March 2006
The star birds were the two Penduline Tits at Portrack Marsh from 23rd, only the second county record. The Teesmouth area also continued to entertain with regular Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Great Northern Diver, several Smew, an Avocet and up to 9 Water Pipits. Nearby, Little Egrets have been coming in to roost at Hartlepool's Rossmere Park late afternoon, allowing a close inspection of these unusual birds, adding a bit of the exotic as we wait for spring to arrive.
Penduline Tit, Portrack Marsh (I Forrest)
Another surprise was the reappearance of the Little Bunting at Dalton Moor/Murton late in the month. Other farmland birds coming to the DBCs feeding station included 100+ Reed Buntings, 300+ Yellowhammer & smaller no’s of Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting & Brambling. Waxwings appeared in several parts of the county, as birds slowly worked their way back to Scandinavia. Up to 78 were at Washington for a week and others were seen in the south of the county. With winter conditions persisting well into mid-month, our local wild bird feeding stations have continued to entertain with Cowpen Bewley, Thornley Woodlands Centre, Washington Wildfowl all holding an interesting selection of species at close range, including Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Willow Tit, Bullfinch, Brambling & Tree Sparrow. There have also been several confusing titmice visiting the feeders at WWWT...
Brambling and Coal Tit (?!), Washington WWT (I Forrest)
Exciting news from the Northern Kites project was that several Red Kites have paired up and been seen displaying, raising hopes of at least some breeding attempts this year. Common Buzzards have also been prominent in the west of the county, with occasional birds in the Lower Derwent valley. Our 4 lowland owl species have been active with Little & Tawnies being especially vocal. Barn Owls have been busy marking territories, but there have been further reports of road killed birds. Male Long-eared’s have been displaying, as we approach the breeding season. Roding Woodcock have been a bonus for owl watchers at several sites.
Cassop Vale is little watched nowadays, but has recently produced 3 Jack Snipe, Water Rail, Sparrowhawk, Little Owl & Grey Partridges. Herrington Country Park has had a nice selection of common birds within reach of the car park along good solid trackways. Recent birds here include Pink footed Goose, Pochard, Wigeon, Little Grebe, Redshank, Lapwing, Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron and Sparrowhawk, but the star was a Black-necked Grebe for a couple of days.
Gull watchers were kept busy early in the month, with perhaps 5 different Icelands between Tyne and Wear, along with Yellow-legged, Glaucous, Little and a few Mediterraneans.
The first migrants appeared early in the month and included Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Pied Wagtails, Skylarks & Meadow Pipits, but the winter weather & cold winds held birds back for a good while. The first real taste of the genuine summer visitors came in the final week, with a sprinkling of coastal Wheatears, 3 Black Redstarts in the Whitburn area, several very early Swallows and House Martins, the usual small parties of Sand Martins at the larger waters, plus a few Ring Ouzel, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps back on territory. However despite an exceptionally early Common Tern being reported at Far Pasture on 23rd, Sandwich Tern numbers were well down on normal.
Other odds and ends seen during the month have included the Green-winged Teal still at Shibdon Pond, up to 8 Common (Mealy) Redpolls at Rainton Meadows and several Scandinavian Rock Pipits at Whitburn.
Scandinavian Rock Pipit,
Whitburn (M Newsome) and Black-necked Grebe, Herrington CP (N Eustace)
It's all excitement from now....!
S Evans & M Newsome Apr’06