J.W. Heslop Harrison's 1921 floristic map of the 'Trollius Marsh', once part of Teesside's Billingham Beck Valley, now drained and part of a golf course. He described a remarkable fen habitat, full of Globeflower, Meadow-rue, Marsh Hawksbeard (📷), Great Burnet & Purple Moor-grass.

Hartlepool Headland 8.30-10.30: 1 GN Diver, 15+ Red-throated Divers, 62 Common Scoter, 3 Goldeneye, 1 Mediterranean Gull, steady movement of Kittiwakes pushed inshore. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Water Stick-insect at RSPB Saltholme today. This predatory bug (not a stick-insect!) has expanded its range rapidly northwards in recent years. In the late 1990s it reached Nottinghamshire before moving into Yorkshire around 2000. By 2023, it was into Scotland. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hewitt's Chart of Teesmouth, 1832 (re-drawn) vs now, showing the enormous loss of inter-tidal, saltmarsh & coastal grazing-marsh habitats. S = Seaton Snook, T = Todd Point.

A 'List of Birds' from Sharp's History of Hartlepool (1816). Eider was a rarity but Scaup were common: over 1,000 caught in a week in winter 1788-9 were "sold for 1s. per dozen". Glaucous Gull was simply known as Winter Gull, and a local Herring Gull reached 21 years old. 1/2 @teesbirds.bsky.social

Sheep-puddled margins provide excellent habitat in this Teesside pond, trampling inhibiting growth of reedmace and maintaining open conditions. Both Chara and Nitella stoneworts are present along with a range of pioneer insects such as Mottled Backswimmer (Notonecta maculata).

15.00: Greenshank again on Salterns, silty pool between new floodbank and tank farm embankment. Merlin over Greenabella Marsh. @teesbirds.bsky.social .

Hartlepool Headland 8.00-10.15: small movement of Little Gulls south, 20 in total. Regular Mediterranean Gull, 28 Red-throated Divers, Snow Bunting over. Harbour Porpoise, 2 (different?) pods of dolphins, first v hyperactive, jumping clear of water but distant. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Zohran's campaign was his determination to make New York a city everyone can afford to live in. Huge congratulations! His success will resonate throughout the world. A story where no one is left behind. It's time to write that story across England & Wales too.

Hartlepool Headland 9-11.30: 1 Great Northern Diver, 1 Puffin, 3 Little Gulls all moving S. Purple Sandpipers on rocks at low tide. Harbour Porpoise. @teesbirds.bsky.social

This sprawling brassica has suddenly become a prolific weed on the allotments. Don't recall seeing it before this year. Basal leaves coarsely toothed, bristly and stalked. I'm keying it to either Hoary Mustard (Hirschfeldia incana) or Black Mustard (Brassica nigra). Does that sound right, botanists?

Hartlepool Headland 8.30-11.00: Quiet - 29 Red-throated Divers, c 120 v distant ?Pinkfeet S, 4 Goosanders, 1 Mediterranean Gull. Harbour Porpoise, Grey & Harbour Seals. @teesbirds.bsky.social

The diving beetle Deronectes latus was described as new to science by J.F. Stephens in 1829 from specimen collected by L. Rudd of Marton Lodge (now Stewart's Park, Middlesbrough). Ormesby Beck, a short walk away, would have been nearest likely habitat for this running water species. 📷U Schmidt, CC.

There is a universality to Dictator Kitsch: this would not have looked out of place in Mussolini's villa, or the palaces of Saddam/Ceausescu/Kim Jong-un/Erdogan. The incredible thing is that millions of people losing their health care and food stamps will still vote for Trump.

A duck decoy operated on Coatham Marsh (Redcar) up to 1872. Mallard, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Scaup, Shelduck were trapped, with a Ferruginous Duck caught in 1850. The area south of Marsh House has long since been tipped over. Below: extract from 1st edition OS 6" map, surveyed ca. 1850.

Hartlepool Headland 8.15-10.45: highlight was Great Northern Diver flyby v close in. 17 Red-throated Divers, small numbers of various duck, still a few Gannets and Guillemots but numbers much diminished. Several small flocks of Starlings in/off. @teesbirds.bsky.social

"Levelling Up"

Greenshank, Peregrine on saltmarsh N side of Greatham Creek. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 8.45-10.45: 2 Great Northern Divers, 10 Red-throated Divers, 4 Whooper Swans S, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Arctic Tern. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 8-10: Quiet, 1 Velvet Scoter N, 1 Woodcock in/off, 12 Red-throated Divers, Harbour Porpoise, Grey Seal. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 7.45-10.15: highlight was a Little Auk N at 09.13, close-in. Also 3 Arctic Terns, 3 Little Gulls, 2 Long-tailed Ducks. Ca 500 geese S at 9am, v distant. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 8-12: 6 Great Skuas, 12 Little Gulls, 10 Arctic Terns, 3 Goldeneye, 4 Long-tailed Ducks. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Didn't expect much from this reedy, urban-fringe ditch nr Stockton-on-Tees but 13 water beetles included Hydroporus figuratus, an uncommon small diving beetle of shaded fen. This species can occur in both boldly-marked and almost completely dark forms. It was abundant in this ditch.

2 Whooper Swans flying up the Tees at Bowesfield Marsh NR 14.45, Cetti's Warbler calling. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Leaves change colour in autumn because, as days shorten, trees stop producing chlorophyll; the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis. This allows other pigments already in the leaf to become visible. Some trees produce new pigments (anthocyanins); creating vibrant reds and purples...

Hartlepool Headland 07.30-10.00: Disappointing, 1 ?Arctic Skua N, 1 Mediterranean Gull, several Little Gulls & commic terns, 13 RT Divers. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Bioabundance: A Tudor account of insects washed downstream by a winter flood on the River Severn, in such vast quantities that they jammed up water mills for four days and had to be dug out by the shovel load. Source: Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, vol 1, 1812.

Hartlepool Headland 07.45-9.15: quiet. Little Gulls still feeding offshore. 2 ?Arctic Skuas N, v distant. 4 Arctic Terns S. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Currently investigating water beetles as ancient wetland indicators but nature is messy. Agabus uliginosus is often associated with pool systems of natural origin (e.g. "pingos" in Norfolk, kettle holes in NW Yorks) but in Vale of York/Humberhead Levels, it occurs in a wider range of habitats.

Hartlepool Headland 07.45-10.00: 2 Manx Shearwater, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Little Gull, 1 Brent Goose, 17 RT Divers, dolphins, Harbour Porpoise. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 8.30-10.45: 1 GN Diver, 14 RT Divers, 1 Black Tern, 1 Sandwich Tern, 5 commic terns, ca 40 Little Gulls in feeding flock offshore + a few Manx Shearwaters, 7 Whooper Swans, 4 Mergansers, 1 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Swallows @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 8.15-10.15: 31 Red-throated Divers, 2 BrentGeese, 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Velvet Scoter, 4 Merganser, Harbour Porpoises @teesbirds.bsky.social ĺ

In the lesser water-boatmen (true-bugs of the family Corixidae), the expanded front tarsal claws are known as palae. The shape of the male pala and the arrangement of pegs on the inner surface are important in separating similar species. This is Sigara falleni with its broad, shovel-like palae.

This fen creation trial by the High Batts team at Pennycroft Quarry is hopefully the start of something much bigger. It's survived a mammoth river flood and prolonged inundation. Adjoining open water is crystal clear and dominated by stonewort beds, suggesting ideal conditions for calcareous fen.

YBW, Chiffchaff, Brambling in Borough Hall gardens 13:45 @teesbirds.bsky.social

9.40-12.50, Hartlepool Headland: 1 GN Diver, 19 RT Divers, 1 Little Gull, 1 Pomarine Skua, 3 Manx Shearwaters & a remarkable 882 Barnacle Geese S in 11 flocks + 62 N. Also 372 Common Scoter, now predominantly female-type, 7 Goldeneye, 9 Merganser, 1 Pintail, 1 Mute Swan. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Borough Hall gardens/Old Putting Green, Hartlepool Headland 09.15; lots of presumably migrant Blackbirds and Robins, 1 Woodcock, Grey Wagtail but no warblers so far. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Labour continues its campaign to p*ss off every single section of the voting public by gutting wildlife protections instead of dealing with a dysfunctional housing market. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This blue-topped satyr was found in a Brazilian eucalyptus plantation, where scientists observed butterflies were less colourful than in native forests. The insects’ brilliant hues evolved in lush ecosystems to help them survive: now they are becoming more muted to adapt to degraded landscapes...

Natural England has assessed threats to 1,900 species. Impressive work but GB Red Lists don't reflect English context. Many northern species are at imminent risk from climate change in England but remain +/- widespread in Scotland. publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/... 📷Agabus arcticus

A conversation about hedge-laying led me to the 'A Load of Old Billhooks' website: www.billhooks.co.uk If you're interested in traditional rural crafts, it's an impressive resource, covering Europe as well as Britain. This is what the internet was made for.

Slavonian Grebe still off Zetland roundabout, Redcar at 13.30, in shallow water close to rocks. Ca 200 Eider & a few Common Scoter. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

Highlight of a 2 hr sea watch at Hartlepool Headland has been a Ring-necked Parakeet - yes it's been that good. 10 Red-throated Divers, 33 Common Scoter, a few porpoises. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Pinkfeet heard 3 times this morning from Whinny Banks. Last flock was about 80 birds heading NW, 10:40. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hartlepool Headland 9-11.30: 1 Great Northern Diver S, 17 Red-throated Divers, 16 Whooper Swans & 97 Pinkfeet (each in 3 groups), 19 commic terns. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Dolphn pod close in moving slowly N Hartlepool Headland 10 24 @teesbirds.bsky.social

More on Teesmouth seal pup deaths, suggesting sewage effluent and legacy of industrial pollution may have exacerbated natural mortality. Typical comedy response from Northumbrian Water saying they couldn't possibly be responsible for faecal bacteria in estuary. northeastbylines.co.uk/news/environ...

Thanks to @damianmoney.bsky.social for confirming bird in this photo as Caspian Gull, and to the finder. I photographed every large gull there! Looks like same bird posted earlier. Still on Albert Park lake 5 PM so may hang around. @teesbirds.bsky.social @nybirdnews.bsky.social

This drake Pintail on Albert Park lake (Boro) seems too tame to be a genuine wild bird, but smart all the same and more aligned with my ID skills than immature gulls. @teesbirds.bsky.social

Callistus lunatus from Vol 1 of John Curtis' British Entomology. This ground beetle occurred on chalk downland in southern England but is now extinct in Britain. Subscribers received the publication as monthly folios from 1824 on, the superb illustrations being hand-coloured copper-plate engravings.