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Tuesday 30th September 2008

Birtley- A flock of 70 Pink-footed Geese flew west.
Shibdon - A flock of about 40 Pink-footed Geese flew NW over Shibdon towards the Tyne.

Monday 29th September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 1 Kingfisher, 9 Shoveler and 1 Shelduck +
Derwenthaugh Meadows - 50+Curlew and 6 Grey Heron

Curlews in flight Good numbers are about in the very wet meadows along the Tyne and Derwent at the moment [George Simpson]

Sunday 28th September 2008

Excellent movement of Pink-footed Geese with 550-950 birds seen.

Clara Vale - 100 Pink-footed Geese flew west and the first Redwing of the autumn flew over.
Rowlands Gill - Some sightings from a Rowlands Gill garden - Skeins of Pink-footed Geese mid-late morning S - SE over Rowlands Gill c120, c200, 44 and later 3 grey geese flew east (unidentified). 3 Swallows flew south. Soaring Buzzard sightings of 1, 2, and 1 probably involved the same birds 1 - 5 red kites active most of the day, Kestrel and sparrow hawk both seen hunting. A male GSWoodpecker visited the garden and a Nuthatch flew over.
Stargate - Between 10-11.30am 5 skeins of Pink-footed Geese over each 100+ birds all heading south-east: 2pm Kingfisher present
Team valley - 7 Canada Geese flew over
Shibdon Pond - 1 Kingfisher, 15 Shoveler, 3 Wigeon and 175 Teal plus flocks of 21 and 15 Long-tailed Tit.
Lamesley Water Meadows - Single Canada Goose and family of 6 Moorhens (2 adults & 4 chicks) hopefully this late brood will survive. 30+ Greylag Geese flew off.
Birtley Sewage works - 1 Kingfisher seen again
Thornley WC - A Sparrowhawk was hanging around for a good hour and half

Saturday 27th September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 1 Shelduck and 1 Peacock
Whickham - A Whimbrel flew over heading east at 7am
Kibblesworth brickworks pool - Common Buzzard, Kestrel, 2 Snipe, a   Kingfisher on stream behind caravan park

Friday 26th September 2008

Shibdon Pond -  Great Spotted Woodpecker ,Jay, Reed Bunting, Bullfinch , Goldfinch and Long tailed Tits in the reserve and Shoveler, Cormorant, Teal, Tufted Duck, Canada Geese, Mallard, Coot and Moorhen, on the pond.
Dyke Heads- Juvenile Whinchat 4.30pm in hedgerow approx 150m west of Dyke Heads
Kibblesworth brickworks pool - Crossbill present here again
Birtley reedbeds - . The 'Green Woodpecker' tree has been uprooted and washed away in the recent floods. 2 Common Buzzard flew over.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 75 Grey Lag and a Kingfisher.

Thursday 25th September 2008

Shibdon Pond -A Green Woodpecker

Tuesday 23nd September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 3 Wigeon and 6+ Shoveler, Jay a a flock of Goldfinch..
Clara Vale - 35 Grey Geese sp. flew west. Also Wren, Goldfinch,Bullfinch,

Monday 22nd September 2008

Clara Vale - 17 Lesser Redpoll

Sunday 21st September 2008

Shibdon Pond - A Common Buzzard flew west at 06:45. 3 Common Snipe, 35 Redshank, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 11 Shoveler and 3 Wigeon.
Lamesley Water Meadows - 37 Greylag, 6 3 Common Snipe and a Kingfisher.
Burdon Moor - 2 Red Kite (including an untagged adult), 1 Chiffchaff (juvenile), 1 Coal Tit, 25 Common Snipe and 2 Golden Plover. 23 Swallow and 46 Skylark flew south.
Axwell Park - A Common Buzzard flew over heading south at 13:00hrs.
Metrocentre - A Honey Buzzard reportedly flew south over the west side at 14:25hrs
Kibblesworth brickworks pool -ACrossbill seen by the caravan site.

Saturday 20th September 2008

Bradley Hall - A Honey Buzzard flew over
Axwell/Shibdon - 2 heading SW, then 1 (heading SW) Honey Buzzard flew over. 2 of these were seen near Stargate when another was also seen.
Thornley Woods - An adult pale morph Honey Buzzard flew over late afternoon
Lamesley Water Meadow - Moorhen 2 still on nest and are sitting on it) Greylags 39, Rooks 8, Snipe 10+, Black Headed Gull 100+, Mallard 4, Kingfisher (flew in front of the hide twice) Wren 2, 20+, Goldfinch 20+, Chaffinch 2, Robin 1, Magpie 4, Coot 1, Grey Heron 3.
Stargate Quarry - 2 Honey Buzzards (2 of the 3 seen from Axwell/Shibdon) flew over. Also a Kingfisher on the pond.
Shibdon Pond - A Kingfisher was sitting right in front of hide at 07:00hrs.
Axwell Park - Tawny Owl calling from Axwell Park woods for about 1 hour at 20:00hrs.

Frisay 19th September 2008

Cowen Road. Blaydon - Family of about 8 Coal Tits seen.
Lamesley Water Meadow - Moorhens have built a nest despite (or because) of the high water levels
Thornley Woodland centre - Sparrowhawk came to bathe.

[Joanne Ravey]

Thursday 18th September 2008

Derwenthaugh - 5 Goosander resting on the river

Wednesday 17th September 2008

Derwenthaugh - 3 Goosanders and 9 Mute Swans

Goosanders at Derwenthaugh [George Simpson]

Lamesley Water Meadows - A Kingfisher giving very good views at 13.30 , later two Kingfishers on fence behind pools, in front of church, then one back to fence on right. 7 Common Snipe, along with 35 Greylags, Grey Heron and many Black-headed Gulls. 9 Mistle Thrush flew over..
Burdon Moor - 20 Mallard, 1 Kestrel, 2 Moorhen, 3 Snipe, 15+ Swallow, 1 Green Woodpecker, 3 Skylark, 15+ Meadow Pipit, 2 Whinchat, 1 Stonechat, 2 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff, 3+ Long-tailed Tit, 1 Willow Tit & 2 Goldfinch. Also light passage of Skylark's southbound.

Tuesday 16th September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 8 Shovelers 80+ Teal ,Snipe, Redshank and a Kingfisher
East Bradley Fell old workings - c35 Lesser Redpoll late this afternoon. Also influx of Goldcrests with birds heard amongst the gorse & pines, plus Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Yellowhammer, Linnet and a Sparrowhawk sitting on a field gate being goaded by a very confident Jay.

Monday 15th September 2008

Hedley Hall Woods - A Honey Buzzard was seen flying over at 16:00hrs. This may have been a lingering bird as few Honey Buzzards reported today and nearly all were well to the south.
Rowlands Gill - Peregrine and 2 Common Buzzard flew over. A Migrant Hawker visited a garden.
Derwent Walk CP - Kingfisher, redhead Goosander and Grey Wagtail.
Watergate Park - A Common Buzzard seen.
Shibdon Pond - 3 Shovelers on the Pond
Thornley Woodland Centre - Goldcrest, Treecreeper and Bullfinch amongst the commoner species.

Sunday 14th September 2008

Ravensworth Fell - The second day of a large movement of Honey Buzzard, sent one into Gateshead after yesterday's 'near misses' of Burnhopfield, Newcastle, Bywell and Hebburn. A dark morph juvenile flew SE over the Fell, heading towards Lamesley early afternoon. At nearby Burdon Moor, the Whinchat still was present together with a pair of Stonechat.
East Bradley Fell - Another Honey Buzzard flew over heading SW late morning, flying quite low but seen only briefly before being lost behind trees..
Shibdon Pond - 3 Wigeon , 3 Shoveler and a drake Pochard. Also a noticable increse in thushes (Blackbirds and Song Thrushes) today.
River Tyne at Timber Beach - 63 Redshank, 9 Curlew and a Common Shelduck. Also 1 Small White butterfly.
River Tyne at Derwenthaugh - 1 Kingfisher, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Little Grebe with 2 Goosander nearby on the River Derwent and 60+ Curlew on the meadows.
Axwell Park - 6.30am: 10 Curlew flew over heading south east

Little Grebes at Kibblesworth Best known for its Dragonflies and adjacent Grayling butterflies the ponds. especially the main pond have attracted Greenshank, Green Sandpiper and Crossbill as well these breeding Little Grebes the past couple of years. [Gordon Pollinger]

Saturday 13th September 2008

Axwell Park - Among usual more common visitors to a garden table were Song Thrush and Nuthatch. Neither seen for months.

Thursday 11th September 2008

Axwell Park - Two Swift around estate at 6.45am today
Derwenthaugh - 6 Grey Wagtail , 4 Pied Wagtail , 1 Goosander , Curlew and Redshank
Cowen Road, Blaydon - 1 Common Darter in a garden and a Small White
Shibdon Pond - afternoon - - 30+Goldfinch , Green Woodpecker , Kingfisher ,
Swalwell - The field behind the Premier Inn (Taybarns) held 20 +Curlew and 3 Grey Heron.
Far Pasture NR - Kingfisher seen again, and again did not linger. Moorhen appeared to be sitting on its nest. Apart from a Carrion Crow - no other birds at all present!

Wednesday 10th September 2008

Cowen Road, Blaydon - Still a Chiffchaff singing
Rowlands Gill - An Osprey, and later a Common Buzzard flew over.

Tuesday 9th September 2008

Far Pasture NR - 1 Common Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Reed Bunting, 2 Jays only 2 Swan and Moorhen seen on water
Timber Beach - No mud visible at low tide for the second day running. The whole of the area is covered in braches (and trees) and other debris. A single Golden Plover present

Monday 8th September 2008

Clara Vale - 4 Common Buzzard and 3 Sparrowhawk together high over Clara this afternoon. Later a single Common Buzzard (possibly . 2) in the reserve. Also Lesser Redpoll and a singing Chiffchaff.
Rowlands Gill - A late morning /early afternoon sightings of 1, 1, 3 then 2 Common Buzzards flying over. Also Sparrowhawk and usual smattering of of 1-3 Red Kites.
Crawcrook Quarry - A Green Sandpiper sttill present
Sled Lane Pond - 3 Little Grebes and a pair of Wigeon.

Sunday 7th September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 1 'Dawn til Dusk' watch from the hide proved very profitable for the relatively few that attended with Hobby, Mediterranean Gull, Whinchat, Spotted Flycatcher. a late Common Swift and a Kingfisher all being seen despite the very high water levels wit the recent heavy rainfall.
River Tyne at Derwenthaugh - Common Sandpiper.
Far Pasture NR - 2 Kingfisher flew over but did not land
Lamesley - Many of the fields flooded and 4 Goosander on one of them and a Kingfisher seen from teh hide

Saturday 6th September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 1 Kingfisher seen in the heavy rain

Friday 5th September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 10.00 - 10.45 from hide - 1 Kingfisher, 39 Redshank, 10 Lapwing, 70+ Teal, 7 Shoveler, 4 Little Grebe, 3 House Martin, several Swallow and a Chiffchaff calling. 2 Green Sandpipers, 1 Sedge Warbler, calling Water Rail and teh Tree-creeper seen mid afternoon.
Burdon Moor - Whinchat still present
Cowen Road, Blaydon - Probable Migrant Hawker flew past

Thursday 4th September 2008

Cowen Road, Blaydon - Chiffchaff calling, at 11am in grounds and still House Martins high above.
Lamesley Water Meadows - Short-eared Owl seen nearby from Pennyfine Road.

Wednesday 3rd September 2008

Shibdon Pond - 2 Green Sandpiper, 70 + Redshank plus 2 Gadwall , 4 Shoveller and Teal
Derwent meadows - 10 Curlew
Lamesley Water Meadows - 1, possibly 2 Green Sandpiper

Tuesday 2nd September 2008

Lamesley water meadows - 1 Kingfisher & 1 Grey Wagtail.
Shibdon Pond - 1 Kingfisher, 1 Green Sandpiper, 80+ Teal & a Treecreeper.
Burdon Moor - 14:00hrs - 1 Whinchat (good views from the circular footpath)
Cowen Road, Blaydon - Chiffchaff calling again and a Hawker sp
Sherburn Towers - 16 Red Kites cam into roost.
Rowlands Gill - Hobby flew over, probbaly a juvenile and 1-2 Common Buzzard in the area for last 6 days

Kingfisher at Clara Vale [Michael Eccles]

Monday 1st September 2008

Kibblesworth brickworks pools - Kestrel and Sparrowhawk over main pond.
Rowlands Gill - A big female Goshawk came over early afternoon, possibly the same bird was seen earlier, saw soaring with a Red Kite in the distance late morning over the farm, buzzard-sized with distinct bands on spread tail but the observer couldn’t tell whether vivid white showing at rear was rump or coverts as view then was all too brief by the time he got his binoculars on it.
Crawcrook Quarry - Lesser Whitethroat and Green Sandpiper present