Eastern Crowned Warbler

This was my first MEGA as well as a first for the UK ever!
Showed really well and I had it in the scope quite a few times. Very faint wing bar nothing like a Yellow-browed Warbler and also the crown stripe along the top of the head.

I am not a well bearn' tonight. I am going away on holiday tommorow. So more details when I come back.

Teesside + Bluethroat

Had a very enjoyable day out today with fellow Durham Bird Club members. Me, Stew, Derek, and Andrew-G Raine descended upon Teesside once again.


First of all we went to South Gare. At South Gare we had the pipit sp. It flew over our heads and started to call. With Derek having had experience of Richard Pipit he said that, that bird was it. It flew over our heads and I noticed it was quite large and very much like a wagtail more so that a pipit. Its call was like a high pitched house sparrow. It was really long in the tail and defiantly a pipit. Therefore we where sure it was a Richards Pipit. With Derek having experienced the species in the past I was happy to tick it off. Sadly I barely got it in my bins and if I did I was out of focus with it being so close. It all happened so quick!

After out fleeing glimpse we saw nothing else so we left. We went to Salthome RSPB and to the bottom tank. There was not much there at all! Only birds of note where Black-tailed Godwit, Teal, Snipe, and Dunlin.

So we went onto Dorman's Pool. Again nothing much of interest apart from Kingfisher (which I missed), and also Sparrowhawk right in front of the car. This all happened during dinner! After dinner Derek received a report of a Bluethroat! So onward as fast as we could to Hartlepool Headland to the Bowling green to try and see the Bluethroat. When we arrived there were a handful of birders. Eventually the number of birders increased and there must have been 25-40 people there at one time. Cracking bird! Male aswell!?!?!?!

(Bluethroat - Hartlepool Headland)

After that fantastic bird we went onto Hartlepool Headland where the only bird of note where two fantastic close range Velvet Scoter! They sat for a while then took off and I saw there white secondaries defiantly confirming they where Velvet Scoters. Also we had 1 Manxie heading north. Then we went looked along the pier and had Purple Sandpiper, Knot, and Turnstone.

(Turnstone & Purple Sandpiper & Knot)

Then onto Newburn where we had Mediterranean Gull, Sanderling, Purple Sandpipers, Ringed Plover, and Oystercatcher.

(Mediterranean Gul - Newburn Bridge)

Then the rest of the crew had an ice cream! Then we went to try for the Lapland Bunting at......can't remember the name but quickly gave up as we saw it was to big of a task and it was getting dark.

Life List updates:

214 - Richard's Pipit

215 - Bluethroat

Year List updates:

201 - Richard's Pipit

202 - Bluethroat

Club Trip to Northumberland - Drurdige & Holy Island

Was out on a Durham Bird Club trip today. Fantastic time, good birds + good company = fantastic day!


First of all we went along to Cresswell Pond and had a quick scan of the pools. Birds of note where: 3 Scaup, 1 Red-throated Diver, and Red-breasted Mergansers. Then straight to Druridge where I bumped into two of the lads who I am usually out with birding. A quick hello and "You’re not going to have that Glossy Ibis and me miss it" (All jokes obviously) then like a bullet out of a gun along to the hide with the Glossy Ibis. It had moved from right in front of the hide to the left hand side. Had a good look at the bird and watched it for quite a while. Fantastic bird! I am glad I got it after dipping it 2 Saturdays ago.

(Glossy Ibis - Druridge Pools)

Next we went onto Holy Island. The coach pulled up and we went straight for the Firecrest. Once we had arrived it started calling. I saw it briefly a few times and saw the supercilium. It was working its way along and Ando (A DBC friend) said to come over and sit at the end and we would see it. So we did that and sure enough it came out in full view for a few seconds and them disappeared, a moment I will probably never forget. What a fantastic bird! My favourite of the day. We left it in piece and then onto the rest of Holy Island.

Next to the “main” part of Holy Island and from here we had 2 Yellow-browed Warblers! Once of them showing really well with another mate of mine getting some great photos of it. I also saw my first ever Pied Flycatcher and Brent Goose! I also had fantastic close range views of a Lesser Whitethroat and Brambling.

5 life ticks!

Life List updates
209 – Glossy Ibis
210 – Firecrest
211 – Yellow-browed Warbler
212 – Pied Flycatcher
213 – Brent Geese

Year List updates
195 – Glossy Ibis
196 – Firecrest
197 – Yellow-browed Warbler
198 – Brambling
199 – Pied Flycatcher
200 – Brent Geese

Sixth from college tommorow! Yey! NOT!

Crane again

Went back to try and see if I could get my mate the Common Crane as he had not seen it yet. We started off at Ouslaw Lane in Kibblesworth but nothing at all apart from couple of pigeons. So we headed down to Lamesely Water Meadows to look for it. No immediate sign so we headed for the hide. Whilst there we had a couple of good birds with Buzzard, Kestrel, 40c Teal, Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe, Collared Dove, Woodpigeon, Black-headed Gull, Pied Wagtail (heard), Cormorant (over), and Greylang Geese. We spent about 30 - 45 mins there. We left and thought we would try Ouslaw Lane again just incase it has put in a show. We pulled over and I got out. I looked between two hedges and there in the distance I saw something grey and large. That's it! So I got my scope out and we watched it for about 10minutes before heading of. It was very distant compared to when I had it 100yrds off but it was still fantastic to see this bird again before it leaves. Just glad my friend saw it before it leaves.

(Common Crane standing tall)

Common Crane (Common!?!?! how dare they)

I had the NOT so Common Crane today at Lamesley Water Meadows. What a cracking bird that was! Made up for dipping the Glossy Ibis on Saturday.

I was sitting in McDonalds eating the cardboard food that is on offer there when my phone started to ring and I saw it was a friend from the Bird Club who informed me it was showing well at the location and doesn't look like its gunna be going anywhere anytime soon. So straight home and on our way to see it. Got a lift from a non birdy friend who seemed to enjoy looking at it also. A very impressive bird and perhaps one of my favourites this year.

(It was present about 50yards past the Ravensworth Pub in the field on the left hand side of the road. You can view it from the side of the road. Still present when I left at 1:55.)

(Common Crane - Andrew Kinghorn)

Life list updates

208 - Common Crane

Year list updates

194 - Common Crane

HOODED MERGANSER - Could be same as WILD Fife bird last year!!!!

Hello,
I thought people may well be interested to know that the Hooded Merganser in Teesside may well be the exact same bird that was at Tayport in Fife last year!

The bird at Teesside has an abnormality on its right leg. The Tayport bird in Fife last year also had an abnormality also on its right leg, coincidence??? I personally certainly don't this so. The bird in Fife was accepted by the BBRC.

For more information and also photographic proof see the "Durham Birding" thread on BirdForum post number #11029
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1603645#post1603645

OR

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=1604099&postcount=11029

Please subscribe if you haven't already.
Andrew K

(Hoooded Merganser on bank - AKinghorn)

No Glossy but a Barnie

Unfortunatly the Glossy Ibis managed to suddenly dissapear! We arrived at 3:30pm and there was still no sign or reports by the time we left at 4:45pm. However still a good days birding with: Goldeneye, Scaup, and Pink-footed Geese at Cresswell Pond.

On to Drurdige Pools to look for the Otters but nowt' but Redshank, 2 Dunlin, Mute Swans, Moorhen, Mallard, and Grey Heron. Then on the way back a fellow birder spotted a Barn Owl. We got about a 5 second view before is dissapeared.

Other birds of the day included: Lapwings, Gulls, Godwits sp (I didn't pay yo much attention, to busy looking for Ibis), Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Curlew, Wigeon, Teal, Greenshank, and that's about it.

Not a bad day all in all.