Teesmouth Bird Club Newsletter Issue 34. Summer 2006 IN THIS ISSUE: at Hemlington Lake. Two Bitterns were on Coatham Marsh from 7th and a Bearded Tit MONTHLY SUMMARY........................... 1 was at the same location on 9th. The adult LOCAL OUTINGS - AUTUMN 2006........ 6 Yellow-legged Gull remained at the Tees NEWS UPDATE FROM THE barrage and a first winter Iceland Gull was at COMMITTEE.......................................... 6 Back Saltholme on 10th. An Avocet at MEMBERS ADVERT............................... 9 Newburn Bridge on 12th was an unusual CLEVELAND BREEDING BIRD SURVEY location, as it roosted with Oystercatchers. Nearby, a Little Egret was occasionally seen ............................................................... 11 roosting in Rossmere Park. Four Common MEMBERS ADVERT............................. 11 Cranes flew over Coatham Marsh on 15th and CLEVELAND WATER BODY SURVEY. 12 2 Whooper Swans at Scaling Dam from 15th WHERE TO WATCH BUTTERFLIES were well received in what was a poor winter AND DRAGONFLIES IN CLEVELAND 14 for wild swans in Cleveland. THE 2006 BIRD RACE – NO SLEEP ‘TIL LONGNEWTON..................................... 17 PROFILE – RUSSELL McANDREW ..... 21 CLEVELAND BIRDING SITES - PORTRACK MARSH............................. 22 RSPB SALTHOLME – A BRIEF HISTORY ............................................................... 25 WETLAND BIRD SURVEY TEESMOUTH SPRING 2006 SUMMARY...................... 26 MONTHLY SUMMARY DRAKE SMEW, SALTHOLME Ian Forrest Chris Sharp summarises the birding highlights of the spring and early summer. Photographs have been kindly supplied by Chris Bell, Geoff Iceton, Ian Forrest, Tom Francis, John Money, Stewart Hinley and Mike Watson. March 2006 Long-staying birds from the winter months still present in early March included the two female Ring-necked Ducks on Coatham Marsh and the Cetti’s Warbler at Dorman’s Pool, though the latter remained elusive. Several flocks of Waxwings were reported, FEMALE SMEW, SALTHOLME Ian Forrest including 23 in Hemlington and 33 at Nunthorpe. Red-necked Grebes were on Coatham Marsh and a long-stayer was on the Reclamation Pond. It, or another, was also seen at Haverton Hole. Up to 5 Slavonian Grebes were on Seal Sands in what was another good winter for this species. A pair of Smew was at Saltholme and several adult Mediterranean Gulls were seen, including one - 1 - KINGFISHER, COWPEN BEWLEY Steve Keightley RED-NECKED GREBE, HAVERTON HOLE Geoff Iceton The first Little Ringed Plover, Wheatear and Sand Martin were all reported on 26th and a male Black Redstart sang in the Jewish Cemetery, Hartlepool on 28th and 29th. A Marsh Harrier was over the Reclamation Pond on the latter date. Several Ring Ouzels, Chiffchaffs and White Wagtails were at the coast late in the month and a Coues’s Arctic Redpoll was a brief visitor to fields at Cowbar on 30th. An Osprey over Portrack Marsh on STONECHAT, SEATON COMMON Steve Keightley 31st was the first of a good spring for this species and an Avocet was on the Calor Gas An influx of Stonechats on 16th included 8 at Pool the same day. Boulby and 5 at Cowbar and a Lapland Bunting was at the latter location on this April 2006 date. In addition, several Stonechats and Kingfishers could be seen on the North Tees An Osprey was seen over Sleddale on 1st and Marshes. A Great Northern Diver at 3 Ravens in the same area from 2nd were a Jackson’s Landing from 17th stayed into May, welcome addition to many a County List but though was often elusive amongst the required luck and often many hours of moorings. The highlight of the month, patience to see them. The first Garganey of however, was undoubtedly 2 Penduline Tits the spring was on Saltholme on 3rd, with a found on Portrack Marsh on 23rd, which Whooper Swan also present. A second stayed for a fortnight and, though elusive at Osprey was in Sleddale on 6th, with 2 first, they subsequently gave superb views. Garganeys on Coatham Marsh the following These were only the 3rd record for Cleveland. day. The 8th saw Ospreys over Dorman’s Two Long-eared Owls also showed well at Pool and Cowpen Marsh and 2 were reported Portrack at this time. A Spotted Redshank from Lockwood Beck. A first-winter Glaucous was on Back Saltholme on 23rd and good Gull was at Dorman’s Pool on 9th and a numbers of Water Pipits were present, with 9 Common Buzzard was over Dorman’s Pool on on Cowpen Marsh and up to 11 at Haverton 12th. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker near Hole. Yarm from 13th was a good find of this increasingly difficult species to see in Cleveland and, next day, 2 Avocets were on Back Saltholme, along with the first Yellow Wagtails at South Gare. Mid-month saw all five Grebe species on Dormans Pool and the Reclamation Pond, in resplendent summer plumage and up to 9 Lesser Redpolls and 2 pairs of Crossbills showed extremely well at the Lockwood Beck car park. On 17th, Raven-watchers at Sleddale found Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Hen Harrier on 17th. PENDULINE TIT, PORTRACK MARSH Stewart Hinley - 2 - AVOCET, CALOR GAS POOL Ian Forrest WHITE WAGTAIL, SCALING DAM John Money Good numbers of waders passed through the North Tees Marshes late in the month, with up to 75 Black-tailed Godwits, Wood Sandpiper, Greenshank and several Spotted Redshanks. A Hoopoe at Billingham Beck on 26th unfortunately showed only to the finder and a Shore Lark flew over South Gare next day. Three Mandarin Ducks on a small lake at Yarm at the month’s end were of questionable origin but, nevertheless, were a splendid sight, as they included 2 drakes. BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL, SEATON COMMON Chris Bell Warm weather in the third week saw many of the summer visitors arriving, with Garden, Grasshopper and Sedge Warblers all being seen by 20th and a Common Tern was at Saltholme on 18th. Swift and Reed Warbler were seen on 21st and several Marsh Harriers passed through. Hobbies were over Seaton Common and Haverton Hole on 22nd and Garganey increased to 5 on Back Saltholme the following day, with at least 15 White Wagtails also present. Red Kites were seen LITTLE GULL, SALTHOLME Geoff Iceton near Middlesbrough on 24th and 2 were over Marske on the same day. A large influx of Yellow Wagtails took place at this time, with ca 30 on Seaton Common, including at least 7 stunning Blue-headed Wagtails. A Wood Warbler was an unusual visitor to Haverton Hole on 25th. LESSER REDPOLL, LOCKWOOD BECK John Money COMMON CROSSBILL, LOCKWOOD John Money - 3 - May 2006 Good numbers of White Wagtails were around Saltholme early in the month and 2nd saw the first ever twitchable White Stork in Cleveland. Amazingly, news didn’t break of it’s presence until 10.30 pm. It was on a flooded field at Belasis Hall Technology Park and a constant stream of admirers was arriving well into the early hours, as the bird was clearly visible under the nearby street WHITE STORK, BILLINGHAM Mike Watson and factory lighting. It remained until the next morning, when it flew off high. Although ringed, the type of ring was compatible with those used on wild White Stork ringing schemes. The following day, a male Spotted Crake was trapped at Haverton Hole and was heard singing in the evening. The 6th saw a Little Stint at Saltholme, a Shore Lark briefly at Dormans Pool, an Osprey at Lockwood Beck and a Wryneck at nearby Margrove Ponds. The next day, another Wryneck was at South Gare, along with a Short-toed Lark, which stayed for 2 days. SPOTTED CRAKE, HAVERTON HOLE Tom Francis A Caspian Tern was reported from South Gare on 8th and 2 Roseate Terns flew north at Hartlepool the same day. On the evening of 9th, 2 adult Gull-billed Terns flew north at the same location and were tracked northwards at various sea watching points as far as Northumberland. A Spoonbill on Saltholme Pools on 9th stayed for 5 days and a Black-necked Grebe was here, remaining and until the month’s end. A Temminck’s Stint was at Bowesfield Marsh on 13th, with another at Saltholme the same day, along with 4 little Stints. Heavy rain on 15th produced a fall of common migrants at the coastal stations, including several Whinchats, Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser and Common Whitethroats. An adult Hobby was at WRYENCK, SOUTH GARE Mike Watson Nunthorpe on 16th. Temminck’s Stints increased to 2 at Saltholme and up to 6 Little Gulls were here at this time. A Bluethroat at South Gare on 23rd and 24th proved to be extremely elusive and was seen by only several observers. An Osprey was over the Long Drag on 25th and another was at Scaling Dam the same day, the latter remaining for well over a week. SPOONBILL, SALTHOLME Geoff Iceton - 4 - June 2006 A Honey Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier flew over Dorman’s Pool on 3rd and 2 Marsh Harriers were at Scaling Dam on the same day. A Purple Heron flew in off the sea at the Jewish Cemetery, Hartlepool and flew towards Seaton Carew but unfortunately was not seen again. Osprey, Marsh Harrier and Raven were at Scaling Dam on 6th and a Bean Goose was an unseasonable visitor to Salltholme Pools on 6th. A first-summer WHINCHAT, SEATON COMMON Steve Keightley Montagu’s Harrier was at the latter location from 9th-10th, along with 2 Black Terns and a Black Swan, which stood out among the good numbers of Mute Swans present at the time. The run of good birds at Saltholme continued on 11th when a Pectoral Sandpiper appeared, remaining until 15th and, at times, was accompanied by 3 Curlew Sandpipers, a Wood Sandpiper and a Little Stint.