The Birds of Durham Heritage Project

Last week I went to the talk by Keith Bowey and  Paul Anderson of DBC ,giving an insight into the forthcoming Book  Birds of Durham, and what an interesting talk it was the guy can certainly tell a tale , I don't mean it was fiction but he certainly has  a way of  putting the story across his mind must be full of  anecdotal stories , I did think it was rather poorly attended given that it was a free event in the prestigious  venue of Gateshead Civic Centre Council Chamber and the amount of work those involved have put in , but the talk was avidly listened to by those that did attend , we heard about Britain's first Great Reed Warbler , bones from a Great Auk  dug up in a garden and G.W. Temperley where just some of topics covered. I must confess to having missed the last part of the talk , I went into a coughing fit and thought it appropriate to leave the room , but I will attend the next talk to find out what I missed and looking forward to it !!!

Seghill Tip

Had a couple of hours in the area of Seghill Tip trying to find a good vantage point to scan through the thousands of gulls , a large group of  mainly Great Black backed /and Herring gulls had settled on the north edge of a field with winter wheat  , its not only being able to scan them but also getting the light especially this low winter light which can be very strong behind you , so scope set up, first scan to look for obvious "white wingers", many of the gulls tightly packed and at lot lying on the ground  but no sign of any, so next checking them very slowly for anything that stood out from the rest hoping for Caspian which I confess I have not seen yet . Have been thinking about going to an area that has frequent sightings of  YL/Caspian which looks like Seaton Common is the nearest, one juvenile bird caught my eye nice clean white head with a beady eye, no sooner had I got onto it when it lifted and settled in the back of the flock only showing its head . I also check for leg rings but could only find one Orange ringed bird  in a flock of Herring Gulls /BH and 3 Common Gulls . So it was rather disappointing ,a freezing wind and distant birds, but I still enjoyed it. Ended the day at Blyth South Harbour hoping the fishing fleet ? had perhaps brought some gulls in with them but very few around no Snow Buntings and only one colour ringed Shag as most where on the river.

 Even failed to get the ring clear enough to read !!!!!!

Colour ringed Shag Blyth Harbour looks like TUZ ?

Holywell Pond

A couple of hours at Holywell Pond 40 odd Greylags ,30+ Teal  at the west end , the Greylags left ,b ut large numbers of Gulls started dropping in to bathe could pick out nothing out of the ordinary from the large gathering but in any case I did not have a scope, the feeders devoid of birds even though they had just been filled.

Huge numbers of Wood Pigeon lifted from the woods and hedge flushed by a Buzzard, this was a well marked individual and I wanted to try and get some photos , but it just sat in various trees on the far side till it eventually dropped over the hedge out of sight . Then I noticed about 20 Geese heading straight for me coming in silent as they dropped on the water I thought  there Bean Geese 18 in total the most I have seen in one flock , I noticed a couple with more orange on the bill with some degree of white to the base and where they larger ? thinking these two could be  Taiga  ,with no scope all I could do was get a few photos the light ever changing making the odd bill look more like Pinkfoot , but  looking at the photos as they left they where all Bean Geese but I think all are Tundra. only one called a single very soft note which I only just heard. I waited for another half hour in the hope of Water Rail but no luck, a flock of 200+ Pinkfeet heading south ended the day.

 Greylag leave

 Bean drop in

 there where two similar birds this is one on the right that I thought may have been Taiga

They drifted nearer

 Before they  lifted as one and left

More Desert Wheatear

My visit to the Desert Wheatear I got more than some photos of the bird I also picked up a good dose of Cold/Flu which has laid me up most of the week reminiscent of my winters spent at Linton Pond looking through the gulls so stiff with the cold it was hard walking back to the car (but I do miss it), good to see it's still around hope it's finding plenty to eat , so here is a few more of mine I'm sure there are plenty to look through on the net ,which is all the birding I'm doing just now.

In true Panto fashion  time to say "It's Behind You"!!!!!!!!!!

Desert Wheatear

A Very Pleasant but very cold afternoon along the beach at Beacon Point Newbiggin  for the Desert Wheatear which performed remarkably well giving views done to a few feet, what a little star , it seemed to have a bias to pose to the left with most of the shots facing that way , you would think you couldn't fail to get some decent photos at this range , mine seem a little soft I think it's time to get my lens serviced .  Purple Sandpipers on the shore and a single Snow Bunting on the Golf course and 4 Short Eared Owls on the ash lagoons area, it took me till near home to get warmed up in the car with the blower full blast , I'm getting soft.

I also added a couple of different poses to Birdguides might as well add mine to the many others.

 Alula seems  displaced on this side