July 2006

The month saw birders and breeding birds alike enjoy the glorious summer weather. A little bit of history was made at Washington WWT with Durham's first ever breeding Avocets! The 2 chicks hatched out in the very early hours of 7^th and were defended vigorously by the exocet-like parents. The family were still all doing well at the months end. (thanks to all DBC members involved in the 24 hour guarding).
Other species noted to have bred successfully included Kingfisher, Redstart, Yellow Wagtail and Green Woodpecker, with Stonechat broods noted from moorland & coastal sites. Further good news from Northern Kites with at least 2 widely distributed pairs producing flying young. Negative news though from Black necked Grebes with no breeding birds this year….

Avocets and Red Kite - our star breeders in 2006 (I Forrest)

Attention focused on the coast from mid month. Post breeding flocks of gulls & terns built up with Sandhaven Beach at South Shields faring best with 5+ Roseate Terns, 10+ different Mediterranean Gulls and several Yellow-legged Gulls, amongst a host of other species. Nearby Whitburn Steel held similar species along with up to 400 returning Golden Plover and visiting Whimbrel & Curlew Sandpiper. Storm Petrel ringing at Whitburn was a great success with close to 100 birds trapped in the month and up to 55 people attending one public session, while Hartlepool was also successful with 33 birds trapped on 26^th.

Little Gull at South Shields (M Newsome) and Storm Petrel (J Todd)

Seawatchers scored at Whitburn Obs on 2^nd with a fine Caspian Tern (a few phone calls enabled half a dozen birders catch up with it at close range an hour later at Hartlepool!) & an adult Long tailed Skua the same day. The first Sooty Shearwater passed the Obs on 22^nd and the large midsummer movements of Common Scoters were noted on several days. Great and Arctic Skuas however were still quite scarce.

Passage waders built in number with Black tailed Godwits being especially prominent, this started with 32 south at Shields on 2^nd culminating with 182 on Dorman's Pool on 13^th with others at Castle Lake & Rainton Meadows. Post breeding Little Ringed Plovers built to 8 at Stoneybeck & 18 at Lamesley. Green Sandpipers were almost daily at Washington whereas Wood Sandpipers were restricted to just 4 birds including singles at Hetton & Houghton Gate. Seaton Snook scored with a good selection of shorebirds with the star prize being two White-rumped Sandpipers on 31^st. Up to 5 Little Egrets were regular on Tees marshes, with Portrack Marsh, 26^th & Washington WWT, 16^th both attracting them for the first time this year.

Despite the season being delayed Little & Long-eared Owls had young on the wing, Unlike last July there were no reports of any Barns owls fledged, although young were in nests!

Long-eared Owls (I Forrest) and Roseate Tern (M Newsome)

Oddments during the period included a fly through Turtle Dove at Hetton on 21^st, Crossbills at Houghton & Hetton mid-month, a female Black Redstart at Trow Quarry on 26^th. A surprise at Boldon Flats on 23^rd was a Water Rail emerging from thick vegetation. Two unseasonal Goldeneye were noted, a female at Bishop Middleham on 1^st & a juvenile at South Shields on 20^th.

Warbler records were limited but good numbers of Grasshopper Warblers continued to reel late in the month with 5 birds at Nissan, Cowpen Bewley & Usworth & 4 at Hetton Bogs & West Boldon, but Swifts were streaming off away to the south at the months end, a sure sign that summer is starting to slip away…

The months highlights/unusual sightings: 

 1^st  Goldeneye                 Castle Lake 

 2^nd  Black Tern                Barmston Pond 

 2^nd Black-necked Grebe   Saltholme Pools

 2^nd  Garganey                  Rainton Meadows

 2^nd  Long-tailed Skua        Whitburn Obs 

 2^nd  Caspian Tern              Whitburn Obs

3^rd Black Tern                    Saltholme Pools

4^th Spotted Redshank         Cowpen Marsh

5^th Hobby                           Hetton Lyons

6^th  Semipalmated Sandpiper Back Saltholme

11^th Marsh Warbler              Haverton Hole

12^th Ring-necked Parakeet    Gateshead

13^th Crossbill                        Houghton-le-Spring

15^th Black Tern                     Herrington CP

17^th Black Tern                      Hurworth Burn

19^th Hobby                             Hurworth Burn

20^th Goldeneye                       South Shields

21^st Turtle Dove                       Hetton Lyons

22^nd Ruff                                 Back Saltholme

22^nd Sooty Shearwater             Whitburn

23^rd Water Rail                         Boldon Flats

26^th Black Redstart                   Trow Quarry

26^th White-rumped Sandpiper     Seaton Snook (2 on 31^st)

26^th Black Redstart                    Trow Quarry

26^th Curlew Sandpiper                 Whitburn Steel

30^th Bar-tailed Godwit                 Derwenthaugh

30^th Merlin                                 Whitburn Range

Steve Evans (August '06)