Durham Bird Club's Castle Lake Nature Reserve

Sunday 28 August 2016

Sunday 28th August 2016

Sightings today from Fred Milton (good to see you again) and myself.

Stoneybeck Lake - (big clear-out of waders) - 1 Pintail, 1 Little Grebe, 1 Buzzard, 5 Lapwing, 1 Curlew and a singing Chiffchaff.

Alan's Pool - 3 Ruff, 1 Dunlin, 1 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, a flyover Yellow Wagtail and a nearby Willow Tit.

Castle Lake - 1 Wigeon, 3 Pintail, 10+ Teal, 1pr Great Crested Grebe with 2 juveniles, 1 juv Black-necked Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 4 Ringed Plover, 6 Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 7 Black-tailed Godwit, 46 Curlew, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Owl and 1 Kingfisher.

A couple of record pictures from today;

Wood Sandpiper at Alan's Pool.

Little Stint with 2 Dunlin at Castle Lake.

Thursday 25 August 2016

Thursday 25th August 2016

Today's sightings with thanks to Joe Hughes;

Stoneybeck Lake - Spotted Redshank, Snipe, 3 Ruff, 5 Green Sandpiper, 4 Ringed Plover and a Corn Bunting.

Castle Lake - 8 Curlew Sandpiper, 40+ Snipe, Little Stint, 4 Dunlin, juvenile Black-necked Grebe, Ruff and 2 Corn Bunting.

Wednesday 24 August 2016

Wednesday 24th August 2016

Sightings from this morning followed by some from yesterday with thanks to Joe Hughes, Brian Clasper and Dave Makinson.

Stoneybeck Lake (7am) - 11 Ruff, 3 Snipe, 1 juvenile Spotted Redshank and 5 Green Sandpiper.

Castle Lake - 500+ Greylag Geese, 2 Wigeon, 8 Grey Partridge, 10+ Little Grebe, 1pr Great Crested Grebe with 2 juveniles, 1 juvenile Black-necked Grebe, 2 Cormorant, 1 Kestrel, 5 Ringed Plover, 6 Ruff, 4 Dunlin, 1 juvenile Little Stint, 11 Curlew Sandpiper, 10 Snipe, 2 Greenshank, 5 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Owl, 1 Yellow Wagtail and a singing Corn Bunting.

Tuesday 23rd August 2016
Stoneybeck Lake - 10 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank, 1 Greenshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe, 1 Peregrine and 1 Dunlin.

Castle Lake - 13 Curlew Sandpiper (another new site record), 7 Green Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Egret, 8 Dunlin, 3 Ruff, 1 Spotted Redshank, 3 Greenshank, 1 Little Stint, 7 Snipe, 1 Ringed Plover and 3 Little Ringed Plover.

Monday 22 August 2016

Sunday 21st August 2016

Catching up with sightings from the last few days with thanks to Joe Hughes, John Olley and Allan Jones.

Friday 19th August 2016
Castle Lake - Marsh Harrier, Little Stint, 3 Dunlin, 16 Snipe, 2 Little Egret, Green Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 60 Curlew and 8 Ruff.

Sunday 21st August 2016
Castle Lake - a superb selection of waders - 10 Curlew Sandpiper (all juveniles and a new site record), 3 Ringed Plover, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Ruff, 4 Dunlin, 2 Little Stint, 9+ Snipe, 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper and 10 Curlew. Other birds seen included a juvenile Black-necked Grebe, 270 Black-headed Gull, 4 Common Gull, 350 Greylag Geese, 20 Little Grebe, 1 Wigeon, 2 Cormorant and 2 Yellow Wagtail.

Stoneybeck Lake - 1 juvenile Little Grebe, 6 Ruff, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Snipe and a Yellow Wagtail.

Sunday 14 August 2016

Sunday 14th August 2016

Sightings from today;

Stoneybeck Lake - eclipse drake Pintail, 1 Common Sandpiper and a Willow Tit calling from roadside trees.

Castle Lake - 1 Wigeon, 1pr Great Crested Grebe with 2 juveniles, 3 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kestrel, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Dunlin, 13 Snipe, 10 Curlew, 5 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Little Owl, 1 Grey Wagtail and c40 Linnet.

Alan's Pool - 1 Sparrowhawk riding the thermals and 2 recently fledged Sedge Warbler.

Monday 8 August 2016

Monday 8th August 2016

Sightings from Monday morning;

Stoneybeck Lake - 300 Greylag Geese, 3 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Common Sandpiper and a Common Gull.

Castle Lake - 700 Greylag Geese, 18+ Little Grebe, 2 Great Crested Grebe with 2 juveniles, 3 Cormorant, 1 Kestrel, 3 Oystercatcher, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 50+ Lapwing, 1 Dunlin, 1 juvenile Little Stint showed well below the hide, 16 Snipe, 1 Curlew, 4 Green Sandpiper, 2 Common Sandpiper, 250 Black-headed Gull, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Common Gull, 10 Swift, 1 Yellow Wagtail and a Corn Bunting.

A1 Flashes - 70 Canada Geese, 1 Grey Heron and 8 Curlew.

Two rubbish pictures of the Little Stint



Friday 5 August 2016

Friday 5th August 2016

Sightings from today with thanks to Steve Evans.

Castle Lake DBC Nature Reserve: (noon - 16:00) 12 species of waders today including Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Black tailed Godwit & Whimbrel. Also Common Gull, 2Corn Bunting, family of Yellow Wagtails. Buzzards, Kes, Sprawk, Peregrine nearby, but no sign of today's target bird-Hobby.


Thursday 4 August 2016

Thursday 4th August 2016

Sightings from this afternoon with thanks to Fred Milton.

Castle Lake - 1 Wood Sandpiper, 7 Green Sandpiper, 1 Common Sandpiper, 3 Little Ringed Plover and 2 Corn Bunting.

Monday 1 August 2016

Monday 1st August 2016

Another early morning circuit of Castle Lake produced the following;

c150 Greylag Geese, 1 Grey Partridge, 10+ Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe pair, one carrying young, 2 Little Egret (1 on Alan's Pool), 1 Kestrel, 3 Oystercatcher, 4 Little Ringed Plover, 1 Snipe, 2 Curlew, 3 Green Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 3 Common Sandpiper, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker and 3 singing Corn Bunting.

Earlier a quick look at Stoneybeck Lake noted 5 Little Ringed Plover and a single Dunlin.