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Durham Weekend

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Friday, 12 October

We left Driffield at 1800 hours and our two vehicles headed north on the Al, with a coffee stop en-route. We arrived at our accommodation at Fir Tree at 2145 hours. This enabled everybody to have a drink whilst we went over the next day's itinerary.

Saturday, 13 October

Several members took a pre-breakfast walk near the hotel; goldcrest and mistle thrush were amongst the more typical species recorded. After breakfast we left for Teesdale via the Weardale valley. Our first stop was at a large disused quarry resulting in good numbers of red grouse, a male stonechat and a distant black grouse. After the fog and harsh conditions of the higher ground, it was relatively mild weather at Langdon Beck. In two walled grass fields we counted an impressive 42 black grouse which was appreciated by everyone. Not a great deal was seen in the Beck area apart from a flock of 15 fieldfares and some blackbirds.

On our arrival at Cow Green Reservoir the visibility was down to 50 yards, so we continued to drive to Teesdale. A short walk was taken at High Force which produced a large mixed flock of tits. Several redpolls and siskin were feeding on the opposite bank in alders and larch. We then moved on to the Bowlees Wildlife Centre where we took lunch, only for the rain to start mid-way through.

We decided to continue birding from the vehicles at Selset Reservoir. Here a selection of birds included Canada goose, mallard, pochard, curlew, great black-backed gulls and moorhen whilst five grey partridge were a good find (this being a scarce bird in the county).

Arriving at Hamsterley Forest mid-afternoon, the weather was now fine and sunny, but apart from a nuthatch near the car park, the area was quiet so we moved on to our last stop of the day, Low Barns NR at Witton-le-Wear. Three swallows over the car park were a good start. A small selection of new birds here included mute swan, tufted duck and cormorant, which were all seen from the hides. The walk produced plenty of small birds including superb views of a pair of treecreepers and, to end the day, three large bats, probably noctule.

We arrived at the hotel in plenty of time to get refreshed and changed before starting the evening meal. The service and food were excellent and enjoyed by everyone. The checklist resulted in 55 species for the day.

Sunday 14 October

Despite the mist and the rain, we were ready to depart after breakfast at 0900 hours. Our first stop was the feeding station at Thornley Wood, one of several sites in the Derwent Valley Country Park. From the hides we had excellent views, as a constant stream of birds came to the feeders. These included great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, jay, bullfinch, greenfinch and a female blackcap. We also  saw  fox, grey squirrel and roe deer, adding up to an excellent visit.

We did not have far to travel to our next stop, Shibdon Pond at Blaydon. Our arrival coincided with an improvement in the weather. A decent selection of birds here included water rail, briefly seen and heard, grey heron, shoveler, wigeon, little grebe and both herring and lesser black-backed gulls. The walk, through a variety of habitats, held lots of wintering thrushes.

Using the motorway system, we reached the coast at Whitburn at mid-day, just in time to have lunch. Unfortunately the visibility was very poor. Miraculously it lifted and we checked through a flock of black-headed gulls on the sea, finding a nice winter plumaged Mediterranean gull, which gave excellent views. On the tide line were turnstone, redshank, sanderling and rock pipit, all new for the day, whilst a single pied wagtail landed on the beach. Moving a few miles north to Marsden, the quarry held more winter thrushes, but not much else.

We made good time on the A19, arriving at Teeside Marshes at 1500 hours and for the next three hours the area provided us with some superb birding. Apart from the sheer numbers of birds, we recorded the following new species for the day: a juvenile Sabine's gull, (a Group first), pintail, great-crested grebe, shelduck, little egret, oystercatcher, grey, golden and ringed plovers, little stint, spotted redshank, short-eared owl and wheatear. I am hoping to make a full day field trip to the area one Spring!!

We finished the day off with a meal at Wolsingham services and completed the weekend check list of  90 species This was  enough to win Margaret Clarke the competition. We arrived in home at 2200 hours.

Thanks to everybody who went on the weekend for your enthusiasm and co-operation, which went towards making yet another successful trip. I look forward to travelling with you all again in the future.