A new record Day Tally of *x303* Black Grouse counted in west Durham on 23rd September 2025. Coincides with news that translocated Pennine birds have bred successfully over on the NYMoors for the first time in 200 years. #NEBirding

Looking closely this season has revealed a few secrets This is one example of interesting behaviour on our local Beck.

We have a 60 pack counted in Teesdale 11th September 2025. 🎯👍🏻

250 counted on random roadside route through parts of Durham Pennines 5/9/25. No big single sex packs yet, still some family parties with young not yet fully grown No concerted national count since 2014, when English total 🟰 1437 males. 2022 ‘23 & this year have been productive seasons 🎯

A key species for us as we approach the Autumn is the Black Grouse. Early indications are that birds have done well, lots of good broods seen & a loose pack of x31 yesterday in Upper Weardale all bode well. *Our Max day count in a 5km radius is 223 birds in Teesdale 22nd September 2023.

End of August & our final Flycatcher family of fledged young being fed 2025 has been an excellent one x240 locations, many places having multiple pairs x90 nests found x25 broods BTO rung Here’s the sun setting on at moorland edge bird as it yawns A fitting way to sign off our #SpotFly25 survey

A bank holiday drive out to cast an unseasonal eye over the Northumberland Goldeneye breeding area, following this years success in the Wear Valley in Durham. There doesn’t appear to be anything special with either… How many more disused gravel workings will they take to ? 🧐 💛👁️

We are seeing population growth & range expansion in TyneTees area each year NB: Looking at nests we see *emerging evidence* of competition with other cavity nesters including TawnyOwl being physically usurped ! Also brood parasitism in Goosander Stock Dove & Jackdaw nests @teesbirds.bsky.social

SpotFly25 Breeding Season just about done. x240 locations, many places having multiple pairs x90 nests found x25 broods BTO rung Best of all was birds back breeding near DurhamCity, others returning to locations where absent for years ! A VERY POSITIVE ⚫️🪰 Season @teesbirds.bsky.social

Hobby continues to delight & baffle in equal measure. An informative image from outside our region from TLW, shows a marked difference in size & shape between an adult & its 1 week fledged youngster #Birding #Raptors

A juvenile Goldeneye at Hetton Lyons this morning isn’t entirely unexpected after confirmation of successful breeding in Weardale this year @teesbirds.bsky.social #Waterfowl #BreedingBirds #Birdwatching

Ringed Plover is not as numerous as its smaller cousin in Weardale, not by a wide margin. It does however have a much longer breeding season. Yesterday’s family party at a popular reservoir would have laid eggs in mid July. #waders #plover #birds

Easy pickings Moorland edge plantation between Blanchland & Rookhope Half a dozen today, down from c20 last week #SpotFly25 Also a vis Mig Tree Pipit North !

One of our specialist studies is long term field work looking at breeding Woodcock. In recent years we have focused on moorland breeding & discovered a large stock nesting well away from any tree cover. Some are well out on the fells amongst the Heather, their nearest neighbours Red Grouse

Mixed results from the last round for our regions Kingfishers. But nice to have 2 fledged today in NZ25 (Image RH) #Kingfisher #BreedingBirds #S1 #BTO @teesbirds.bsky.social

Last few visits mopping up breeding confirmations for our #SpotFly25 in the North Pennines. With x90 nests located, centred on Stanhope in Weardale, this our 5th year has easily been the most successful for us & most productive for the birds. A Very positive year with records from 236 locations

Working quickly the contents of our nest number 90 were processed by BTO Ringers. A couple of weeks & these will be on their way to Africa! #SpotFly25

SpotFly25 8/8 sees nest number 90 for our project located, a healthy brood of 3 around a week old. Three other fledged families on site - further down the Dale many birds have already departed #BirdStudy #BTO #BirdRinging #NorthPennines #BirdWatching #Flycatcher #SpotFly25

An early recce round the Upper Dales saw Hay timing in full swing around Langdon with no Black Grouse seen however Weardale was a different matter with x4 Greyhens with good broods in just 800 metres The bodes well for our detailed Autumn counts when we’ve seen over 200 birds @teesbirds.bsky.social

Little Terns 2025 83 pairs raised only 67 young to fledging with an estimated 144 predated by Kestrel. (68% Loss) It’s generally considered 0.74 young per pair is needed to sustain a UK colony.

International Owl Awareness Day Fastest Time to see all 5 owl species in Durham - 37mins at Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring.

229 Long-eared Owl territories in Durham recorded from 1990 to 2024 When we started their status & distribution was unknown, no internet, no mobile phones, birds were hard won back then @teesbirds.bsky.social #owl #birding #internationalowlawarenessday

“We” have yet to fully appraise the breeding range of some of Englands waders, never mind those out in the back end of beyond. 🧐 Eg. Scolopax 🎯

Spot Fly update: An obvious clear out of birds over the last few cool days (same with Swifts) The Breeders with active nests are continuing but I doubt we will see any further late attempts despite fresh nests being built last week. Here’s our interim 2025 breeding map @teesbirds.bsky.social

Kingfisher hatching out today 1st August 2025 Nests in NZ35 Sunderland & NZ24 Durham City inspected today @teesbirds.bsky.social @durhambirdclub.bsky.social #birds #kingfisher #S1 #BirdStudy #BTO #NRS

Hobby Update 30/7/25 for the Old Durham (Tyne Tees) area. Consett, Meadowfield, Rainton, Hill End all recording birds last few days - the first 2 locations over observers gardens 🎯 Pic1 DL

A stock take of our breeding Grey Wagtails reveals at least x32 nests found, with scope for 1 or 2 more yet 🎯👍🏻 These flamboyant birds are a real treat & are doing very well in both lowland & Dales habitat

Now 23/7 at x80 SFly nests and 20% of nestlings processed with BTO rings A few more to add tomorrow & fresh nests but & clutches to follow ⚫️🪰

Spot Fly Project FLYING with x75 nests this season 2025 Most in Weardale 40+ birds at one location yesterday ⚫️🪰 @durhambirdclub.bsky.social

Spotted Fly Nest number 70 for our project this year With 18 broods & 71 young rung by our BTO ringer & ladder wrangler 😄 Lots of other fledglings around today #SpotFly25

Further S1 checking reveals another Kingfisher on her third set of eggs This one especially pleasing as it’s in a bankside that was specifically faced off for them early this year. What a great year for them in our region

GREAT NEWS A Third attempt has been confirmed for this pair ! 🤩 Their young have fledged 27th May, 13th July & if all goes well the last lot will fledge later part of August For a short period 2 nest chambers are in use, she starts afresh whilst the male feeds the unfledged young ! AMAZING

Spotted Fly Nest number 68 for our project this year With 17 broods & 67 young rung by our BTO ringer & ladder wrangler 😄 2 more broods today, with other nests checked for progress #SpotFly25

These are x4 female Spotted Flycatchers with second clutches / broods in the same nest as the first round. All will be with young over the next few days The current Flat calm & warm conditions will suit them nicely 30 degrees yesterday up the Dale 😎☀️⚫️🪰

Kingfisher is another whose season will continue for a while yet. Here we have a nest monitored under S1 licence, with Second brood young being fed. Third broods are uncommon but it’s something to watch out for 🎯👍🏻 Lack of flooding during 2025 has been beneficial to Kingfisher in our region

Yesterday saw the last of our 12 local Sparrowhawk broods processed by BTO ringer TM, with 49 young in total. Based on 2023 figures, this is around a third of the national total.

A bit better showing from Cuckoos this season This one in NZ14 photographed today & pic2 a week ago. Meadow Pipits catering to its never ending demands.

Lesserthroat A few males singing today & a nest found in Briar Survey effort involving daily 10mile walks during 2023 revealed a healthy population in an already well known area, with 45 territories logged - far more than we’d suspect at a glance 🧐🎯

Breeding Hobby Fieldwork Tyne Tees region. Update 7th July 2025 This is our best season ever. An impressive 42 records at 32 locations from x29 observers 🎯

The most Northerly Corn Buntings in England NZ34 centred on Hetton le Hill (In the general area between Sunderland & Durham City). At least 6 males The number of females is unclear 🧐🎯👍🏻

“Surely we are reaching diminishing returns for bird atlases as large books with lots of maps? “ Interesting comments from Mark Avery. Nowadays we can of course produce maps in real time 🧐

5 years into our Spotted Flycatcher study now. We have some very interesting observations & data This year we have BTO bird ringers to assist to add to our knowledge base. So far 14 broods are averaging 4.6 young per nest.

It’s not all doom & gloom In a targeted effort we have x66 nests & rung x14 broods by 7/7 Birds have returned to breed in areas where they’ve been absent for several years. This season we have study areas with both 19 & 24 breeding pairs per km². A riverside area holds 12pairs in 540metres.