18:00 The Moon is getting up now & illuminating the Leo airshow #NEBirding #BiggLuggs @durhambirdclub.bsky.social Activity in 2 territories this evening in perfect conditions. Phone clip shows a Male in his wing clapping territorial display flight.

We are fortunate to still have lots of WillowTits AND a selection of places which have both Marsh & Willow 🎯 Very nice sound track !

A steady 12miler to end the #FootIt month, milder with some 🌞 Finally added our local Spotshank in its roost area, swimming just after the tide had turned opposite @wwtworldwide.bsky.social Washington Swung by a local country park for an unringed but nowadays presumably feral Barnacle Goose #112🎯

A very good start to the year in VC66 - Old Durham, between the Tyne & Tees, with c166 species noted during January. A few new faces on the committee, a new & well known Club Chairman & new recording platform should see the rest of the year being just as positive. Well done DBC-ers 👍🏻

After weeks of Song Thrush singing full tilt, the Blackies are now starting to get going. 3 males in town at our Walk in Centre, where milder temperatures & artificial lighting starts them off earlier than the rural birds near by. 🎶🎵🎶 #NEBirds

“NEW Research” New research based on data that’s 15 years old 🧐 SpotFly had a tremendous season in N.Pennines & parts of Durham in 2025. Returning to breed in numerous locations where it had been missing for 7-8 years No change in core range here at Tetrad level compared to 1990’s Atlas.

Seaham Harbour Not the best birding on the #NEBirding coastline by a long stretch but still 8 year ticks for the #FootIt List, now 110 species noted On Foot From Home in 2026. @durhambirdclub.bsky.social 2w Med in Harbour.

Exemplary Bird Conservation & Study project by Fred et al in Co.Durham 🎯

Another of our non resident breeders has returned #FootIt 102 Nice bit of colour on such a raw dull day at Hetton Lyons @durhambirdclub.bsky.social @footit.bsky.social Also a couple more Wilti registrations 🎯 #NEBirding

After days on the Sick Lame & Lazy it was good to get the wellies on A 1pm twitch for GSand 🥾 didn’t come off but phone rang with news & just 300m away! #FootIt 101 thanks to Patch Supremo The Black-eyed Pea @michaelheron.bsky.social 🤩 @durhambirdclub.bsky.social @footit.bsky.social #NEBirding

A very productive early morning visit to Gateshead Borough A search of 4Ha of scrub & Crack Willow revealed x18Woodcock & x4Willow Tit. Elsewhere x3 singing Cettis & amazingly a Chiffchaff also in song. Kite & Green Sand year ticks added before lunch #NEBirding

Scribblyjacks 3 unharvested Wheat fields c8Ha are pulling in a minimum of 380 gorgeous Yellow Buntings The Hectad they’re in still retains breeders in 94/100 Monads A few birds are tuning up in sub song - next clear spell & sun should see them singing & allow us to daydream of summer #NEBirding

Super Greenfinch roost 🎯 8 mile away, a regular treble figure roost at Sedgeletch is no longer occupied 🧐 but still lots of birds around, a modest 40+ roost in town & several singing males yesterday.

A Dipper box check quickly turned into a Chiffy Hunt after bumping into a visiting birder who’d counted 5 or 6 We ended up with x7Chiffs in little over a Km It’s a few years since we’ve had multiples overwintering & are now day dreaming of other small waifs amongst them

A bit of fancy footwork by MH whilst togging this Jack Snipe Great to see but a very poor season- many sites dry & degraded during the Autumn arrival. Winter 23/24 we located over 600. @durhambirdclub.bsky.social

Can’t be that many of these around in the UK in January ?? #NEBirding After adding RLP, this takes our local inland #FootIt year list to 100 species 🎯 @durhambirdclub.bsky.social

Day off-patch Hurworth Burn to watch the fine ringtail ✔️ hunting, 500 Fieldfare, GWEgret etc Plenty of year ticks at Greatham /Seal sands with Greenshank & Black & Bar wit, GreyPlover Knot etc

You wouldn’t for one minute imagine a Fieldfare, with its mix of obvious colours could remain hidden in plain sight… Windfall camo

Just spotted #FootIt 🥾 We’ve done something like this for quite some time, ie OFFH On Foot From Home. Another 11 icy miles today dipping on GSand & Mandy targets, but 5 singing Dippers & 5 Chiffies added cheer. 98ssp inland Co.Durham & 88miles clocked up

New Years Week is always fun, each species eagerly sought out & viewed as if for the 1st time. 98 species (non coastal) on foot from home shows the diversity we have on offer. 1 of our Peregrine pairs in talon grappling courtship flight the latest ✔️ during 77miles walked this 1st week #NEBirding

Bitta card 🥶 Wake me up when it’s over 🥴

#BirdOfTheDay #Snowy Eurasian Woodcock

A check on up Tree Spug numbers this pm provided SUPERB views of Corn Bunting x5 at Littletown Also Jack Snipe & Little Owl nearby #NEBirding

Nice to find a Woodcock feeding at the edge of our street this evening Moulting into its winter snow-camo plumage 😄 First aberrant individual I’ve seen #NEBirding

Two snowy local rambles added WFGoose JSnipe Stonechat Skylark CSnipe beautiful Barnie & 8Scolopax feeding in the moonlit snowy fields Patch - 85species on foot from home, non coastal sites only. 38miles covered. Durham Bird Club Recording area (VC66) - 110ssp.

Smoggy Tea-Cide what a ghastly mess, but offers up endless easy leisurely birdwatching Lots today including Perg & MHarrier hunting, Spoonbill WaterPipit Stonechat Point blank Purple Sands, MedGull Mergansers Eiders, Pintails Whooper Swan, Seals, Foxes & dozen + Roe Deer Durham List = 107 #NEBirding

Good start to 2026 with 79 species noted on a 21 mile ramble (non coastal) Drumming GSW, Wilti in song, amazing to see x3 warblers on NYD - Cettis Chiffies & a Blackcap Other species reported on patch included WFGoose & CornBunt in song We had 100 species in the bag by 4/1 last year 🧐 #NEBirding

The What3Words app is great for mapping birds Here’s x21 Song Thrush territories are town this month On the whole suburban/ town birds are quicker to get going 🎶

Local recce for NYDay Tick-a-thon. We should be good for c80 species inland & on foot from home ✔️ It was lovely to hear our first snippets of song from Goldcrest & Treecreeper, following on from a trial burst from Yellowhammer - all 2 to 3 weeks early First LBBacks are also early #NEBirding

The airflow has a distinct chill to it & a Russian White front has arrived overnight. The local Beck however is a sheltered microclimate & we found x3 Chiffchaff in just over a linear kilometre this afternoon, with lots of flying insects & Goldcrests 1st winter with multiple Chiffs for a while

Merry Christmas 🎅 We noted 65 species on our morning walk & pretty sure we just heard Bewicks Swans going over in the dark 🧐

We’ve Searched near & far since October to locate Tree Spugs at all these 400+ places… Surprised & delighted to find another dozen within 2km of home today 🎯 Flying into suburban gardens to feed with House Spugs Shiney Row, DH4, Sunderland #NEBirding

Fat Bird of the Barley We’ve been expecting “this year to be the last” for over a decade 😵‍💫 However, 2025 was an excellent breeding season for our relict Corn Bunt population There’s an absolute plethora of winter feeding opportunities On wires at 14:30 before heading West to drink #NEBirding

These x17 JSnipe were in a small area 0.016Ha area of floating mat vegetation. There’s 0.832Ha of suitable habitat which has held JS & CSnipe in recent winters. (0.016 ÷ 0.832) × 100 ≈ the 17 birds were found on less than 2% of the site (ie 1.92%) We’ve seen 40 JS here Perhaps there’s more🧐

New wellies day (Santa has come early 🎅) Christened them on x17 Jacks on part of a site that can hold 40+ #NEBirding

More early song 🎶 A male Chaffinch in full song at Backhouse Park Sunderland is around 3 weeks earlier than expected A 15km ramble produced x17 SongThrush & x4 Mistles singing the latter rural & the former suburban A feeding pair of Wilti were heard at close range quietly & excitedly warbling

Winter Waders Two cracking winter birds on the tidal stretch of the R.Wear just up from Sunderland Common Sand & Spotted Redshank on the WWT / Offerton stretch. #NEBirding

Ex tenebris lux From darkness comes light It doesn’t take much First song from Willow & Great Tits, Blackbird & Bullfinch this week Meanwhile Song Thrush are planning on world domination in 2026 ! Singing in good numbers- mild & damp suits them. Just 1 more week & we’re past the shortest day ☀️

A good day in Sunlund 😊🔴⚪️🔴⚪️ Our first burst of Willow Tit song this morning & even a brief burst of excitable warbling 🎶 This date creeps forward every couple of years, it’s generally New Year before we hear them proclaiming territory strong #Wilti25

A surprise Starling roost 4,500 in 2 small rural Phragmite fringed pools Leadgate Nr Consett. Couple more Wilti up there too #NEBirding

Not many about so far This is our best field It can hold 20+, more usually around a dozen, just x5 Scolopax tonight, but that’s the most this year…. so far…. #Scolopax25

Boring LBJ Our WillowTits are to receive a lot of attention in 2026 Durham County Council, Durham Wildlife & Natural England are some of those undertaking projects Thankfully they’re still a familiar everyday bird for us here 😊 #NEBirding @durhambirdclub.bsky.social @teesbirds.bsky.social 🧵1/5

Zoom in on pic3, you can see the tiny bits of polystyrene ! We have confirmed 21 nests in a Tetrad in 2021, however one single Monad can hold more than 10 nests. We are seeing more nests located high in canopies in recent years, some as much as 50’ up 👍🏻🎯🙂

Yesterday’s #BirdoftheDay was something to do with Side views Here’s our first incubating Scolopax from earlier this year, viewed from both sides ☺️ We’ve had our first chicks hatched & away in previous years, even before the national survey had started 😀🎯👍🏻

OTD 2024 Barnie in his Limestone cavern They’re the perfect colour match Guessed thats where some of them lived before man built barns (& put up boxes) #NEBirding

Totting up some numbers Linnet - a total of 6860 found so far during the TreeSpug census (week 10 update 2moro) 3K of those are in NZ34 which had most coverage A benefit of digital images is being able to check flock counts at home over a coffee ☕️😊 #NEBirding

Hurworth Burn Target TreeSpugs & WillowTits at the car park GWEgret, calling WRail & Cettis added interest Nice to get a Harrier trio with 2 cc Marsh & a ringtail Hen. #NEBirding @teesbirds.bsky.social

All too often we hear negative news about birds & wildlife. We have been fortunate to witness dramatic positive changes in Durhams Dipper population over the last 2 decades with 7 additional Hectads colonised in lowland Eastern areas, with confirmation in NZ33 just this season Pic of Moulting bird

1K NZ34 has at least 982 Tree Sparrow in a preliminary Oct/Nov census. The last 2 days we have noted 2 flocks at opposite ends of the Hectad have an extra 120 individuals between them. c1K in just one Hectad…. How many are actually out there 🧐🧮🎯 @durhambirdclub.bsky.social

Returned to a TreeSpug flock in a wild bird seed plot By 15:45 they gradually started to move to leave for roost sites, allowing accurate count of *171 as they went Small groups got up & stuck together but each group headed in different directions Presumably to roost at respective colonies 🧐