson]

Sunday 1st November 2009

Lamesley Water Meadows - 1 Kingfisher. Also 30 x Greylag Geese, Teal, Mallards, Pheasant, 2 x Collared Doves, Starlings, Wren, House Sparrows, Blackbirds & Kestrel landed on fence
Far Pasture NR - 3 x Red Kites overhead, 2 x Kestrel from car-park, Carrion Crows, Snipe, Moorhen, Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit x 2, Robin & Bullfinch

Fighting Pheasants [[Ray Wilby]

for previous months bird records see bottom of page