Rainton Meadows, Durham Wildlife Trust

 

My second visit to this reserve was with a coach party from RSPB York Local Group on Saturday March 28th. Several pleasant things to note. The first was that the driver of our coach, Andy, was the driver of the 1st coach trip i took to Mull, 22 years ago! Secondly we had 27 people on the coach and thirdly we had a very knowledgeable 9 year old with us!

We left York at 8am and arrived at the reserve at 0945, on our journey we saw several red kites and kestrels. It was sunny but there was a strong wind to face as we walked around the reserve. As there is only 1 hide, we split up into several groups, so that we did not all end up in the hide at the same time.

The group that I was with visited the bird feeding area first and added blue tit, great tit, woodpigeon and pheasnt to our day list. We heard a chiffchaff but were unable to find it. From the top of Nicholson's Hill we could see the "Durham Acropolis", the Penshaw Monument. 

In common with many wildlife organisations DWT use ponies to help and this is one of their Exmoor Ponies.

Joe's Pond was our next stop. a chiffchaff was singing and eventually came into view, Mute swans, mallards and tufted ducks were on the far side of the ponds where people were throwing food to them.

We then met another part of our group who had heard Cetti's warbler and seen bullfinches. We walked to the hide overlooking pond 2. From here we were able to see a group of about 30 curlews having a bathe, then during our time in the hide another 2 groups flew in making about a 100 in total.

Tufted duck, wigeon, teal, gadwall, mallard, shelduck and goldeneye were on the water. A large group of herring gulls were on one island with a few lessser black-backs.

Barbara then spotted a little ringed plover fly in and land to the left of the hide.

Lapwings, snipe, redshanks and oystercarchers were also visible from the hide. We then walked to ponds 3 and 4, seeing tadpoles in small pools of water. We then returned to the visitor centre and cafe and had a warm drink.

We then walked towards Joe's Pond. People had been putting seed on the top of fence posts and we saw several birds come to feed, including reed bunting, chaffinch and bullfinch.

While we at Joe's Pond we were able to watch a carrion crow mob a female sparrowhawk, and at one point they were above our heads.

As we returned to the visitor centre we saw a treecreeper.

We returned to the bird feeders and for our second visit we were able to watch blue and great tits, robins, treecreeper, coal tit and a willow tit.

An excellent day with 43 birds on my list, including 2 year ticks.

Hartlepool

 Out with RSPB Harrogate Local Group today. We started at the Headland and walked around the coast and finished at the fish docks and after lunch we drove to Jacksons Landing and explored the area around the Marina, ending our trip at Newburn Bridge.

I called in at RSPB Saltho;me on my way home and spent about 20 minutes in the Phil Stead hide.

Waxwings in the mist

 My first task today was to help on a Bittern Experience walk at RSPB Fairburn Ings. Not the best day for birding as visibiity was poor due to mist and people will insist in driving without any lights on!

We heard a bittern boom several times but did not see one, however I got a year tick with a green woodpecker. After the walk I drove to RSPB Blacktoft Sands to talk to Mike about an event this Friday.

On the way I passed some birdeers looking at 2 waxwings. After lunch the sun came out at Blacktoft, much to the delight of the large number of visitors to the reserve. Marsh harriers were acticve and this one perched in a bush opposite 1st hide.

While I was in Marshland hide this buzzard dropped in

It flew off over Ousefleet lagoon disturbing a large flock of black-tailed godwits and another year tick, avocets.

After a chat with Mike and Daz I drove home. Just outside Old Goole I stopped to look at the waxwings. David and Suzzane were there. (suzzane11a.bsky.social). Not great pictures due to the light, but the best I could manage.

Year tick 118.

Black-necked grebe, Cetti's Warbler and Booming Bitterns.

 Since my last posting I have been to Nosterfield Nature Reserve with RSPB York Local Group and helped with a community bird watching walk in the Museum gardens. Today I had a stroll around St.Aidan's Nature Park after completing the weekly H&S checks.

Lots of noise from the black-headed gull colony, which is one of the reasons that the black-necked grebes do well here. The gull colony drives away predators which might otherwise threaten the grebes. The pair I saw were too far away to photograph, perhaps on my next visit they may be closer.

On my stroll around the Eastern and Western reedbeds I heard/saw 8 Cetti's warblers. Not all of them were singing, but as the vegetation is still not in full bloom they were easy to spot. Having said that I only got this poor photo of one!

Plenty of ducks; mallard, tufted, goldeneye, shoveler, gadwall and pochard.

Great crested grebes are now looking smart in their summer plumage.

I heard 4 different Bitterns booming as I strolled around the reedbeds. I hope that I am as lucky tomorrow on my Bittern walk at  Fairburn. Male reed warblers were also flitting about in the reedbeds.

The littel owls were on view today.

RSPB Fairburn Ings.

 

Birding before and after safety checks today. My first session was at the Pickup hide, where the cold wind was blowing straight through the windows! The bird feedes were empty so not many visitors. 18 birds on my list before I started the checks.

After the checks at St. Aidans I returned to the Lin Dike end of Fairburn.

The wind was still as strong but the trees and bushes along the footpath were providing some shelter.

A pair of wagtails were looking for food along the muddy edge.

Lots of black-headed gulls, a few pairs of goldeneye and 4 sand martins were part of my list of 33 birds.

Lots of activity at the feeders in the car park.

Nosterfield tomorrow.

Lower Derwent Valley

 Wednesday March 11th.

I started at North Duffield carrs at 12 noon. On my way to the Geoff Smith hide I met Elaine. After a brief chat I went into the hide and said hello to Alan (duffbirder@blogspot.com) and Haydn. I then walked down to the garganey hide and joined Graham.

Lots of pintail still on site. They were resting to the left of the hide with wigeon, teal, mallard and greylag geese. In the far distance a flock of about 1000 black-taile godwits were by the waters edge. Graham left and 2 otheer birders came into the hide for a short while.

2 oystercatchers landed on an exposed strip of land.

I left the hide shortly after them and called in at the Geoff Smith hide and had a chat with Alan, who is hoping to go to Cyprus soon.

I called in at Thorganby viewing platform on my way home.

Not as much water as on my last visit, but still lots of whooper swans about.

5 tick day

 My day out with Stu  doing a recky for his forthcoming trip was rewarded with 5 year ticks.

Our first stop was Thornton-le-dale. We had just crossed the road and Stu looked up stream and saw a dipper on the left hand side. By the time that I had picked my bins up, the bird was flying rowards us, followed shortly by another. We crossed the road and walked a bit further upstream past a thatched cottage and saw a third dipper. Year tick number 1.

We then drove to Pickering and followed the route that Stu is going to take on his nature tour.

At least 5 mistle thrushes, several dunnocks and chaffinches and then year tick number 2 red-legged partridge. Up onto the moorland now where Stu spotted a red grouse, year tick number3. No suitable place to stop so we continued until we reached Goathland. After a short break we drove to Fen Bog.

We walked down the path until we came to a part that was flooded and returned to the car. This will be the last place on the visit for Stu and his party. We decided to head for Scaling Dam. 

Stu had not been here before so we visited the hide and joined 6 other birders. Nothing special to see and viewing was made difficult as we were looking into the sun. Lockwood Beck was next and there we watched locals carrying out a bird ringing session. Goldfich, greenfich, chaffinch, siskin and great tits had flown into the net and were then handled by the ringers. We went and sat watching the bird feeders.

We walked to the edge of the reservoir and Stu spotted a grey wagtail, year tick number 4.

From Lockwood Beck we drove to Kildale where we spotted year tick number 5, a meadow pipit.

Lots of grouse on the moor.

A pleasant day with excellent company.