Sightings today with thanks to John Olley and Joe Hughes;
Castle Lake - 23 Redshank, 5 Corn Bunting singing, 1500 Lapwing, 30 Golden Plover, 5 Buzzard, 130 Pink-footed Geese over north-west, 380 Wigeon, 300 Teal, 10 Shoveler and 2 Goldeneye.
Durham Bird Club's Castle Lake Nature Reserve
Tuesday, 29 December 2015
Monday, 28 December 2015
Monday 28th December 2015
Today's sightings included the following;
Castle Lake - 1 Shelduck, 1m2f Pintail, 10+ Shoveler, 1m1f Goldeneye, 5 Snipe, 20 Redshank, 5 Great Black-backed Gull over south.
River Stell/A1 Flashes - 3 Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 6 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel, c200 Black-headed Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull over south, 30 Pied Wagtail (my highest winter count), 1 Meadow Pipit and 4 Linnet.
Low Hardwick - 3 Barnacle Geese (pictured below), 1 Common Buzzard, 50+ Curlew and 4 Reed Bunting.
Stoneybeck Lake - 31 Canada Geese, 37 Coot, 5 Gadwall, 4 Shelduck, 1 Kestrel, 1 Common Buzzard and another 2 Great Black-backed Gull through south.
A fairly new interpretation board makes interesting reading;
Castle Lake - 1 Shelduck, 1m2f Pintail, 10+ Shoveler, 1m1f Goldeneye, 5 Snipe, 20 Redshank, 5 Great Black-backed Gull over south.
River Stell/A1 Flashes - 3 Little Grebe, 1 Little Egret, 6 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel, c200 Black-headed Gull, 1 Great Black-backed Gull over south, 30 Pied Wagtail (my highest winter count), 1 Meadow Pipit and 4 Linnet.
Low Hardwick - 3 Barnacle Geese (pictured below), 1 Common Buzzard, 50+ Curlew and 4 Reed Bunting.
Stoneybeck Lake - 31 Canada Geese, 37 Coot, 5 Gadwall, 4 Shelduck, 1 Kestrel, 1 Common Buzzard and another 2 Great Black-backed Gull through south.
A fairly new interpretation board makes interesting reading;
Saturday, 26 December 2015
Saturday 26th December 2015
Sightings from Boxing Day morning.
Stoneybeck Lake - 1 Shelduck, the hybrid Gadwall x Tufted Duck is now here, 1 Kestrel and 22 Curlew. (2 Black Swan's reported here on Christmas day morning with thanks to John Hunter).
Castle Lake - 2 Mute Swan, 3 Shelduck, 8 Tufted Duck (numbers slowly building), 1 male Goldeneye, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Snipe and 16 Redshank.
A1 Flashes - severely flooded with the footpath along the River Stell only just passable, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron and 8 Pied Wagtail.
Low Hardwick - also flooded, 130 Greylag Geese, 50+ Canada Geese, 3 Barnacle Geese (first reported at Stoneybeck on Wednesday), 50+ Wigeon, 200+ Golden Plover, 300+ Lapwing, 50+ Curlew, 3 Pied Wagtail and 2 Meadow Pipit.
Stoneybeck Lake - 1 Shelduck, the hybrid Gadwall x Tufted Duck is now here, 1 Kestrel and 22 Curlew. (2 Black Swan's reported here on Christmas day morning with thanks to John Hunter).
Castle Lake - 2 Mute Swan, 3 Shelduck, 8 Tufted Duck (numbers slowly building), 1 male Goldeneye, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Snipe and 16 Redshank.
A1 Flashes - severely flooded with the footpath along the River Stell only just passable, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Grey Heron and 8 Pied Wagtail.
Low Hardwick - also flooded, 130 Greylag Geese, 50+ Canada Geese, 3 Barnacle Geese (first reported at Stoneybeck on Wednesday), 50+ Wigeon, 200+ Golden Plover, 300+ Lapwing, 50+ Curlew, 3 Pied Wagtail and 2 Meadow Pipit.
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
Wednesday 23rd December 2015
Sightings from yesterday and today with thanks to John Olley.
Tuesday 22nd December 2015
Stoneybeck Lake - 1 Peregrine, 124 Pink-footed Geese, 80 Greylag Geese, 106 Canada Geese, 70 Teal, 80 Mallard, 44 Gadwall, 50 Coot, 100 Lapwing, 30 Curlew, 2 Mute Swan.
Wednesday 23rd December 2015
Castle Lake - 320 Wigeon, 120 Teal, 14 Shoveler, 5 Shelduck, 120 Mallard, 48 Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye, 950 Lapwing, 12 Redshank, 21 Curlew, 5 Great Black-backed Gull through, 30 Goldfinch, 800 Jackdaw, 4 Skylark, 5 Linnet and 6 Meadow Pipit.
Tuesday 22nd December 2015
Stoneybeck Lake - 1 Peregrine, 124 Pink-footed Geese, 80 Greylag Geese, 106 Canada Geese, 70 Teal, 80 Mallard, 44 Gadwall, 50 Coot, 100 Lapwing, 30 Curlew, 2 Mute Swan.
Wednesday 23rd December 2015
Castle Lake - 320 Wigeon, 120 Teal, 14 Shoveler, 5 Shelduck, 120 Mallard, 48 Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye, 950 Lapwing, 12 Redshank, 21 Curlew, 5 Great Black-backed Gull through, 30 Goldfinch, 800 Jackdaw, 4 Skylark, 5 Linnet and 6 Meadow Pipit.
Sunday, 20 December 2015
Sunday 20th December 2015
Sightings from this morning, no fog, no ice, sunny, lots of water and some good birds.
Stoneybeck Lake - looking back to its best, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Whooper Swan, 100 Pink-footed Geese flew in from the south mid-morning, 50+ Greylag Geese, 50+ Canada Geese, various numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal & Coot, 5 Tufted Duck, 5 Grey Partridge, 1 female Kestrel, 20+ Lapwing, 1 Curlew, c120 Fieldfare, 10 Goldfinch and 2 Bullfinch.
Castle Lake - 3 Shelduck, 1 female Pintail, 2 female Goldeneye, 4+ Shoveler, the Gadwall x Tufted Duck hybrid was back again, 2 Cormorant, 30 Golden Plover, 91 Curlew, 18 Redshank and 12 Stock Dove.
A1 Flashes - 15 Curlew.
Distant Whooper Swan on Stoneybeck Lake this morning.
(I make it) exactly 100 Pink-footed Geese on final approach for landing at Stoneybeck.
Stoneybeck Lake - looking back to its best, 1 Mute Swan, 1 Whooper Swan, 100 Pink-footed Geese flew in from the south mid-morning, 50+ Greylag Geese, 50+ Canada Geese, various numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal & Coot, 5 Tufted Duck, 5 Grey Partridge, 1 female Kestrel, 20+ Lapwing, 1 Curlew, c120 Fieldfare, 10 Goldfinch and 2 Bullfinch.
Castle Lake - 3 Shelduck, 1 female Pintail, 2 female Goldeneye, 4+ Shoveler, the Gadwall x Tufted Duck hybrid was back again, 2 Cormorant, 30 Golden Plover, 91 Curlew, 18 Redshank and 12 Stock Dove.
A1 Flashes - 15 Curlew.
Monday, 14 December 2015
Monday 14th December 2015
Despite the persistent thick fog, some birds were seen (or heard) today.
Castle Lake - fog too thick to see the lake!, 1 Fieldfare and 2 Mistle Thrush.
River Stell/A1 Flashes - 2 Little Grebe, 5 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and a Kingfisher.
Low Hardwick - 16 Mallard, Skylark over, 20+ Blackbird, 20+ Redwing, a Chiffchaff was heard calling on and off for an hour but despite a search it wasn't seen and 2 Bullfinch.
Fishburn Lake - 2 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper and 4 Siskin.
One of the Goldcrest was quite confiding but still too active to get a decent photo.
Alan's Pool - Unfortunately another dead Mute Swan (3rd or 4th this year, no obvious signs of cause), c15 Wigeon and 3+ Reed Bunting.
Castle Lake - fog too thick to see the lake!, 1 Fieldfare and 2 Mistle Thrush.
River Stell/A1 Flashes - 2 Little Grebe, 5 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper and a Kingfisher.
Low Hardwick - 16 Mallard, Skylark over, 20+ Blackbird, 20+ Redwing, a Chiffchaff was heard calling on and off for an hour but despite a search it wasn't seen and 2 Bullfinch.
Fishburn Lake - 2 Goldcrest, 1 Treecreeper and 4 Siskin.
Alan's Pool - Unfortunately another dead Mute Swan (3rd or 4th this year, no obvious signs of cause), c15 Wigeon and 3+ Reed Bunting.
Friday, 11 December 2015
Wednesday 9th December 2015
Catching up with sightings from Wednesday with thanks to John Olley and Joe Hughes;
Castle Lake - 600 Teal, 300 Wigeon, 10 Shoveler, 3 Shelduck, 9 Redshank, 250 Lapwing, 30 Curlew and 40 Golden Plover.
Castle Lake - 600 Teal, 300 Wigeon, 10 Shoveler, 3 Shelduck, 9 Redshank, 250 Lapwing, 30 Curlew and 40 Golden Plover.
Thursday, 3 December 2015
Thursday 3rd December 2015
This morning's sightings;
Castle Lake - 1 Shelduck, 7 Shoveler, c300 Teal, 5 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, c200 Golden Plover, 5 Snipe, 16 Redshank and 10 Meadow Pipit.
Stoneybeck Lake - 1 Mute Swan, 19 Gadwall and 100 Lapwing.
Castle Lake - 1 Shelduck, 7 Shoveler, c300 Teal, 5 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, c200 Golden Plover, 5 Snipe, 16 Redshank and 10 Meadow Pipit.
Stoneybeck Lake - 1 Mute Swan, 19 Gadwall and 100 Lapwing.
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Tuesday 1st December 2015
Sightings today with thanks to Joe Hughes;
Castle Lake - water levels steadily rising, 30 Golden Plover, 50 Curlew, 1 Snipe, 3 Redshank, 12 Long-tailed Tit's, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Great Black-backed Gull.
Castle Lake - water levels steadily rising, 30 Golden Plover, 50 Curlew, 1 Snipe, 3 Redshank, 12 Long-tailed Tit's, 1 Grey Wagtail and 1 Great Black-backed Gull.
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