Teesmouth Bird Club Newsletter April 2014 (No. 57) Reg. Charity 508850 CONTENTS MONTHLY SUMMARIES Monthly Summaries 1 NOVEMBER 2013 Greatham Creek Flood Repairs 5 TBC Annual Report 6 Conservation Sub-committee News 9 P.A.W.S. for thought 10 Greatham Creek floods and consequences 11 Flooding of new intertidal area 11 Mike Corner Memorial 12 Surveys and requests for information 12 Reports on local outings 14 Local outings, April to August 14 Forty Years Ago 15 Titbits 15 Shore Lark, Seaton Ian Forrest Blast from the Past 16 Profile – Dean Heward 17 Obituary – Dave Simpson 18 TBC Publications 19 Wetland Bird Survey, Winter 2013/2014 19 The TBC Newsletter is published three times a year. Compilation and layout Eric James, distribution Chris Sharp, web download Jamie Duffie. Any material for inclusion in the Newsletter is welcome. Please send contributions to [email protected] or by post to Eric James, 7 Hilderthorpe, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough Twite, Seaton Snook Mark Stokeld TS7 0PT The first few days of the month saw good numbers of Whooper Swans passing through the county. Small flocks were seen on most days with the largest number being 23 on Saltholme Marsh on 5th. Both Shore Lark and Lapland Bunting were at Old Cemetery, Hartlepool early in the month. They were joined by a Richard’s Pipit from 4th. A late Wheatear was also present at this time, unfortunately only the Northern variety. Up to 60 Twite were at Seaton Snook at this time. Both Spotted Redshank and Greenshank were on Beware of the duck! (Page 15) Greenabella Marsh at the beginning of the month 1 Saltburn on 14th. 250 Pink-footed Geese were over Seaton Common on 15th. Up to 14 Goosanders were in Ropner Park, Stockton. Single Bitterns continued to be reported from RSPB Saltholme at this time. The Shore Lark was last reported from North Gare on 18th. An adult Yellow-legged Cull was at Seaton Meadows landfill site the following day. Mediterranean Gulls were at Stewart Park on 17th and Dorman’s Pool on 18th as well as their usual coastal haunts. Two Great Northern Divers and three Velvet Scoters passed Hartlepool headland Snow Bunting, Crimdon Dene Martyn Sidwell on 26th and a Black-throated Diver was on the sea here on 29th. After the excesses of the previous month, November proved to be very quiet in comparison. DECEMBER 2013 Wigeon, RSPB Saltholme Renton Charman and both these birds remained to winter. This is the second winter in succession for this to occur. A Jack Snipe was at North Gare on 3rd. A late House Martin and two Swallows were at Seaton Carew on the same date. A single Hawfinch was reported from Guisborough cemetery at this time. Iceland Gull, Hartlepool Headland Ian Forrest Guisborough was the former county stronghold December was generally mild and perhaps as a for this now rare species. consequence few birds of note were recorded during the month. Perhaps the same Shore Lark A Long-tailed Duck was at Scaling Dam. This bird and another on Saltholme Pool remained for the was at Old Cemetery, Hartlepool on 1st. The winter. Up to 80 Snow Bunting were at Seaton same day saw a single Waxwing at Greatham. It Carew, and a single Marsh Harrier was present was to prove a poor winter for this latter species. around Dorman’s Pool until 9th. A Jack Snipe was A first-winter Yellow-legged Gull was at Portrack a good find in a Guisborough garden on 8th. Marsh on 2nd. The roosting flock of Ring-necked A Shore Lark at North Gare from 9th was possibly Parakeets at Hartlepool reached 35. The birds the same bird as seen at Hartlepool earlier in the were usually to be found in the Rossmere area of month. A large arrival of thrushes at the coast on the town. 11th consisted mostly of Blackbirds. An impressive A first-winter Iceland Gull was at Hartlepool from 140 were ringed at Hartlepool on this date giving 7th for a week. It was briefly accompanied by a some idea of the numbers involved. Two first-winter Glaucous Gull on 8th. Up to four Woodcock were at South Gare on this date. Mediterranean Gulls were around the headland at A Great Grey Shrike was by the A66 near this time making it somewhat of a “white-winged Coatham Stob on 12th. Long-tailed Duck numbers fest”. increased to two at Scaling on 12th and they were A Great Northern Diver was off Saltburn on 8th. joined by a drake Mandarin. Five Pink-footed Geese were on Seaton Common Late autumn sea-watching was very quiet. A on 9th but an impressive 54 were recorded on single Bonxie and a Velvet Scoter flew past here on 11th. A Jack Snipe was in Errington 2 have been one of the two birds seen at Seahouses in late December. It would have been much appreciated if it had stayed as the last county record was the Saltburn bird of 1986. A Red-necked Grebe was off Redcar on 5th. It was to prove a poor winter for the rarer grebes in Cleveland. The wintering Whimbrel was on Seal Sands. Little Gulls were off Saltburn on 5th and Skinningrove on 6th. One of the most unusual sightings of the winter was a Whitethroat in Hargreaves Quarry on 8th. Four Whooper Swans called in at Saltholme Pools on this date. Up to 35 Snow Bunting were at Seaton Snook along with smaller numbers of Pink-footed Goose, Seaton Common Ian Forrest Twite. A Velvet Scoter was on Seal Sands from 11th. A Long-tailed Duck was also present here along with single figure counts of Pale-bellied Brent Geese. A female Scaup joined the two long staying Long-tailed Ducks at Scaling Dam from 14th. Four Pink-footed Geese at Cowpen Marsh on 15th were one of the few records of this species at Teesmouth this winter. A second-winter Iceland Gull at Saltholme Pools from 18th was seen either here or Seaton Common on many dates over the next month. A Great Northern Diver was on Seal Sands from 19th joining the long staying Velvet Scoter and Long-tailed Duck. Goldeneye, Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park Ian Forrest Wood s on 12th and a first-winter Caspian Gull was on Seaton Common from 14th-16th. Bird of the month was a Glossy Ibis which was photographed stood by a roadside at Boulby on 16th. The same day saw a Great Northern Diver on the sea off Redcar along with a Long-tailed Duck and a Velvet Scoter. A first-winter Glaucous Gull was at Seaton Meadows on 18th. Single Lapland Buntings were at Old Cemetery, Hartlepool on 21st and at Huntcliffe on 29th. Otherwise the year’s end proved to be quiet with the wintering Greenshank and Spotted Redshank Long-tailed Duck, Seston Snook Tim Robinson on Greenabella Marsh, two Long-tailed Ducks on Saltholme Pools and about 60 Barnacle Geese at RSPB Saltholme. JANUARY 2014 As usual many birders were out on the first day of the New Year. A Black Redstart was found in Hartlepool docks. A Black-throated Diver was off South Gare, and eight Gannets off Saltburn was a good count for January. Seven Brent Geese were also at South Gare. An Ivory Gull was seen briefly at Hartlepool on 4th. Unfortunately the bird did not linger. It may Merlin, Seaton Snook Tim Robinson 3 Glossy Ibis, Billingham Martyn Sidwell Ring-necked Parakeet, Ward Jackson Park Ray Scott Spotted Redshank, Greenabella ‘Dave G’ saw a Lapland Bunting on Seaton Common. A Puffin was an unusual winter visitor to Seal Sands on 24th. Careful scrutiny of the large gulls on this date on Seaton Common produced three Caspian Gulls. This species is now a regular winter visitor to the county but it still remains an identification challenge. Fortunately the county has some avid gull watchers who are now familiar with the identification criteria. Grey Plover, Seaton Snook Tim Robinson Up to eight Little Egrets were roosting in Rossmere Park, Hartlepool and this species now barely warrants a second glance, even in winter. This is in stark contrast to 20 years ago when there had only been five county records up to the end of 1993. One to two Bitterns were also to be seen regularly, with patience, at RSPB Saltholme. Sea watching at Hartlepool on 29th produced three Bonxies and seven adult Little Gulls. FEBRUARY 2014 Last month’s elusive Glossy Ibis was finally pinned down on 1st when it was found in the Belasis area of Billingham. It remained here until 4th and was Yellowhammer, Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park Ray Scott seen again briefly by Back Saltholme on 15th. This species has now occurred in each of the past A Glossy Ibis was reported on three dates in late four years in Cleveland. January from 20th at RSPB Saltholme but on each occasion was only seen briefly. A single Waxwing A drake Green-winged Teal was on Saltholme was at Scaling Dam on 22nd. The following day Pools from 4th. This is another species which has 4 become a regular in Cleveland in recent winters A Bittern was on Coatham Marsh on 17th. A flock though presumably some of the records refer to of 70 Twite were near Grangetown and up to 36 returning individuals. were also at RSPB Saltholme late in the month. A Waxwing was also present here from 18th and Up to 23 Black-tailed Godwits joined the wintering one or two Long-eared Owls were discovered at Greenshank and Spotted Redshank on the usual roost site near Haverton.