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Teesmouth Bird Club Newsletter

Issue 34. Summer 2006

IN THIS ISSUE: MONTHLY SUMMARY........................... 1 LOCAL OUTINGS - AUTUMN 2006........ 6 NEWS UPDATE FROM THE

COMMITTEE .......................................... 6 MEMBERS ADVERT............................... 9 CLEVELAND BREEDING BIRD SURVEY

............................................................... 11 MEMBERS ADVERT............................. 11 CLEVELAND WATER BODY SURVEY. 12 WHERE TO WATCH BUTTERFLIES

AND DRAGONFLIES IN CLEVELAND 14 THE 2006 BIRD RACE – NO SLEEP ‘TIL

LONGNEWTON..................................... 17 PROFILE – RUSSELL McANDREW ..... 21 CLEVELAND BIRDING SITES -

PORTRACK MARSH ............................. 22 RSPB SALTHOLME – A BRIEF HISTORY

............................................................... 25 WETLAND BIRD SURVEY TEESMOUTH

SPRING 2006 SUMMARY...................... 26

MONTHLY SUMMARY Chris Sharp summarises the birding highlights of the spring and early summer. Photographs have been kindly supplied by Chris Bell, Geoff Iceton, Ian Forrest, Tom Francis, John Money, Stewart Hinley and Mike Watson.

March 2006

Long-staying birds from the winter months still present in early March included the two female Ring-necked Ducks on Coatham Marsh and the Cetti’s Warbler at Dorman’s Pool, though the latter remained elusive. Several flocks of Waxwings were reported, including 23 in Hemlington and 33 at

Nunthorpe. Red-necked Grebes were on Coatham Marsh and a long-stayer was on the Reclamation Pond. It, or another, was also seen at Haverton Hole. Up to 5 Slavonian Grebes were on Seal Sands in what was another good winter for this species. A pair of Smew was at Saltholme and several adult

Mediterranean Gulls were seen, including one

at Hemlington Lake. Two Bitterns were on Coatham Marsh from 7th and a Bearded Tit was at the same location on 9th. The adult Yellow-legged Gull remained at the Tees barrage and a first winter Iceland Gull was at Back Saltholme on 10th. An Avocet at

Newburn Bridge on 12th was an unusual location, as it roosted with Oystercatchers. Nearby, a Little Egret was occasionally seen roosting in Rossmere Park. Four Common Cranes flew over Coatham Marsh on 15th and 2 Whooper Swans at Scaling Dam from 15th were well received in what was a poor winter

for wild swans in Cleveland.

DRAKE SMEW, SALTHOLME Ian Forrest

FEMALE SMEW, SALTHOLME Ian Forrest

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RED-NECKED GREBE, HAVERTON HOLE Geoff Iceton

STONECHAT, SEATON COMMON Steve Keightley

An influx of Stonechats on 16th included 8 at Boulby and 5 at Cowbar and a Lapland Bunting was at the latter location on this date. In addition, several Stonechats and Kingfishers could be seen on the North Tees

Marshes. A Great Northern Diver at Jackson’s Landing from 17th stayed into May, though was often elusive amongst the moorings. The highlight of the month, however, was undoubtedly 2 Penduline Tits found on Portrack Marsh on 23rd, which stayed for a fortnight and, though elusive at

first, they subsequently gave superb views. These were only the 3rd record for Cleveland. Two Long-eared Owls also showed well at Portrack at this time. A Spotted Redshank was on Back Saltholme on 23rd and good numbers of Water Pipits were present, with 9 on Cowpen Marsh and up to 11 at Haverton

Hole.

PENDULINE TIT, PORTRACK MARSH Stewart Hinley

KINGFISHER, COWPEN BEWLEY Steve Keightley

The first Little Ringed Plover, Wheatear and Sand Martin were all reported on 26th and a male Black Redstart sang in the Jewish

Cemetery, Hartlepool on 28th and 29th. A Marsh Harrier was over the Reclamation Pond on the latter date. Several Ring Ouzels, Chiffchaffs and White Wagtails were at the coast late in the month and a Coues’s Arctic Redpoll was a brief visitor to fields at Cowbar on 30th. An Osprey over Portrack Marsh on 31st was the first of a good spring for this

species and an Avocet was on the Calor Gas Pool the same day. April 2006

An Osprey was seen over Sleddale on 1st and 3 Ravens in the same area from 2nd were a welcome addition to many a County List but

required luck and often many hours of patience to see them. The first Garganey of the spring was on Saltholme on 3rd, with a Whooper Swan also present. A second Osprey was in Sleddale on 6th, with 2 Garganeys on Coatham Marsh the following day. The 8th saw Ospreys over Dorman’s

Pool and Cowpen Marsh and 2 were reported from Lockwood Beck. A first-winter Glaucous Gull was at Dorman’s Pool on 9th and a Common Buzzard was over Dorman’s Pool on 12th. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker near Yarm from 13th was a good find of this increasingly difficult species to see in

Cleveland and, next day, 2 Avocets were on Back Saltholme, along with the first Yellow Wagtails at South Gare. Mid-month saw all five Grebe species on Dormans Pool and the Reclamation Pond, in resplendent summer plumage and up to 9 Lesser Redpolls and 2 pairs of Crossbills showed extremely well at

the Lockwood Beck car park. On 17th, Raven-watchers at Sleddale found Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Hen Harrier on 17th.

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AVOCET, CALOR GAS POOL Ian Forrest

BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL, SEATON COMMON Chris Bell

Warm weather in the third week saw many of the summer visitors arriving, with Garden, Grasshopper and Sedge Warblers all being seen by 20th and a Common Tern was at

Saltholme on 18th. Swift and Reed Warbler were seen on 21st and several Marsh Harriers passed through. Hobbies were over Seaton Common and Haverton Hole on 22nd and Garganey increased to 5 on Back Saltholme the following day, with at least 15 White Wagtails also present. Red Kites were seen

near Middlesbrough on 24th and 2 were over Marske on the same day. A large influx of Yellow Wagtails took place at this time, with ca 30 on Seaton Common, including at least 7 stunning Blue-headed Wagtails. A Wood Warbler was an unusual visitor to Haverton Hole on 25th.

COMMON CROSSBILL, LOCKWOOD John Money

WHITE WAGTAIL, SCALING DAM John Money

Good numbers of waders passed through the North Tees Marshes late in the month, with up to 75 Black-tailed Godwits, Wood

Sandpiper, Greenshank and several Spotted Redshanks. A Hoopoe at Billingham Beck on 26th unfortunately showed only to the finder and a Shore Lark flew over South Gare next day. Three Mandarin Ducks on a small lake at Yarm at the month’s end were of questionable origin but, nevertheless, were a

splendid sight, as they included 2 drakes.

LITTLE GULL, SALTHOLME Geoff Iceton

LESSER REDPOLL, LOCKWOOD BECK John Money

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May 2006

Good numbers of White Wagtails were around Saltholme early in the month and 2nd saw the first ever twitchable White Stork in Cleveland. Amazingly, news didn’t break of

it’s presence until 10.30 pm. It was on a flooded field at Belasis Hall Technology Park and a constant stream of admirers was arriving well into the early hours, as the bird was clearly visible under the nearby street and factory lighting. It remained until the next morning, when it flew off high.

Although ringed, the type of ring was compatible with those used on wild White Stork ringing schemes. The following day, a male Spotted Crake was trapped at Haverton Hole and was heard singing in the evening. The 6th saw a Little Stint at Saltholme, a Shore Lark briefly at Dormans Pool, an

Osprey at Lockwood Beck and a Wryneck at nearby Margrove Ponds. The next day, another Wryneck was at South Gare, along with a Short-toed Lark, which stayed for 2 days. A Caspian Tern was reported from South

Gare on 8th and 2 Roseate Terns flew north at Hartlepool the same day. On the evening of 9th, 2 adult Gull-billed Terns flew north at the same location and were tracked northwards at various sea watching points as far as Northumberland. A Spoonbill on Saltholme Pools on 9th stayed for 5 days and

a Black-necked Grebe was here, remaining and until the month’s end. A Temminck’s Stint was at Bowesfield Marsh on 13th, with another at Saltholme the same day, along with 4 little Stints. Heavy rain on 15th produced a fall of common migrants at the coastal stations, including several Whinchats,

Spotted Flycatcher and Lesser and Common Whitethroats. An adult Hobby was at Nunthorpe on 16th. Temminck’s Stints increased to 2 at Saltholme and up to 6 Little Gulls were here at this time. A Bluethroat at South Gare on 23rd and 24th proved to be extremely elusive and was seen by only

several observers. An Osprey was over the Long Drag on 25th and another was at Scaling Dam the same day, the latter remaining for well over a week.

WHITE STORK, BILLINGHAM Mike Watson

SPOTTED CRAKE, HAVERTON HOLE Tom Francis

WRYENCK, SOUTH GARE Mike Watson

SPOONBILL, SALTHOLME Geoff Iceton

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WHINCHAT, SEATON COMMON Steve Keightley

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER, LOCKWOOD BECK Steve Keightley

PEREGRINE, SALTHOLME Ian Forrest

SEDGE WARBLER, DORMANS POOL Stewart Hinley

June 2006

A Honey Buzzard and a Marsh Harrier flew over Dorman’s Pool on 3rd and 2 Marsh Harriers were at Scaling Dam on the same day. A Purple Heron flew in off the sea at

the Jewish Cemetery, Hartlepool and flew towards Seaton Carew but unfortunately was not seen again. Osprey, Marsh Harrier and Raven were at Scaling Dam on 6th and a Bean Goose was an unseasonable visitor to Salltholme Pools on 6th. A first-summer Montagu’s Harrier was at the latter location

from 9th-10th, along with 2 Black Terns and a Black Swan, which stood out among the good numbers of Mute Swans present at the time. The run of good birds at Saltholme continued on 11th when a Pectoral Sandpiper appeared, remaining until 15th and, at times, was accompanied by 3 Curlew Sandpipers, a

Wood Sandpiper and a Little Stint. Potentially the rarest bird of the month was an adult Lesser White-fronted Goose at Saltholme, which was found on 15th. It was in pristine condition, wary and unringed. Although June is not a month one would associate with rare geese, the presence of a

several Pink-feet, a Bean Goose and up to 7 Barnacle Geese in the same area earlier in the month may enhance its credentials.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER, SALTHOLME Tom Francis

LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE,SALTHOLME Geoff Iceton

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Up to 5 Quails were at Dalton Piercy from 20th. The last week of the month was generally quiet, with just a few waders passing through the North Tees Marshes. Included amongst these were Greenshank

and Wood Sandpiper. A fine summer-plumaged Black-necked Grebe on Saltholme on 30th brought this excellent period to an end.

LOCAL OUTINGS - AUTUMN 2006 The following local outings have been arranged for members for the autumn period 2006:

Saturday 23rd September Portrack Marsh: Meet at the ‘Talpore Hotel’ car park next to the

Tees Barrage at 11.00am. A chance to visit this rapidly emerging reserve, which held 2 Penduline Tits earlier in the year. Leader, Gary Sharples.

Friday 13th October Hartlepool Headland: Meet by the Heugh Lighthouse/Heugh Gun Battery at 9.00am for sea birds and a walk around the gardens to look

for migrants. Leader, Mike Gee.

Sunday 26th November Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park: Meet in the car park at the reserve at 9.30am. This excellent local reserve has a well-stocked bird feeding station, where you can get close views of Tree Sparrow and Willow Tit, and a lake, which attracts duck species, including Goosander. Leader, Chris Sharp.

Friday 15th December Hartlepool Headland: Meet by the Heugh Lighthouse at 10.00am. A chance to look for sea duck, such as scoter and eider, as well as divers, grebes and winter gulls. Leader, John Fletcher.

All of these outings will be of about 2 hours’ duration. For further details, please contact Chris Sharp (Tel: 01429 865163).

NEWS UPDATE FROM THE COMMITTEE

CLUB OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE FOR 2006-07

At the Club’s April 2006 AGM, the following

officers and Committee members were confirmed

for the year 2006-07:

Chairman Ted Parker

Vice-Chairman John Fletcher

Hon Secretary Chris Sharp

Hon Treasurer Mark Askew

COMMITTEE:

Ordinary Members: Brian Hague, Eric James,

Julie Mason, Peter Smith, Linda

Watson.

Co-opted Members: Vic Fairbrother, John Sharp,

Richard Taylor.

RECLAMATION POND

Impetus Reclamation Limited has offered to send a representative to the next meeting of the Reclamation Pond Working Party in order to provide an update on the current position, discuss the possible transfer of Dormans Pool to a conservation body and to outline the

current proposals for Port Clarence Pool, one of the two compensatory sites that have to be created in advance of any infilling. Our request for further information from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in March this year has, typically, met with no response. Being brought into the

communication loop by Impetus is a good step forward for the Club and we will do what we can to influence a positive outcome, whatever this may be.

HARTLEPOOL OBSERVATORY

The Brief for a Feasibility Study was issued to

3 selected architectural consultants with track records in similar projects on 19th May and

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tenders were received back on 12th June. The Committee has considered these and, before proceeding, decided to have preliminary discussions with Hartlepool Borough Council to seek their broad approval

on Planning grounds and to explore appropriate sources of funding for the Study. It was also decided to set up at Project Team, once these preliminary matters have been resolved. It is imperative that the Study is carried out, as it will include outline designs/plans showing, in broad terms, the

external appearance and internal layout of the building; the costs of design and construction; and suggestions for funding sources. The Committee is determined to press ahead with this major project.

NORTHERN GATEWAY CONTAINER TERMINAL, TEESPORT

A Planning Application and Environmental

Statement (ES) for this huge project have been lodged by PD Teesport with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council. Following receipt of the ES, the Conservation Sub Committee prepared the Club’s response, which was issued to the Council in late June and can be viewed on the Club’s website. The ES was

very professional, comprehensive, of high quality and identified all the key environmental impacts well. We were pleased to note that, following our comments on the Scoping Report earlier this year, Bran Sands Lagoon and the former Leathers Chemicals area (both important

ornithologically) have been omitted from the sites identified for the deposition of dredged waste. Our key concerns regarding the ES are the possible loss of the Bran Sands Lagoon at some future stage, the over-reliance on WeBS data to assess ornithological importance of sites within the

development area and the general lack of mitigation and enhancement proposals. We have identified areas of further research. PD Teesport has requested a meeting to discuss our concerns. Due to the omission of Bran Sands Lagoon and Leathers Chemicals site from the development proposals, the Club

has not lodged an objection to the Planning Application, though we would review this stance should the situation change.

HARTLEPOOL HEADLAND NEW TOWN SQUARE

Following an important archaeological find on the site, work eventually resumed on this major scheme for the Borough Hall Gardens

and the famous ‘Fish Shop Trees’ have finally

been removed at the request of Verrill’s. Some members have commented that the area resembles a “sea of concrete” at present. It is an intricate scheme, however, with many changes of level, and the hard

works are being undertaken at the time of going to press. Once the tree and shrub planting have been completed in the forthcoming winter period, the whole effect will be much ‘softer’ and, hopefully, the gardens will, hopefully, continue to be attractive to migrant birds.

VISUALISATIONS OF HEADLAND TOWN SQUARE

Courtesy of Fergsuon McIlveen LLP

WEBSITE

Our Website continues to be nationally

acclaimed and received a very favourable review in the May edition of ‘British Birds’

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magazine. Jamie Duffie has now permanently taken over the Website from Rob Little and has built on the excellent work achieved by Rob. The site has been significantly improved, with the additions of

Members’ Sightings and a Photo Gallery (past and present). Recent additions include the Club’s formal responses to and comments on key developments around the Tees Estuary for members to read if they wish. Our thanks go to Jamie and Eric James for their continued hard work.

NEDL CABLES, DORMANS POOL

NEDL have now indicated that they intend to

divert the lethal electricity cables across Dormans Pool. They will need to seek approval from English Nature and we have requested to be kept in the communication loop to ensure a satisfactory outcome. At present, we do not know the timescale for the implementation of the works.

SHARING BIRD INFORMATION

Members are requested to put all their significant sightings onto the Pager Services, as follows: Rare Bird Alert

08707 622622 Birdnet 01623 511679 Please submit your sightings to Eric James for inclusion on the Website :- tel: 01642 310103;

email: clevelandbirdnews@yahoo.co.uk or enter them directly onto the Website via the ‘Members’ Sightings’ section.

Following analysis of the Members’ Questionnaire Survey, a significant number of respondents requested to be informed of scarce or rare birds in the area.

Unfortunately, some did not put their names or contact details on their returns! We, therefore, invite all members who wish to be involved in an information system to register their interest with Chris Sharp (tel: 01429 865163; email: chrisandluciasharp12756@freeserve.co.uk).

Those who register must be prepared to help operate whatever system is introduced and be willing to inform others as part of a network, which will most probably be telephone-based.

COPIES OF OLD CLEVELAND BIRD REPORTS

Our Sales and Publications Officer, John Fletcher, has completed his inventory of Cleveland Bird Reports and found that we are

perilously low on some back issues. If anyone has any old reports that they don’t want and would be willing to offer these for re-sale, please could they contact John on tel: 01642 818825; email: jnofletcher@lineone.net).

MEMBER’S PACK

We have now omitted the word ’New’ from

the title of this pack because it is useful to both new and existing members. It contains a mine of information about the Club. It includes a copy of the Chairman’s Report for the previous year; information about the Club and its activities; details of Club officers and officials; a copy of the Constitution and

Rules; how the Club is organised (including an organisation chart); a copy of the Five-Year Plan; Notes for Contributors to the ‘Cleveland Bird Report’; a large section on birding sites in Cleveland; a copy of the official Cleveland List for personal use; and a price list of Club publications. The Pack is

free to new members and, at only £2.00, plus postage, it is extremely good value to existing members. To order your copy, please contact Chris Sharp (tel: 01429 865163; email: chrisandluciasharp12756@freeserve.co.uk).

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EXTRACTS FROM THE MEMBER’S PACK

REPORTING POACHING AND OTHER WILDLIFE CRIME

We have now completed our guidelines for reporting wildlife crime, which were produced jointly with Cleveland Police. The Police are

keen that all crime/suspected crime is reported, otherwise no appropriate action can be taken. The guidelines are included with this Newsletter. Please carry these with you when out birding and report all suspicious activities or incidents of actual crime to the relevant police authority. The guidelines can also be downloaded off the Club’s website,

www.teesmouthbc.com

LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN

Barn Owl next boxes are currently being produced for erection at suitable sites around the area, particularly farms where there are

known to be owls present. If anyone has a site in mind for a nest box, or has seen any Barn Owls, please could you Vic Fairbrother (tel:01287 633744).

MEMBERS ADVERT

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GUIDE TO REPORTING INCIDENTS OF POACHING AND OTHER

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES

THESE GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP BY THE TEESMOUTH BIRD CLUB AND CLEVELAND POLICE AND ARE INTENDED TO ASSIST MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WITH REPORTING INCIDENTS OF ACTUAL OR SUSPECTED WILDLIFE CRIME.

WHAT YOU SHOULD REPORT

THE POLICE ARE KEEN THAT PEOPLE REPORT ANY INCIDENT, WHETHER THEY INVOLVE GUNS, DOGS OR

PEOPLE ACTING IN A SUSPICIOUS MANNER. SUCH INCIDENTS MAY INCLUDE:

• PEOPLE IN COMBAT/CAMOUFLAGE GEAR WITH GUNS AND/OR DOGS (PARTICULARLY ‘LONG’

DOGS, SUCH AS LURCHERS OR GREYHOUNDS).

• PEOPLE CARRYING BAGS AND SPADES (WITH OR WITHOUT GUNS AND DOGS).

• PEOPLE SEEN IN AREAS WHERE YOU KNOW THEY SHOULDN’T BE AND WHO ARE ACTING

SUSPICIOUSLY.

• TAKE DETAILS OF THE LOCATION, AND TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE SEX AND APPROXIMATE AGE

OF THE PERSON(S) CONCERNED, THEIR PERSONAL DETAILS (HAIR COLOUR, BUILD, CLOTHING, ETC), DETAILS OF ANY DOGS PRESENT AND VEHICLE DETAILS (REGISTRATION, MAKE, MODEL,

BODY TYPE, COLOUR AND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL).

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

THE POLICE TAKE ALL INCIDENTS SERIOUSLY. THE INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED MAY BE COMMITTING MORE THAN ONE OFFENCE AND THEY URGE THE FOLLOWING ACTION BE TAKEN: • IF FIREARMS ARE BEING DISCHARGED, CALL 999.

• PHONE THE POLICE STRAIGHT AWAY ON THEIR MAIN CONTROL TELEPHPONE NUMBERS, IE.

CLEVELAND POLICE: 01642 326326; NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE: 01723 509403; DURHAM POLICE: 0845 6060365.

WHAT THE POLICE WILL DO • TAKE DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT AND THE CALL WILL BE LOGGED AND GIVEN A PRIORITY

RATING.

• IF THE SUSPECTED CRIME IS SUFFICIENTLY SERIOUS (EG INVOLVING FIREARMS), OR IS ONGOING,

OFFICERS WILL BE SENT TO THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY.

• IF THE CRIME IS OF LOWER PRIORITY, OFFICERS WILL BE SENT TO THE SCENE AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE, DEPENDING ON RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

• FOR SOME INCIDENTS, THERE WILL BE NO POLICE PRESENCE ON SITE.

ALL CRIMES SHOULD BE REPORTED AS THEY WILL BE LOGGED AND GO INTO THE POLICE INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM TO ESTABLISH ANY PATTERNS OR TRENDS. A TASKING GROUP WILL THEN DECIDE WHAT RESOURCES WILL BE ALLOCATED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS ON AN AREA-SPECIFIC BASIS.

FOR SAFETY REASONS, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC APPROACH ANY INDIVIDUALS.

FOR FURTHER ADVICE AND INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ROB KING (Wildlife Crime

Co-ordinator ) Tel: 01642 302267; EMAIL: rob.king@cleveland.pnn.police.uk

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CLEVELAND BREEDING BIRD SURVEY Fieldwork on the last remaining tetrads in Cleveland has now been completed. The key task of the Breeding Bird Survey Project Team is now to input all the data collected onto spreadsheets and to start producing the distribution maps, using DMAP, in readiness

for writing the individual species accounts. Sample accounts have already been produced for several species to act as a ‘template’ for other writers to follow. If there is sufficient demand, it is proposed to hold a workshop-type meeting later this year for those who feel they would benefit from a little more guidance. It I expected that writing of th

species’ accounts will commence in the late autumn. Over half of the sketches for the Atlas have been completed to an amazingly high standard and we are grateful to those artists who have given so freely of their time. Despite the extensive fieldwork, there is still

a significant amount of information held by members concerning breeding records of scarce or declining birds - records that have not been submitted for the ‘Cleveland Bird Report’. We would, therefore, be most grateful if you could submit these for the period 1999-2006 inclusive as soon as

possible to the Project Team Chairman, Graeme Joynt at 3 Brigandine Close, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool, TS25 1ES (email: graeme.joynt@ntlworld.com). The main species we are interested in are Red Grouse, Grey Partridge, Great Crested and Little Grebes, all birds of prey,

Redshank, Curlew, Snipe, Stock Dove, all owls, Swift, all woodpeckers, Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat, Song Thrush, Grasshopper Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit,

Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Rook, Tree Sparrow, Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Crossbill, Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Reed Bunting and Corn Bunting. Please could you ensure that you provide a four-figure grid reference for the kilometre square in which your records are located, otherwise we

will not be able to use them. If in doubt about whether to submit a record or not, please send it in. The corporate sponsorship drive for the publication of the Atlas is going well, with generous donations having already been

received from PD Teesport, English Nature, Huntsman Tioxide, RSPB, Hartlepool Borough Council, Durham Bird Club, North York Moors National Park and individual donations from

some of our members. Our members have also been willing to dip their hands into their pockets and, to date, have sponsored over 50 species (at £25.00 per time), raising over £1,250.00. We do need considerably more corporate and members’ sponsorship,

however, to reach our publication target of £25,000, so please help if you can by sponsoring a species. Your ‘reward’ will be to see your name immortalised in the book on the page of the species you have sponsored. Please contact Ted Parker (tel: 01642 275369; email: ecparker@supanet.com), who has a list of the species still available, and

help to make this project become a reality.

Ted Parker

MEMBERS ADVERT

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CLEVELAND WATER BODY SURVEY The Conservation Sub Committee is planning a Water Body Survey during the forthcoming autumn and winter periods. The survey will start in September 2006 and run until the end

of March 2007 and its aim is to try and assess more accurately the numbers of wildfowl, waders and other wetland species wintering in Cleveland. The inclusion of new sites will supplement the monthly WeBS counts and it is hoped they will provide a more complete picture.

A list of water bodies in Cleveland has been prepared by Graham Megson and it is intended to ask members to count just one of these each month, close to where they live. The sites include small ponds and park lakes, which often hold significant numbers of

wetland birds, and the counts shouldn’t take more than an hour. You don’t need to be an expert to take part and we are hoping that some of our newer members will become involved – only a basic skill in identifying the commoner wetland species, such as Mute Swan, Coot, Mallard and Tufted Duck, is

required. We are working on the basis that any additional information is better than none. If you need help on your first visit, this could be arranged on request. A simple proforma has been prepared for observers to complete during each visit and submit on a monthly basis to the Count Co-ordinator, Chris Sharp,

and this is included in the Newsletter. It can also be downloaded off the Club’s website at www.teesmouthbc.com The survey will require you to: • visit your allocated site once per month

between September and March inclusive. The visits should ideally be timed to coincide with the official WeBS counts or, if this is not possible, one week either side

of these, or, failing that, at any time during the month;

• complete the proforma as well as you can

and submit these by post at the end of each month to Chris Sharp, 20 Aukland Way, Hartlepool or by email to:

chrisandlucia@sharp12756.freeserve.co.uk and,

• record all species in the following groups: swans (eg Mute Swan), ducks (such as Mallard, Tufted Duck and Pochard), rails (notably Moorhen and Coot), waders (such as Common Snipe, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Common Sandpiper), herons (eg Grey Heron) and Kingfisher. A

full list is contained on the proforma. The dates for the official WeBS wildfowl counts are as follows: Sunday 17th September 2006

Sunday 8th October 2006

Sunday 19th November 2006

Sunday 17th December 2006

Sunday 21st January 2007

Sunday 18th February 2007

Sunday 18th March 2007 I hope that as many members as possible will

help with this important project. Your help will be greatly appreciated. This project provides an ideal opportunity for those who are just starting out on their birding ‘carrers’ to develop their identification skills If anyone experiences any difficulties during the survey period, help is always available from Ted

Parker, Graham Megson or Chris Sharp. Expect a call soon!

Ted Parker (Chairman – Conservation

Sub Committee)

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TEESMOUTH BIRD CLUB WATER BODY SURVEY NAME:

ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

SITE (WITH GRID REF IF POSSIBLE)

DATE OF VISIT:

TIME OF VISIT:

Sunny Cloudy Windy Raining WEATHER (Please circle)

Warm Cold Ice

LEVEL OF HUMAN DISTURBANCE [please circle] Low Medium High

SPECIES NUMBER SPECIES NUMBER Little Grebe Smew

Great Crested Grebe Red-breasted Merganser

Cormorant Goosander

Grey Heron Ruddy Duck

Mute Swan Water rail

Bewick's Swan Coot

Whooper Swan Moorhen

Bean Goose Oystercatcher

Pink-footed Goose Ringed Plover

White-fronted Goose Golden Plover

Greylag Goose Grey Plover

Canada Goose Lapwing

Barnacle Goose Dunlin

Brent Goose Ruff

Shelduck Jack Snipe

Mandarin Duck Common Snipe

Wigeon Woodcock

Gadwall Black-tailed Godwit

Teal Bar-tailed Godwit

Mallard Whimbrel

Pintail Curlew

Garganey Redshank

Shoveler Greenshank

Pochard Green Sandpiper

Tufted Duck Common Sandpiper

Scaup Wood Sandpiper

Goldeneye Kingfisher

OTHERS OTHERS

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WHERE TO WATCH BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES IN

CLEVELAND

Following his popular talk in January 2006, Graham Megson describes where to find some of

Cleveland’s most interesting butterflies,

dragonflies and damselflies.

BUTTERFLIES Dingy Skipper

This species is declining in the region but a good site to see it is along the Hart to Haswell Walkway - a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in Hartlepool. Clouded Yellow

This is a migrant butterfly which occasionally reaches Cleveland, usually in late summer. Rank grassy areas are as good as anywhere.

Look for them when you hear there is an influx. Orange-tip

A spring butterfly which is widespread and easily seen around woodland edges, lanes and parkland. Green Hairstreak

This is a heathland/ moorland butterfly, often found in areas of bilberry and gorse. I know two sites, around Fen Bog on Eston Moor and the valley behind Scaling Dam Reservoir.

DINGY SKIPPER Jamie Duffie

GRAYLING Martin Blick

PAINTED LADY Graham Megson

Purple Hairstreak

The only habitat to seek this insect is oak woodland. Newton Woods, below Roseberry Topping, is one site but I believe that if you

check any mature oaks you are in with a chance of finding it. The trick is to look in the late afternoon on a hot sunny day, as the day begins to cool down. White-letter Hairstreak

This butterfly is associated with elms. Despite the ravages of Dutch Elm Disease,

there are still plenty of these trees around, especially suckers and re-growth. In July, I have found them at the Hartlepool border along the Hart to Haswell LNR, in the woods at Castle Eden Walkway Country Park and on the edge of Wynyard Estate. A good place is by the junction of the Upleatham Village road and the A173 Guisborough to Skelton road

(NZ 633181). It has also been reported from Errington Woods and some of the East Cleveland woodlands. Small Copper

This species needs acidic grassland, so look for it anywhere grassy on the moors, at South Gare, North Gare, Coatham Marsh,

Maze Park or in the Tees Estuary. Northern Brown Argus

This is well known from coastal denes in County Durham but Cleveland it has only one or two small colonies around Crimdon Dene and Hart Warren SSSI. Common Blue

This is a butterfly of species-rich grassland. It can be seen at South Gare and around the Dorman’s Pool plateau as well as in other areas of suitable grassland. Painted Lady

This species is a migrant to this country. Some years it can be quite scarce but in

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other years such as this year many thousands may visit Cleveland and it can become one of our commoner butterflies.

COMMON BLUE Damian Money

PURPLE HAIRSTREAK Clare Dell

GREEN HAIRSTREAK Graham Megson

Holly Blue

This is widespread and can be found in both suburban and rural areas. It is often found in parks, gardens and cemeteries, where holly

and ivy are abundant. Comma

This butterfly has become common and widespread in the last ten years. Search for it in wooded areas, such as the Flatts Lane, Guisborough Branch Walkway and Castle Eden Dene Country Parks, Eston Hills, Hart to

Haswell LNR, Saltburn Valley Gardens and even parks and cemeteries. Speckled Wood

This is a recent arrival in the last two to three years, which will no doubt become common and widespread. It is a butterfly of wooded glades and rides, so search for it in those

habitats. It has been reported from a number of localities, including Saltburn Gill, Hazel Grove Saltburn, Skelton Castle, various Stockton sites and the Hart to Haswell LNR in Hartlepool.

Wall Brown

This is said to be declining, but still has colonies on the coast and at some inland locations such as the Hart to Haswell LNR. I see it on Saltburn Cliffs and in Saltburn Valley Gardens. Grayling

This is another recent coloniser, which has spread rapidly along the Tees corridor. It is easily found in late summer on railway sidings and previously developed sites, such as Maze Park Stockton, Port Authority land, between Steel House (Corus) and Coatham Marsh and also on the north side of the river,

around the Reclamation Pond. Ringlet

This is widespread in rank grassy areas, such as Flatts Lane Country Park, Godfalter Hill, the Hart to Haswell LNR and Crimdon Dene.

COMMA Unknown

WALL BROWN Damian Money

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RINGLET Graham Megson

One species not yet recorded but certainly expanding northwards towards us is the

Hedge Brown (or Gatekeeper). It is now well established as close as Ripon and this is predicted to become our next new species. DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES There are two species of demoiselle, but only one occurs in Cleveland. This is the Banded Demoiselle, which occurs on the River Leven, east of Yarm, where it inhabits slow-flowing water. There is also a small colony at Billingham Beck Country Park. A common and widespread damsel is the Emerald Damselfly, which can be found around the edges of many marshy pools, such as Lovell Hill Ponds (viewed from the public footpath at NZ600187) and around the Tees Estuary. The large Red Damselfly is

also very common and you should have little trouble locating it around marshy ponds. There is a group of small, blue damsels and these look very similar. A good view of the second segment back from the head is needed, as this is where the diagnostic

markings occur. Look carefully to distinguish the Azure damsel from the Common Blue Damsel, both of which occur widely throughout Cleveland. The Blue-tailed Damselfly is abundant and is the only blue-tailed species to occur here.

Dragonflies are tied to open water for breeding but, on emerging, the adults leave the wetlands and can travel long distances. They find suitable places to feed and mature, often in woodland glades, before returning to take up breeding duties. There is a group called the hawkers, of which Cleveland has

three or four species. The Common Hawker is essentially a species of acidic ponds and breeds in moorland pools but can wander well away from these areas. The Migrant Hawker is a late summer to early autumn species which

has recently expanded its range into the North East. It can be found in the Tees Estuary, as well as in coastal locations when migrating. Many thousands occasionally migrate from the Continent. The Southern

Hawker is another stripy dragonfly, similar to the previous two, but can be confidently identified with care. Again it is widespread by water but also occurs in parks, meadows, scrub and woodland. It breeds in small ponds, often in woodlands, but also in gardens. Rarer, but easier to identify, is the

Brown Hawker. This has a largely brown abdomen but the real give-away is the dark wings. The only one that I have seen in Cleveland was a dead one at Guisborough Branch Walkway.

BANDED DEMOISELLE Martin Blick

BROAD-BODIED CHASER Martin Blick

SOUTHERN HAWKER Graham Catley

Our largest dragonfly is the Emperor. Look for it around well vegetated ponds, such as at Billingham Beck, Stillington (NZ 377240), Dormans Pool, Cowpen Bewley Woodland

Park and the Kirkleatham Business Park pond. There have been one or two claims of Lesser Emperor and there is a definite record of a Vagrant Emperor, with a dead

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insect being found on the ICI Wilton site a few years ago. The Golden-ringed Dragonfly favours moorland streams and I found it along two

becks on moorland to the south of Lockwood Beck Reservoir in 2005. I suspect that it occurs on a number of other moorland steams within the Cleveland boundary. The Four-spot Chaser is a big species, which is common around Carr Pond on Eston Moor and around Dormans Pool.

Two species that have recently started to occur are the Broad-bodied Chaser and the Black-tailed Skimmer. They favour open sites with standing water. Cleveland has three of the commoner darters

– the Ruddy Darter, Common Darter and Black Darter. The latter is a moorland species and can be seen well at Carr Pond on Eston Moor. It also occurs, however, at the pond in Kirkleatham Business Park and at Dormans and other pools in the Tees Estuary. The two red darters, Common

Darter and Ruddy Darter, occur widely. Two other species are vagrants, with the Red-veined Darter occurring in small numbers in some years and Yellow-winged

Darter, which has not been reported for some considerable time. Good places to seek out vagrants are along the coast. The golf course pools and dunes between South Gare and Warrenby hold thousands of Common

Darters in the late summer. The butterfly and dragonfly season is a long one. Although some species have very short flight times, watchers can record insects from early spring through to late autumn. It is possible to see the majority of the Cleveland

species in one year. The Butterfly Conservation recorder for Cleveland is Dave O’Brien, who will be delighted to receive butterfly records and can provide a record sheet to be either e-mailed or posted to him. His email address is:

d.obrien6@ntlworld.com Unfortunately there isn’t currently a dragonfly recording scheme in Cleveland. The nearest branch of the British Dragonfly Society (see www.dragonflysoc.org.uk) is in West Yorkshire.

There are numerous books and web pages dedicated to these fascinating insects and I hope that this article will enable you to get to grips with many of Cleveland’s species.

THE 2006 BIRD RACE – NO SLEEP ‘TIL LONGNEWTON In this feature, Graeme Joynt reviews the record-

breaking Bird Race of May 2006

At the stroke of midnight on 5th May 2006, 4 crazy/intrepid birders were standing on the edge of a reedbed in complete darkness! Our goal was a simple one – to see or hear as many species as possible in Cleveland in a single day. The rules of the game were

straightforward; no tapes allowed and all birds must be seen or heard by at least 3 of the team (the fourth being the appointed ‘Recorder’ and hence allowed to miss out due to the duties of list-keeping). The target for the day was, at the very least,

to achieve a top-ten score (130+); the record of 142 would be unbelievable; while the ‘Holy Grail’ of 150 still seemed unachievable. Ahead of us lay 24 hours of non-stop birding, extreme fatigue and enough burgers and chocolate bars to slow even Mark Askew down – but what would the birding Gods throw our way? Apart from Mark, I had also

recruited Geoff Iceton and Stewart Hinley, reuniting the near-legendary record holding

team of 1994. Clearly, none of us had aged a day and it was obvious that we were all in peak physical condition.

It was Mark who pointed out that the clock had just clicked past midnight and that 6th May was underway. We had started out at Haverton Hole in the vague hope that a Spotted Crake, trapped there a couple of days previously, would be calling during the hours of darkness. Predictably, there was

not a squeak (or should that be a whiplash?) from the Crake, but a noisy Sedge Warbler was the first bird of the day. Off and running – just 142 more for the record! The reflected lights of industrial Teesside enabled us to actually see a few things and the second bird was a Ruddy Duck on one of the nearby

pools. We added a few more common birds, plus a fly-over Little Ringed Plover and a calling Water Rail, before we decided to give up on the Crake and head off. Thankfully, Mark’s car was still where we had left it and we took a quick drive around the North Tees Marshes, adding a few more birds, though

nothing special.

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We decided to head over to the Guisborough area, stopping en route to check out a Barn Owl site, where we spent a little while spotlighting the fields in vain. At this point we were stopped by 2 Police Officers (a male

and a female), a guaranteed occurrence during a Bird Race, but they seemed to believe our (frankly ridiculous) story and we were allowed to go on our way, though it transpired that one of the Coppers had seen a Barn Owl nearby quite recently! Thoroughly gripped, we wondered what a

pair of Police Officers must do to pass the night shift in Yearby, before moving on to Margrove Ponds, where a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling close to the car. This was arguably the first ‘good’ bird of the day and we realised that we could have started out at 3 o’clock and not have lost any

ground. Still, hindsight is a wonderful thing and we had clocked up 25 species in the hours of darkness, giving us a real shot at the record for the fastest 100 in a day. I had planned that we would now walk up into Guisborough Forest in the dark and hope that the Nightjars may have returned, though

admittedly it did seem to be too early in the year. Still, the clearing in question was good for Tree Pipits and there was certain to be a good selection of woodland birds up there. At this point, it has to be said that some of our team (i.e. Stew and Geoff) were decidedly reluctant to undertake the arduous

walk in the dark and some serious persuasion was required. Mark was reasonably keen though and he was soon leading the trudge up the hill into the Forest, with the rest of us trailing behind. The pace quickened when he shouted back that he could hear a Nightjar! Over the next 45 minutes we enjoyed a

wonderful daybreak in the forest clearing, with close views of the Nightjar hawking for insects, churring and giving the loud ‘gu-ik’ call. This was the first time that any team had ever recorded Nightjar on a Bird Race and gave us all a huge boost. We all agreed that, however the day went from now on, it

had been worthwhile for this experience alone. As dawn broke, birds began calling and we soon added Woodcock, Red Grouse, Cuckoo, Tree Pipit and a host of common woodland birds. The Cuckoo was the only one we heard all day, an indication of just how steep

a decline the species has endured in recent years. Mark led us down through the wood into Hutton Village, his sharp ears picking up plenty of new birds as we walked back downhill, including Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Blackcap and Coal Tit. Surprisingly, we didn’t see or hear a Jay during this walk, a species

which was destined to cause us problems all day. If Mark has sharp ears, then Geoff has eyes to match and his sudden shout of ‘Osprey!!’ was a real pulse-quickener! This superb raptor flew right over our heads,

heading for Guisborough. Getting both Nightjar and Osprey so early boded well and I think we all felt that this could be our day. Two Siskins were a real bonus and we added more species in and below Hutton Village – most notable were Marsh Tit, Spotted Flycatcher and Sparrowhawk. Mark’s

amazing hearing came into play again when he suddenly announced that he could hear a Crossbill calling. Despite the complete silence, the rest of us couldn’t hear a thing, but, after fully 10 seconds, a Crossbill came ‘chipping’ by - another real extra. Our next port of call was Newton Woods, where Mark

had staked out a Redstart for us during the previous week. This is normally a site we visit late in the day but a slight change of route this year proved to be a great decision for 2 reasons. For one thing, yomping up the track to the wood is much easier at the start of the day (when you still have the energy

required), while for another the lack of disturbance at 6am makes birding that much easier. Both Whitethroat and Herring Gull were new, while the woods themselves came up trumps with Garden Warbler, the hoped-for Redstart, Linnet, Yellowhammer, House Martin, Goldfinch and Magpie. Following the

disappointment of the Geoff/Mark only Green Woodpecker at Hutton, a yaffling bird here was surely a sign that the record was on. We have rarely recorded this species before, so to get 2 in a day was quite remarkable. We now decided to head towards the estuary, via Starling and House Sparrow in

Guisborough, then up the A19, adding Lesser Black-back and Kestrel on the way. Around this time, we received calls from Richard Taylor and Colin Dodsworth, both of whom had got up early and staked out some goodies for us. We didn’t need any help with

a Lesser Whitethroat singing at Saltholme but Richard had found us a Pintail on Dormans Pool and we were also able to pick up Great Black-backed and Black-headed Gulls, Common Tern, Swift and Reed Bunting to put us on 85 for the day. Just round the corner at Saltholme, Colin was waiting for us and we were soon enjoying Black-tailed Godwit, Pink-

footed Goose, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Grey Heron, Ruff, Wigeon and Pied Wagtail. Another call from Richard took us past Cowpen Marsh and a couple of Whimbrel and on to Greenabella, where we watched in amazement as a Stonechat and a Whinchat had some sort of dispute over just who the

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Marsh belonged to – unbelievable! We also knocked off Meadow Pipit and Skylark, a couple of very common birds that had eluded us until now, while a quick tally revealed that we were on 98 and within reach of the

fastest 100 record. A quick stop on Seaton Front and a dash across the grass produced a Wheatear, a Little Tern (our 100th bird, at 7.57 am) and some Sanderling. We had shaved 6 minutes off the time for the fastest 100, but more importantly we knew that we had a lot of guaranteed birds left to see and

that the record was on. The sea-watch was clearly going to be ‘make or break’ time, so we hurried on to the Headland and set up our scopes by the lighthouse. At this point, Geoff went into overdrive and we picked up Merganser, Sandwich Tern, Gannet, Guillemot, Eider, Cormorant, Kittiwake,

Common Scoter, Razorbill, Puffin, Arctic Tern, Red-throated Diver, Manxie and Turnstone. Having seen all that we could reasonably hope for, we headed off (Purple Sandpiper and Stock Dove en route) towards a perched Peregrine that Colin had staked out for us. While watching the falcon, a partridge flew

across in front of us – Mark and I casually raised our bins to see that it was a Red-leg, a scarce bird on the north side and another bonus. We still needed Grey Partridge, so when Colin mentioned that he had seen a pair in a ploughed field near Elwick, we decided to head that way. Just before we

reached the field in question, a quick check of a bird on a roadside wire revealed a singing Corn Bunting, a real mega these days and a bird we had been unable to find during scouting missions in the preceding weeks. When we reached Colin’s field, the Partridges were not there, but another Corn Bunting

was singing from the wires. It was now 9.30 and we had 120 species on the list, an outstanding performance. Another telephone call from Richard soon had us back in the car and speeding (literally) towards Saltholme, where a Little Stint had

just been found. We soon had the Stint in the scope and a thorough scan of the pools produced Sand Martin, Yellow Wagtail, Common Gull and Garganey, all new for the day. One bird that we hadn’t found was Little Egret, so we were grateful when Colin agreed to walk the ditches on Cowpen Marsh in an effort to find one for us. Watching his

athletic form stumbling across the marsh, we were delighted to see him flush first a Teal, followed by 2 summer plumaged waders – a Bar-tailed Godwit and a Golden Plover! What the Godwit was doing on Cowpen was anyone’s guess, but we weren’t about to argue! Colin’s Egret quest was soon

forgotten when Richard rang to say that he had a Buzzard over Dormans Pool and I am ashamed to say that we deserted our helper and dashed round to see the Buzzard circling over the pools. If this wasn’t enough, both

Scaup and Common Sandpiper were both visible on the Reclamation Pond, but the icing on the cake was provided by a low flying passerine which flew close by, uttering a plaintive note. My brain (and the rest of the team’s) had just computed that it was a Lark when Geoff shouted ‘Shore Lark!’ – what a

bonus and, like Buzzard, another bird that we had never had in past attempts. A quick trip round to Saltholme Farm produced a Greenshank (thanks Derek) and a stop at Greatham Creek gave us a single Knot (though still no Little Egret).

Next stop was Haverton Hole and I must say it seemed like a lot more than 12 hours since we were last there. Two Grey Partridges were our 135th species at 11.57am and we already had the 4th highest total on record, even though it was still (just) morning. We were hoping for 2 real bonuses here and

were delighted to see both Little Gull and Red-necked Grebe with relative ease – the Grebe had been around for quite a while and we were pleased it had decided to stay until our big day. At this point it couldn’t have been going any better and we new that the record was ours, barring a complete disaster.

A trip to Portrack Marsh didn’t produce Kingfisher, but we did see our only Bullfinches of the day here, a surprising state of affairs. We knew that there were some Mandarins on a pool in Yarm, though their origin was in serious doubt, even by the standards of a dodgy introduction; we

decided to tick first and ask questions later. One bird which we had failed on completely was Tree Sparrow, a potentially tricky species, so I decided to ring Chris Bielby, as I knew that he had a pair nesting in his back garden. Chris was predictably obliging and we enjoyed not only his Tree Sparrows, but

also orange juice and biscuits. He almost caused a major problem by offering us a lager, but since Stew and I can’t stop at one we decided to pass and quickly move on! South Gare was next, a whistle-stop visit producing Shag and Grey Plover. We had now equalled the record of 142 and it was still only 3pm. We knew that the long-

staying Ring-necked Duck was still on Coatham Marsh, but a thorough search appeared to be in vain, with no sign of our quarry. However, ‘one last look’ did the trick, with some nice views of this American vagrant, which had presumably been hiding in the reeds – the record was now broken,

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with our 143rd bird at 3.30pm. After some gratuitous self-congratulation, we decided to take half an hour out with a trip to McDonalds, where we proceeded to refuel and plan our next move.

Unfortunately, it is a fact that, no matter how good a Bird Race day is, you are sure to have a period in the day when things don’t go your way and we were about to endure it. We headed south towards our sure-fire Rock Pipits at Skinningrove, where the species is

guaranteed – or that was the plan. Despite a lengthy walk south along the rocky coast, no Pipits were to be found and we wasted a good 45 minutes looking for them. Even more annoyingly, we later found out that they were easy to see at South Gare, where we had done our whistle-stop tour. Still, we

already had the record, so we decided to push on to a small wood where Mark had located a pair of Willow Tits during the previous year’s Breeding Bird Survey. A walk through the area in question produced very little and certainly no Willow Tits. We were also starting to worry about Jay, as we still

hadn’t seen one and time was running out. It was 5.30 when we arrived at Scaling Dam, quickly locating the Goldeneye that Colin had staked out for us just a couple of hours earlier – our first day tick for an amazing 2 hours. Fortunately, it took less than a minute to see both Lesser Redpoll and Grey Wagtail

by the car park at Lockwood Beck, so things were looking up again and spirits were raised. But where would we find Willow Tit and Jay? A quick call to Martin Blick sent us scurrying off to Margrove Ponds, a site where Martin had seen Willow Tits on a regular basis.

As we walked along the track at the rear of the main pools, a medium sized passerine flew up from the side of the track and vanished in to a bush. We all looked at each other; clearly we were all stumped! It was Mark who said quietly that he thought it

might be a Wryneck and it certainly seemed like the most reasonable option, though seeing yet another rare bird today seemed highly improbable. After a short wait, there it was – a spanking Wryneck, sitting out in the open – what a find! After enjoying the bird for a while, we put the news out and decided to leave; after all, Wryneck for Willow Tit

seemed a fair swap. At this point, we realised that tactically, we had made an error finding such a good bird – all Cleveland’s keenest birders were now heading for ‘our’ Wryneck, instead of finding us some more good birds! Surely it wasn’t supposed to work this way round?

We had now seen 147 species and were running out of options, so we headed for Acklam and the resident Ring-necked Parakeets. Within minutes, we had seen our

quarry and had a little time to explore the surrounding wooded areas for Jay, again without success. So it was back to the estuary, where Derek Clayton found us a Short-eared Owl at Dormans Pool and on to Haverton Hole for a smart Wood Sandpiper, courtesy of Martin Blick. We had done it –

150 species in Cleveland in a day, a feat we thought might never be possible. However, we were aware that the Yarm Mandarins may not be accepted, so we really needed 151 to be sure. Right on cue, John Grieveson and Chris Sharp combined to get information to us that there was a Little Egret on

Greenabella – a short walk down the seawall and I spotted the bird feeding on one of the more distant pools. We still had plenty of daylight left, but we were diverted by a report of a Red-rumped Swallow at Ingleby Barwick, which failed to show despite a mass arrival of birders. We finished with a Little

Owl near Longnewton, courtesy of Richard Taylor, giving us a final day total of 152 (including Mandarin). A last search for Long-eared Owl was fruitless and it started to rain, so we called it a day at 10pm, after 22 hours in the field.

Looking back on the day, a number of things strike me about it. Without the help of some keen local birders, we would not have done anywhere near as well; thank you all, in particular Colin and Richard, who went out of their way to pin down and stay with birds throughout the day. Interestingly, these

events are actually a crude, but effective barometer of bird populations. Over nearly 20 years of off-and-on Bird Races, it is clear that species diversity has increased; birds such as Greylag and Canada Geese, Ruddy Duck, Pochard and Stonechat are now easy compared to the 1980s, when they were hard

to find. On the down side, Corn Bunting, Bullfinch and Willow Tit all seem much tougher than they used to be. So perhaps there is a little to be learnt from what is essentially a fun (?) day out.

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THE 2006 BIRD RACE TEAM: From left, Graeme Joynt, Geoff Iceton, Mark Askew and Stewart Hinley

(or is it ‘Take That’ prior to their sell-out concert at

Ingleby Barwick!)

So can 152 be beaten? Well, if you had asked me before 6th May 2006 I would have said not. I think the rest of the team will

agree with me when I change that to a ‘maybe’. OK, we did incredibly well and to find Nightjar, Osprey, Shore Lark and Wryneck in a single day is pretty amazing. But we missed Spotted Redshank, Turtle

Dove and Marsh Harrier, all of which were seen on the day, while I reckon the following species were also present in Cleveland that day: Rock Pipit, Jay, Goshawk, Goosander, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Kingfisher, Dipper, Willow Tit, Hawfinch and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. So in theory there

were potentially 166 species in Cleveland on 6th May 2006 – could this be a record in itself? So will we do it again in 2007? Absolutely not…..OK, maybe……go on then, count me in. See you at midnight at Haverton Hole!

PROFILE – RUSSELL McANDREW In this, the fourth in a series of profiles of local birders, Ted Parker talked to former Chairman, Vice-Chairman and long-serving Committee member, Russell McAndrew about his birding life. Russell has made an enormous contribution to the Club’s activities over the years and currently sits on all three of the its Sub-Committees. He has a wealth of knowledge concerning the Tees Estuary and is a true, all-round birder.

Russell was born in West Hartlepool in March 1945 and he still lives in Hartlepool today. He is a retired microbiologist, formerly working at Hartlepool General Hospital. He has been interested in wildlife for as long as

he can remember, though he recalls that his birding started at the age of 11, inspired as many of us were at that time, by the legendary Peterson guide. Russell couldn’t afford binoculars until he was 13 and until then used a pair of second-hand ones that were optically poor compared to those of

today. He started regularly keeping bird notes from January 1958 but, not being an avid lister, he has no idea how many birds he has seen in Cleveland, though he does know that he has independently found at least 230 species for himself, including some ‘firsts’. His local patch used to be Low Throston Carr, until it became a housing estate, and he now

regularly watches Hartlepool Bay, where he undertakes the monthly WeBS counts. Russell’s best local patch, however, is his garden, which, being near the coast, has turned up some good birds in the past, including Red-backed Shrike. His favourite

alternative site is Greatham Creek, upstream of the road bridge, which is still pristine

saltmarsh and a place where you never know what you’re going to find around the next meander. It is also one of the few sites in the Tees Estuary that is less developed now than it was years ago, due to the removal of all of the many house boats which were dotted over the area.

The optics Russell uses are an Opticron BGA 8 x 42 Monocular and an Optolyth TB80 ‘scope. His favourite bird book is the BTO’s

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‘New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1988-91’, which he feels is one of the most important and useful ever produced. Russell’s associated interests embrace all aspects of natural and local history. When

asked about the most impressive birding site he has ever visited, Russell was emphatic that it was Islay in winter – for its wildness and the sheer numbers of geese. His best birding days in Cleveland were during his teenage years in the big autumn ‘falls’ of 4th September 1958 and 17th September 1960,

when there were many Bluethroats and associated migrants. When asked about his best personal finds, Russell cited these as being Cleveland’s first records of Red-breasted Flycatcher and Dusky Thrush at Hartlepool in October and December 1959 respectively. Other birds that he has found

or been involved in the process of finding are impressive and include Cleveland’s first records of Paddyfield Warbler (Hartlepool, 1969), Savi’s Warbler (Haverton Hole, 1982), Lesser Crested Tern (Seaton Snook, 1984) and Penduline Tit (Haverton Hole, 1992). Despite this, Russell finds it hard to name his

most memorable bird, though he was, however, clear about his ambition bird: to prove the first successful breeding of Eider at

Teesmouth – he would value this more than finding a real rarity! Russell describes his most embarrassing moment as finding Cleveland’s first Lesser Crested Tern but assumed it to be an aberrant Sandwich Tern

because it was mated to a male of this species and reported it as such. Bearing in mind the difficulties of yellow-billed tern identification, particularly in the early 1980s, I think many of us would excuse this understandable mistake. Changes Russell would like to see include the serious, local,

competitive listers transferring their efforts to monthly listing, rather than annual, as this would ensure a more radical coverage of Cleveland. Few competitive birders, he feels, are interested in Bramblings in December but they certainly are in January, when year-listing. Monthly listing would spread the

effort more evenly over the year and produce more ornithological data, as occurred in the 1960s. Russell’s main concerns for the future are the loss of further inter-tidal habitat in the Tees Estuary through development and ‘coastal squeeze’ (a natural process, caused by a rise in sea level over time). Certainly,

the Club will do all it can to prevent further habitat loss.

CLEVELAND BIRDING SITES - PORTRACK MARSH

This new feature is intended to describe some of the less well-known birding sites in Cleveland. Gary Sharples is a keen birder and visits Portrack Marsh perhaps more than

anyone else. He writes detailed annual reports on its birds. Here he reviews what is fast becoming a rapidly emerging site on the edge of the Tees Estuary. If you were not familiar with Portrack Marsh before, you probably are now thanks to the

unexpected arrival of two little masked invaders earlier this year. However, there is considerably more to this site than attractive rarities. Flanked by heavy industry, retail parks, railway sidings, and a sewage works, Portrack Marsh affords an oasis for a

multiplicity of wildlife, from Common Blue to Common Newt. This 50-acre Tees Valley Wildlife Trust reserve lies on the north bank of the River Tees sandwiched between the

Tees Barrage and the A19 flyover (OS grid reference NZ465195). Historically, the marsh nestled within a meander in the river, which looped around its northern fringe. In the early part of the 19th century, ships heading to Stockton had to be dragged by horses around this section, hence the name “Port

Rack”. Eventually a cut was made in 1830 to exclude the bend and ease traffic congestion on the water. The resulting artificial oxbow lake was partially filled in and the western part of the loop, known as Portrack Lake, was finally lost during the 1970s.

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PLAN OF PORTRACK MARSH

Courtesy of Tees Valley Wildlife Trust

Today, the marsh incorporates a mixture of shallow and deeper water pools, surrounded by gradually expanding reedbeds (containing reedmace and phragmites) and grassland, with mature hawthorn bushes to the west

and a line of trees along the northern edge. Saplings have been planted to the north and south of the main pool. Such an excellent range of habitats makes this an enjoyable site to visit in any season, although winter is best for birds. Wild flowers, butterflies and dragonflies provide additional interest during the quieter summer months. Grey Seals

gorge themselves on salmon and sea trout and otters have been spotted in recent years. Typically, 90-100 bird species visit annually, with a total of 153 species recorded overall. Those most likely to be encountered are described below.

Winter: Jack Snipe are regular in small numbers and tend to favour the former settling tanks next to the sewage works at the eastern edge of the reserve. Common Snipe can number several hundred and Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail and Bullfinch are

easy to catch up with, offering a touch of colour to brighten up the short, dull days. Chiffchaffs occasionally winter in the trees at the northern end and a couple of Stonechats play hide and seek amongst the reeds.

Siskins and Lesser Redpolls regularly adorn the alder trees. The hawthorns along the western border formerly held roosting Long-eared Owls and two were present this spring, although these were the first in 5 years. Hunting Short-eared Owls are much more likely. Redshank and Lapwing are present in good numbers; they feed on the river bank

and take refuge on the marsh at high tide. Shoveler, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck and Teal frequent the pools, occasionally joined by Goldeneye or Scaup. Coastal species are sometimes enticed upstream by the large numbers of fish trapped below the Barrage. Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser,

Shag, Common Scoter and Guillemot have all been recorded. The five common gull species are evident and a Yellow-legged Gull frequented the nearby Tees Barrage from June 2004 to March 2006 and may yet make a return visit.

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VIEWS OF PORTRACK MARSH

Photographs by Gary Sharples

Spring: Sand Martins are often the first of the

summer migrants to arrive and linger to nest in the southern bank of the river at Maze Park. Regular spring passage visitors include Wheatear and Whinchat. This is a reliable site for Grasshopper Warbler, with 2-3 reeling into July. Other common warblers include Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and

Sedge Warbler. Singing Reed Warblers have been more evident in the last two years. Water levels on the marsh are often high, so wader passage is mainly restricted to Common Sandpiper and Ringed Plover. Common Terns arrive in the second week of May and remain throughout the summer.

Summer: As expected, this is the quietest period for birds. Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen and Lapwing all breed, as do Mute Swan and Canada Goose, albeit more sporadically. Little Ringed Plovers have bred in the past (2002) but have not been seen in the last two years.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls are numerous and Oystercatcher and Curlew regularly fly over but rarely land. Common Terns resting on the main pool are sometimes joined by one or two Sandwich Terns. Autumn: By late summer significant amounts

of mud can be exposed and waders such as Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Ruff show well. Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Knot and Turnstone have also occurred but much less frequently. Gadwall and Wigeon are at their commonest during this passage period.

Rarities are indeed rare but have included some exciting finds: Bluethroat (May 1995), Pectoral Sandpiper (September 1994), Spotted Crake (May 1996), Corncrake (June 1998), Ring-billed Gull (February 2001 and March 2002), Great White Egret (August 2001 and October 2002) and Penduline Tit

(March-April 2006). Some commoner bird species are surprisingly thin on the ground here. For instance, House Sparrow has yet to be officially recorded within the marsh boundaries. Others due a first visit include Barnacle Goose, Black-necked Grebe, Brambling, Coal Tit and Little Egret, giving

plenty of scope for new additions to the list. Access: Portrack Marsh can be accessed from Thornaby railway station (a 15-20 minute walk) or by car from the A66; there is ample parking at the Talpore Travel Inn and on both sides of the river at the barrage. The

site is also accessible by bicycle as part of the National Cycle Network (see: www.sustrans.org.uk and www.doitbycycle.com). Further useful information can be found in ‘Where to Watch Birds – Northeast England’ by Britton and Day (ISBN 0-7136-6826-1). An annual report

detailing the birds recorded in the vicinity of Portrack Marsh and the Tees Barrage is available from the author (contact: gary.sharples@btinternet.com). Any additional sightings are very welcome.

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RSPB SALTHOLME – A BRIEF HISTORY

Following the update by Kevin Bayes at our April 2006 AGM, Peter Evans, formerly of ICI, outlines the emergence of RSPB Saltholme from the Teesmouth International Nature Reserve project.

The Saltholme/Cowpen area formerly belonged to ICI and was managed by the Billingham and, later, the Agricultural Division. Saltholme Pools were part of Saltholme Farm, which was run as a commercial enterprise by the Division. In order to provide more grazing land, the farm

management wished to drain the pools. This would have been a disaster but we managed to quash the idea, declare the area a reserve and put up a sign saying so. Before I retired, I got the Division Board to approve a paper setting out the policy for all the land it was responsible for, including the Saltholme Pools and Haverton Hole. Before this could be implemented, the Division was sold to various companies, including Huntsman, Ineos and Terra and the spare land was passed to the newly-formed Teesside Development Corporation (TDC). The Chairman, Sir Ron Norman was a keen birder and encouraged ICI ecologist Ken Smith to draw up a plan for an ‘International Nature Reserve’. This was developed by consultants into a grandiose scheme, which included a hotel. The TDC Board, however, were unenthusiastic and the Treasury would probably not have granted the large amount of capital required. Nonetheless, there were substantial diggings and very expensive reeds were brought in from Norfolk as a start of the planned reed bed. I had hoped that they would bring some Swallowtail butterfly larvae and their food plant with them, but none were found. When the TDC was terminated, the land passed automatically to the Government body, English Estates (later to become English Partnerships).

RSPB SALTHOLME RESERVE Plan courtesy of RSPB

The area was in the heartland of INCA, but INCA had neither the remit nor the funds to develop a major nature reserve. However, the chairman, Joe Campbell, ex Chairman of British Steel,

persuaded a number of eminent local people to join him in setting up the Teesside Environmental Trust (TET) and raising enough money to make a start. The Trust operates out of the INCA office. A hydrological study was commissioned, because control of water levels was going to be key to any scheme. It was also crucial to clear the existing drainage, though this was difficult because vital sections were on land belonging to other organisations and it took several years to achieve. It was all a bit ‘hairy’, as TET was working on land it did not own and it was a long time before they managed to extract it from English Partnerships. In fact this has only just been achieved. The Trust recognised that an expert partner was required and invited the RSPB to join them to develop the

new Saltholme Reserve, which brings us up to the present situation.

NEW LAKE (Courtesy of RSPB) REED PLANTING (Courtesy of RSPB) LOWER TEES (Environment Agency)

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WETLAND BIRD SURVEY TEESMOUTH SPRING 2006

SUMMARY

SPECIES APRIL 9th

MAY 14th

JUNE 11th

Little Grebe 23 19 12

Great Crested Grebe 36 35 30

Cormorant 45 80 101

Mute Swan 39 44 49

Shelduck 403 351 320

Gadwall 138 92 147*

Teal 248 2 5

Mallard 151 232 195

Shoveler 49 20 57

Pochard 66 61 63

Tufted Duck 196 182 136

Eider 9 15 26

Coot 528 367 387

Oystercatcher 222 601 615

Ringed Plover 13 125 53

Golden Plover 306 0 0

Grey Plover 5 10 15

Lapwing 121 182 229

Knot 222 9 0

Sanderling 79 182* 30

Purple Sandpiper 16 0 0

Dunlin 8 568 26

Ruff 1 1 0

Snipe 24 1 1

Bar-tailed Godwit 30 30 3

Curlew 620 36 14

Redshank 722 40 31

Turnstone 125 44 0

Sandwich Tern 0 96 18

Common Tern 0 109 595

Little Tern 0 15 11

Underlined counts indicate Spring 2006 maxima. * Denotes count of >50% of national significance for that species NB: ‘Teesmouth’ includes Hartlepool Bay and the RSPB Saltholme Reserve

For the first time, the whole of the new Saltholme RSPB Reserve was covered as part of an expanded Tees site. Overall coverage was very good, with 76 out of a possible 78 sector

counts undertaken. Naturally, the expanded geographical coverage means that total figures are no longer strictly comparable with previous years

However, the spring brought new seasonal WeBS records for Great Crested Grebe (36, April), Gadwall (147, June), Tufted Duck (196, April),

Golden Plover (306, April), Dunlin (568, May) and Curlew (620, April). The April Shelduck count of 403 was our best spring total since 1997.

May peaks of Ringed Plover (125) and Sanderling (182) were however disappointing, the former being the worst spring showing since 1994.

Following this series of counts, the site supports no species of national importance in spring. Sanderling loses its nationally important status (at least as regards WeBS

core counts), while the national significance thresholds for both Cormorant and Gadwall have recently been increased, and now exceed the current Tees figures. Mike Leakey (Local Organiser – Tees Wetland Bird Survey)