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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Cettis at a new location this morning Noisy little things Still quite a novelty in inland Durham Gaining a foothold now after a couple of mild winters 1/2

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Cracking SpotShank at St.Marys Island Northumberland yesterday A nice surprise, but has apparently been there a few days. 54 ssp noted, with total of 70 on 3 recent visits. A pleasant venue

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

2nd September Kings still busy rearing 3rd brood #NEBirding Licensed inspection for NRS. Lack of flooding has helped these over 2025/26 but other territories are suffering from lack of water

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

1/3 Targeted the Swalla roost (Hoping for a Hobby 🧐 I don’t know if they attend hirundine roosts ??) c2,200 present in dull conditions Waited on till dark & sure enough the Leo 🦉🦉appeared & disturbed the roost,& went through to perch hunt from garden walls & fences #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

7 various territories checked for 3rd broods, only the 1 active Banks can be traditional & used for many years A spot of maintenance is need every now & then, cutting back Brambles & uprooting Balsam Also made a start of facing off, a new alternative nest site Kingfisher #S1 #NEBirding #NRS

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Swallows 2,000 in to roost at Elba Park as the Full Moon rose was magical After dark they erupted noisily… Two minutes later we had a Long-eared Owl flying high NEast from that exact spot Strong probability that it made an attempt at the roost 🧐 #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Under our noses the whole time ! Yesterdays events have been a long time coming HOBBY finally confirmed as having bred on our Houghton patch Delighted to watch a food pass to a very noisy fledged juvenile & just 400 m from the front gate ! #NEBirding NB: Pics from Tony Lee’s back catalog

Image to illustrate- by Hobby expert TonyLee

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Third clutch Kings on our Local Patch today These are c13 day old Estimated fledge date is 4th September It’s Hard to believe such bonny 🤩 birds start life in the most terrible foul nest site 🥴 #S1 NestRecordScheme #NEBirding 🤴🎣 @londonkingfishers.bsky.social

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

August Is August THE Month for us Land Locked Local Patchers ?? 112species for us so far this month, with Hobby added this am (SE) & Garganey yday (MH) All 5 owls present & correct However we are currently Whichatless 😄 Some details in images #BirdingNE #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

84ssp noted Rainton 6-9am LWhitethroat defending berries & chasing everything in sight Also Swift Wigeon Yellow WagTSparrow Mandarin Yhammer GSand Treecreeper, juv LrPlover, Jay, Kingfisher Gcrest , Bullfinch, 74HMartin, GWagtail Cettis etc Ssp missed inc GPartridge ReedWarb Redshank #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Rudimentary Provisional Hectad Maps for Woodcock in VC66 + Startforth District Our current work from 2020shows Roding, Nests & Young from x30 Hectads (c300 Tetrads) The 2000 Atlas (1988 to 1993 fieldwork) confirmed an April to July presence in 22 Hectads (88 Tetrads) To be continued #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Raptor fest, Out West 7-8pm 3HHarrier 2Merlin 6Shorty 4Buzzard doz+Kestrel all from one spot, also Stonechat BlackGrouse, singing Dipper Got home for dusk & managed to connect with a v.early Shortie on the dog walk

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Evening dog walk on local reserve - had the whole place to ourselves Cracking 650 hirundine flock Wigeon GreenSand Snipe all back Busy families of GC + LGrebes & Common Tern Cracking Leo encounter with a juvenile coming in to check me & Flint out Amazingly ended up putting up a Woodcock 🎯

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

CRAZY This Scolopax feeding on a South Shields lawn on 1st August ! 😳😄🎯👍🏻 Ties in with recent return of coastal waders & recent full moon 🧐 Closest regular breeding sites are 15km inland August records in UK are few & far between #Scolopax26 #BirdingNE #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

A few more Not too many active nests remaining now A phone call from a very experienced bird nester put us onto an active nest with chicks Close by were a fledged family & a couple of singles that ran rings around us 😵‍💫😀 Also saw Barn Owl Redstart & Greyhen with young #SpotFly26

A digi-binned SpotFly taken through a dirty car window.

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

SpotFly map (Durham 2000 Atlas) edited to show our 2021-2026 findings🎯 Dark Blue Hash = 2021-2026 registrations. Light Blue Circles = BOTH Summer Atlas 2000 AND 2021-2026 registrations. Black circles = Summer Atlas 2000 registrations only It’s certainly not a 92% loss in Weardale #SpotFly26 2/2

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Belting Breeding Record ! Congratulations Stew 🎯 (this mirrors some of what we’ve seen 20km south in some of our Durham sites) #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Breeding density in 2 Weardale Monads (1km x1km) with less than 33% tree cover in each square Stanhope: x22 pairs with x16 nests found Rookhope: x26 pairs with x16 nests found (previous max here has been x29 pairs but not as much coverage this year) #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Summer acrobatics We love the way the adults can take off & fly with their tails fanned Looking out for first brood fledglings helping feed the second lot which we haven’t managed to witness yet this season 🧐🎯 #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A local Great Tit today 27th July 2026 A genuine 2nd clutch in a garden nest box Male bringing in 90% of food (mostly insects from spiders webs), while the hen sits on the unhatched eggs. #NestRecordScheme #BirdingNE

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Lucy lives in a beautiful riverside Birch in Weardale. This is her second brood Looking like several of her neighbours have already departed?? 🧐 #SpotFly26 #NestRecordScheme

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Bullfinch hatching out today in roadside Briar at Stanhope this morning #NestRecordScheme #BirdingNE

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Very interesting & equally worrying We’ve lost of best local Redshank site (6pr) dried up & gone for 2 years. Our best local Snipe site remains but no breeding this year (can hold 6 males). Local Shoveller nest sites dry up too quickly now Very limited flow in becks too 🧐😕

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

A rare sight in NZ34 Yellow Wagtail brood in standing Wheat These aren’t far off flying… But the combine isn’t far off coming in either ! A great local record for the #NestRecordScheme

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Breeding confirmation with good productivity on another Weardale study site (24th July) 10 SpotFly families plus 3 active nests with chicks & a few more individuals alongside a 1km riverine habitat #SpotFly26 #NEBirding

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

3km is regarded as a standard territory in England They can apparently be as close as 1km. Here we’ve had x2 active nests less than 2 linear km apart Situations can be confusing without close inspection, as successful pairs use multiple burrows during season 🧐 #Kingfisher26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Day 4 This one hatched on Sunday & is already catching his own fish by Wednesday R.Wear Durham area @londonkingfishers.bsky.social

Young Kingfisher just 4 days fledged & already catching successfully. Pic BH

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Another species busy with second round of nesting Nightjar with chicks c5 days old NZ02 Western Durham

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

2nd brood Kings fledging from a number of locs this last week or so & quite well synchronised 3 sites checked but no third clutches confirmed so far 🧐 Image clearly illustrating the difference between the male & a recent fledgling One of the ID features of young birds is their dark feet.👣 🤴

Male Kingfisher with a recently fledged juvenile sat beside him begging
Pic DK

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Cracking #Scolopax26 record today from NY73 close to the Cumberland/Westmorland boundaries. Up at around 600m this is a very remote & tree-less area in the North Pennines We have watched early season Roders get up in minus 4 (+ windchill 🥶) from the comfort of the car at Cow Green Res

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Goosander are doing well, with a nest on our local patch this season after several seasons prospecting & a full grown family of 7 seen today

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Breeding confirmation for #SpotFly26 in an additional Weardale Monad in our current 5-year study period. #NestRecordScheme

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Scribblyjacks starting to drop the cheese & only singing about a little bit of bread… 💛🔨 Still 90+ Monads holding breeders in NZ34 to the East of Durham City in a mixed farmland setting

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

With as many as x90 eggs being laid in a season on our local beck, the mortality rate for Kingfishers must be sky high #NestRecordScheme #S1

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Extended this to 1 linear km this morning 20 sets with 13 nests found #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

#SpotFly26 Update on one site 17 pairs (12 nests found) along a 850m stretch of river, over half now fledged Averages c50m per pair several are nesting in much closer proximity & even with much targeted effort we can’t find all nests & are pretty sure some pairs are undetected via inaccessibility

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

These devices throw up some interesting surprises 👍🏻 Quail generally presumed to be a Lowland up to Moorland edge (300m) species. This site is exposed & a good height

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Another Long-eared Owl brood in a section of our home Hectad where we seldom venture #BigLugs #Durham #InDuskWeTrust

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

A more typical #SpotFly26 nest Sycamore at c25’ Nest in pocket of rot on a long pruned branch wound. 2/2 image shows bird sitting

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Dipper Interesting to see a Dipper go to roost (21:30) in a flooded (deep) quarry adjacent to a breeding river Splash below suggests it’s in regular use

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Third replacement for this pair Only the 2nd nest we’ve known in Hawthorn (n=300+) We could not find this at egg stage despite looking straight at it from the other side ! 😄 Sneaky things, 5 healthy nestlings hidden in next to nowt ☺️ #SpotFly26 #NestRecordScheme

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Blondie is a busy mum Feeding her semi-independent young whilst incubating her second clutch It took an hour of watching to work out what was going on & another nest which couldn’t be found cold searching, the bird completely hidden away down in the cavity #NestRecordScheme #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The World Cup is on There’s only one Messi But this is even messier 😳🤢😄 🤴🎣 #S1

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Great Crested Grebe adjusting nest before settling on eggs 7/7/26 #NestRecordScheme

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Hidden from above by a single Alder leaf #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

We can still find intact breeding populations - multiple nests as close as 20m apart. This year we see examples of range expansion birds back breeding in Hectads that lost breeding birds decades ago. #SpotFly26

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Targeted Surveys @lymnocryptes.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Greyhen & young Brackenbridge Moss, Stanhope, Co.Durham

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