Swan Day

 Bewick Swans

Went across to Scaling Dam today to catch up with the Bewick and Whooper Swans there.  Also saw a Bar Headed Goose which flew in with a large flock of Greylag and White Fronted mid afternoon.  Also added Red Grouse and Brambling at Lockwood Beck to our year list today. Had 5 Goosander in Ropner Park, Stockton yesterday.

Bewick Swans

Whopper Swan

Bar-headed Goose

Goosander

Great Grey Shrike

The Great Grey Shrike performed well early afternoon, although kept its distance at Coatham Stobb today.



A Hoot of a Weekend!!

What a lovely day yesterday was, frosty, cold with beautiful blue sky.  We managed to see a Short Eared Owl hunting near Greatham Creek and then today we found a Long Eared Owl at roost on Saltholme reserve.  We then decided on the way home to try and find a Little Owl which we did on the road between Redmarshall and Bishopton although it was a stones throw outside the Cleveland boundary.  Other birds seen yesterday were Water Rail and White Fronted Goose.



At one point the Owl attacked a Kestrel to try and steal its prey.

Long Eared Owl at roost in Saltholme.

Little Owl - easy to locate in our area

At least 12 Bullfinch in Stillington.

Water  Rail at Saltholme.



Long Tailed Duck at Last.

Spent the afternoon at South Gare trying to locate the Long Tailed Duck which had been reported there earlier in the week.  Thanks to Bert we managed to see one in the bay.  Later in the afternoon a second bird flew in to join it.  Also there on our arrival was a large flock of over 50 Snow Bunting but we failed to locate them later in the day.  There were good numbers of Knot, Turnstone and Oystercatcher along with Purple Sandpiper a fly over of a small group of Sanderling and at least 5 Bar Tailed Godwit.  A Guillemot became beached on the breakwater and late in the afternoon a Merlin landed on the beach before flying off.  All in all a very pleasant afternoon although a little cold in the wind.

A New Year begins.

Well we didn't get out very early on New Year's Day but we went out about 1pm and decided to see how many birds we could locate within a couple of hours.  We managed 71 in 2 and a half hours after visiting Crookfoot Reservoir, The Headland and Cowpen Bewley.  The female Smew was still at Crookfoot and the Ring Necked Duck at Cowpen Bewley although it was dusk and it was fast asleep.  It was good fun and can't wait for the next full, decent weather day off to try and see how many birds we can get in Cleveland in a day.  Roll on the weekend, feel like I have been back at school for weeks instead of days!

Tree Sparrows at Crookfoot

Kittiwake at the Fish Quay, Hartlepool.

Velvet Scoter from theHeugh Battery.