Latest sightings
Sightings
A hunting sparrowhawk is on site today and there are lots of bullfinch adding colour to the feeding station at Hawthorn Wood. [...]
14 November 2011
Today's sightings!
Wader Lake Curlew - 100 Redwing - 41 Lapwing - 9 Common snipe - 3 Teal - 54 Wigeon - 8 Mallard - 36 Other species River Little grebe - 2 Cormoran [...]
12 November 2011
Little grebe
2 little grebe have been spotted down on the River Wear. [...]
12 November 2011
Latest from Washington
There are a lot of redwing moving across site at the moment. The best places to watch them are along the hedgerows and scrub areas, as they feed on berries from the heavily-laden hawthorn trees. Goldfinch numbers are also on the rise, with a fantastic flo
11 November 2011
Wildlife sightings
Wader Lake Wigeon 8 Teal 92 Mallard 26 Canada goose 2 Shelduck 2 Lapwing 9 Redshank 14 Grey heron 8 River Wear Mallard 72 Cormorant 6 Curlew [...]
9 November 2011
A lovely autumnal return
Following a few days' holiday, I've returned to work to find the site feeling very autumnal, with lots of gold and red foliage in the trees. Highlights for today's blog include a flock of 50 siskin down near the amphibian ponds and six lesser redpoll.
8 November 2011
Seal spotted
Wardens have just reported a seal in the River Wear, near our Window on the Wear viewing platform. [...]
8 November 2011
Today's sightings, including 2 sparrowhawks!
Wader Lake: Teal - 34 Grey heron - 3 Lapwing - 12 Redshank - 16 Wigeon - 2 Shoveler - 7 Moorhen - 3 Mute swan - 1 Other bird species counts: Song thr [...]
7 November 2011
Startled sparrowhawk!
Our Eurasian cranes have just startled Florence, our resident hunting sparrowhawk, as she stopped on the stream in front of the visitor centre to devour her prey. She was spooked so much that she [...]
4 November 2011
Ring-necked parakeets spotted
Two ring-necked parakeets have just been observed flying south down the River Wear. [...]
1 November 2011
Wildlife sightings
Wader Lake AM: Lapwing 14 Black-headed gull 26 Redshank 9 Teal 56 Grey heron 2 Wigeon 2 Shoveler 1 Moorhen 7 Mallard 72 Hawthorn Wood feeding station [...]
1 November 2011
Today's sightings - good numbers of redshank and teal
Wader Lake AM medium tide: Lesser black-backed gull 2 Black-headed gull 26 Redshank 23 Curlew 1 Teal 120 Mallard 28 Shoveler 4 Wigeon 2 Common snipe 2 Lapwing 1 [...]
31 October 2011
Today's wildlife sightings
Wader Lake AM high-medium tide: Teal 102 Black-headed gull 85 Lesser black-backed gull 5 Curlew 1 Redshank 3 Wigeon 4 Hawthorn Wood feeding station: Pheasant [...]
30 October 2011
Wildlife sightings - lots of long-tailed tit
Wader Lake AM low tide: Teal 84 Shoveler 1 Wigeon 2 Redshank 2 Black-headed gull 96 Lesser black-backed gull 3 Hawthorn Wood feeding station: Bullfinch 6 [...]
29 October 2011
First redpoll of the season
A cold but sunny start to the day on the fence check. As I walked along the river footpath, a loose group of 18 cormorant flew overhead on their way south. Yesterday, the first lesser redpolls of the autumn were noted feeding in the alder trees along the
28 October 2011