May 2006

May is The month for many birders, with, quite often a bird in every bush. An example of this wealth & diversity of our County’s birdlife was shown mid month with a Bird Race team locating 150 species in one day. 

Wader passage was at its peak with Wood Sandpipers in particular being well represented – Haverton Hole, Hetton Bogs, Castle Lake, North Gare, West Pastures, Back Saltholme & Houghton Gate all recording the species. A period of heavy rain mid month grounded both Temmincks & Little Stints in the North Tees area with 10 wader species present at Bishop Middleham pools in similar conditions. The importance of shallow pools inland at this time of year was shown at West Pastures & Houghton Gate, which recorded 8 & 9 species respectively with a week, including Knot. Lapwings took advantage of the temporary pools on the building site at Rainton Bridge to raise families. 

Distribution of summer breeding migrants was sporadic & localised but most sites had their birds back even if a little late. Jays, always an unusual migrant were noted in non breeding sites at South Shields & Follingsby, where a monedula type Jackdaw was seen. There appeared to be an above average migration of Yellow Wagtails, particularly at Teesmouth. After mid month the late arriving specialists were noted, with a male Quail watched singing at Follingsby on 18^th, with the same date seeing Turtle Dove return to their southern site. This period coincided with a large passage of Swifts. 

Yellow Wagtail and Common Swift (I Forrest)

Local Patch watchers used good weather & the light nights to their advantage with Etherley Moor recording Barn Owls, Cuckoo & Corn Buntings. Waldridge Fell had both Whinchat and Stonechat with Green Woodpeckers & Grasshopper Warbler all showing well. Team Valley had several pairs of Yellow Wagtail, Buzzard activity & Tree Sparrows. Another member had Barn Owl, Buzzard & Woodcock on their new patch at Sacriston. Stonechats were reported as doing well, with sites ranging from sea level to moorland tops and including a pair nesting at the path side at Dawdon. Succesful breeding was confirmed for Starlings on 19^th at Penshaw & 2 pairs of Great Spotted Woodpecker with active nests were at Congburn wood on 21^st. 

Wildfowl numbers tailed off but a wide variety of species remained including late Goldeneyes on Hurworth Burn & Brasside, and Scaup on the Reclamation Pond. Garganey put on a good display on the Noth Tees marshes, with a drake also on the A1M flashes. At Sunderland Bridge, a female Mallard chose to use an old nest in a a fork of an Ash tree at 25’. Once again Herrington CP enjoyed a passage Black-necked Grebe, another was at Escomb in the Wear Valley. Dabchicks had young at Brasside.

Raptor reports included a series of Marsh Harrier sightings raising hopes they may settle to breed again. Peregrines were reported as breeding & fantastic news concerned 2 pairs of Northern Kites incubating eggs. A late Hen Harrier lingered briefly on Cleadon Hill late month, with an Osprey over there the same day.

Peregrine (I Forrest) and Arctic Skua, Whitburn (M Newsome)

Seawatching picked up considerably late in the month with a good Manx Shearwater passage at Whitburn, a reasonable skua and tern passage, plus 2 Long-tailed Skuas and Black Guillemot as the other highlights there.

Both White & Black Storks appeared to a lucky few but the Isabelline Shrike’s brief visit was the highlight for twitchers. An array of rare and unusual species appeared on an almost daily basis and are highlighted below.

 1^st        Lapland Bunting – Ravensworth Fell

 3^rd        White Stork – Billingham

 4^th        Spotted Crake – Haverton Hole

 6^th        Shorelark – Reclamation Pond

 7^th        Little Stint – Back Saltholme

 7^th        Black Tern – Saltholme Pools

 8^th        Roseate Tern - Hartlepool

 9^th        Spoonbill – North Tees marshes

 9^th        Gull Billed Tern – Hartlepool & Whitburn

13^th       Dotterel – Cow Green res.

13^th       Temminck's Stints – Bowesfield Marsh & Back Saltholme

14^th       Isabelline Shrike – Whitburn

14^th       Turtle Dove – Hartlepool

16^th       Black Stork – South Shields / Whitburn

17^th       Black Stork – Frosterley

19^th       Hobby – Whitburn

19^th       Blue Headed Wagtail – Hetton Lyons CP

21^st       Woodchat Shrike – Whitburn

25^th       Iceland Gull – Sunderland

25^th       Golden Oriole – Cleadon Hill

27^th       Spoonbill – Whitburn

Isabelline Shrike and Woodchat Shrike (M Newsome)

S.Evans (June '06)