Durham Bird Club's Castle Lake Nature Reserve

Sunday, 15 January 2017

Thursday 22nd December 2016

Catching up with sightings with thanks to Fred Milton, Joe Hughes and John Olley.

Thursday 22nd December 2016
Castle Lake - 800 Wigeon, 170 Teal, 2 Pintail, 10 Shoveler, 7 Dunlin, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Egret, 350 Lapwing & 30 Fieldfare.

Sunday, 13 November 2016

Tuesday 8th November 2016

Sightings from today with thanks to John Olley.

Castle Lake - 3 Goosander, 1 Shelduck, 600 Wigeon, 300 Teal, 10 Shoveler, 21 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ruff and 12 Redshank.

Friday 4th November 2016

Sightings from today with thanks to John Olley.

Castle Lake - 5 Little Egret, 2 Dunlin, 10 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Green Sandpiper, 140 Curlew, 150 Lapwing, 26 Snipe, 11 Redshank, 8 Shoveler, 250 Wigeon and 1000 Starling.

Sunday 23rd October 2016

Sightings from today with thanks to John Olley.

Castle Lake - single Brent Goose (the first ever record of this species at Bishop Middleham), 3 White-fronted Geese, 1 Little Egret, 2 Green Sandpiper, 10 Redshank, 52 Snipe, 6 Curlew, 4 Shoveler and 300 Lapwing.

Thursday 20th October 2016

Sightings from today with thanks to John Olley.

Low Hardwick and Castle Lake - 8 Whooper Swan over south, 40 Pink-footed Geese over south, 500 Golden Plover, 1200 Lapwing, 2 Black-tailed Godwit, 5 Redshank, 20 Reed Bunting, 2 Water Rail and 3 Kestrel.

Tuesday, 18 October 2016

Monday 17th October 2016

Sightings for Monday;

Castle Lake - 2 Mute Swan, 155+ Canada Geese, 200+ Greylag Geese, 22 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe, 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebe, 6 Cormorant, 1 Sparrowhawk (made an unsuccessful attempt to catch a Tree Sparrow), 5 Golden Plover, c300 Lapwing, 4 Black-tailed Godwit, 40 Curlew, 4 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 3 Swallow overflew south @13:50 (my latest ever Swallow sighting here), 2 Grey Wagtail, 20 Tree Sparrow, 2+ Yellowhammer and 5+ Reed Bunting.

River Stell - 1 Little Egret.

Low Hardwick - 1 Pink-footed Goose still hanging out with mixed Canada/Greylag flock, 4 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kestrel, c200 Lapwing, 10 Stock Dove, 1 Little Owl (in a new location), 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 13+ Skylark over heading south, 30+ Redwing over, 2 Jay and 3 Lesser Redpoll over.

Fishburn Lake - still virtually dry - 1 Grey Heron, 1 Green Sandpiper (with a limp), 1 Buzzard and 8 Yellowhammer nearby.

Alan's Pool - 1 Shelduck, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Lapwing and the limping Green Sandpiper.

Monday, 10 October 2016

Monday 10th October 2016

First post for a while due to holidays and work commitments etc.

Sightings from this morning;

Castle Lake - 1 Pink-footed Goose which later flew off to the south, 140 Wigeon, 16 Shoveler, 8 Grey Partridge, 1 juvenile Great Crested Grebe, 3 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 7 Golden Plover, 250 Lapwing, 7 Snipe, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Redshank, 2 Green Sandpiper, 10 Common Gull, 5+ Skylark, 2 Swallow heading north!, 33+ Pied Wagtail and a nice flock of 9 Corn Bunting including juveniles.

River Stell - 3 Mute Swan.

Low Hardwick - 20 Mallard, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Goldcrest and 6+ Long-tailed Tit.

River Skerne - 1 Kingfisher.

Alan's Pool - 2 Wigeon, 1 Kestrel, 8 Moorhen and 4 Snipe over.