Springing into action

Lately....
has seen an odd hour or two snatched here & there & very productive its been too...

over this last week or so, every day or two has been bringing sights & sounds we have been unable to savour for several months....

3/4 Blackcap - several males holding territory at Joes Pond, but not yet widespread
2/4 House Martin (my earliest record by a week) & a a couple of singing Willow Warbler at RMs
31/3 Swallow feeding close to home
30/3 Wheatear, 2 males & a male Little ringed Plover on territory

My first Wheateater of 2011

24/3 Goshawk - viewed from the car park at RMs imediately upon arrival ! ( multiple observers )
23/3 Red Breasted Merganser  - flew in to land in front of the hide  - a RMs site first, found it prior to that on Brasside too !

Others seen lately in the Sunderland area include:-
Osprey, Lapland Bunting, Whimbrel, Egyptian Goose....
the total number of species seen in the Met Boro being in excess of 150
as the year progresses, i hope to keep a count of how many ive recorded breeding too

We hit on lucky being close to a flock of Waxwings that had been reported on the net at Washington last weekend :-

Nice to report one of our new Dipper boxes already having 3 hungry chicks & we have attracted a new colony of Tree Sparrows into boxes with 10 nests built on one site.

dont blink or you'll miss it...

Another Dipper incubating, this time in an open topped nest, rather than the regular enclosed dome.

3 hungry mouths

an easy one to dip

The Dipper is an active & charismatic species, associated with tumbling rivers, streams, burns & becks.
It is only in the last decade that it has begn to occur in our local area - presumably in responce to a positive change in water quality...
although that may well be debateable, having seen some of what issues into the local burn.....


Dipper singing from a chunk of submerged concrete

 Yesterday, a quick check revealed that some of our Autumn efforts have already paid off.


SEPT_2010- Young Jimmys getting on a bit - he wouldnt have needed a ladder for this job 30 year ago ;-)

 
One of the Dipper boxes occupied by a pair, the outer dome of the nest just about complete


open topped 'box' with domed dipper nest


Whilst that pair are getting down to business, this male was still advertising for a mate.....

The species has slowly increased its range in parts of Co.Durham over the last decade, although it is still only a sporadic non-breeding visitor to the Sunderland area - the fuel oil spill from Hetton school a couple a of years ago, seemingly having an impact & pegging the handful of birds we had then, back somewhat.

Hopefully we can encourage them to colonise - though 'youngans hoyyin clemmies' may be a problem.....

# Heres a clip of a male proclaiming territory
Singing Dipper ( turn volume up - recorded through phone)

## Heres a short clip showing the bird feeding.

How they manage in the strong current never ceases to amaze - note the water spilling off its back as it moves from the rock.

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