Barry and I went up to County Durham to Langdon Beck, taking the road across to St. John's Chapel. We saw many red grouse including a lek where males were fighting and displaying. However we couldn't locate any black grouse. Barry spotted a bird of prey, a bulky bird quite short in the body and extremely aerobatic, turning on the proverbial sixpence! Goshawk - first definite for a couple of years and extremely good views as I followed it in the bins.

After a couple of runs across the moors to St. John's and back we decided to give up. I suggested the more rural farmland road to Ettersgill where a few years ago I saw my first ever black grouse. We drove all the way to the end of the road [Scar End] where a farm gate marks the end of the tarmacadammed road. There about 100m in front of us by the stone wall were 3 black grouse! Immediately a party of grey partridge appeared from under some farm machinery. Things were looking up!Red Grouse The grey partridge scattered at the side of my car and then ran off down the road. Window down I took some photographs from my car.Grey Partridge After this we drove back to Barnard Castled and spent some time trying to find a walk I had planned in Deepdale Woods. Deepdale Beck runs due west from Barnard Castle and the woods are accessed from the B6277 [N. B. Cotherstone direction]. Park in the lay-by 300m west of the main river bridge in Barnard Castle.

The weather was very pleasant and we heard lots of birds - probable great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker. We saw marsh tit and bullfinch along with the normal suspects tits, thrushes etc. A female bullfinch posed obligingly, singing if you can call it singing. I had never heard a bullfinch make any noise before.Bullfinch Finally on our journey home we called at Nosterfield to add to our daylist. With med gull and a few geese and waders we boosted it to 55 species for the day. A good day's birding by any standards.