Durham Bird Club at 50

The county avifauna, The Birds of Durham (Bowey and Newsome, 2012) records that “A public meeting in late 1974 at Sunderland Museum and Art Gallery to discuss bird watching and recording was well-attended. This was followed on 8 January 1975 by another meeting and enrolment for membership of the Durham Bird Club began shortly afterwards.”

We shall be organising various projects and events during the year to commemorate this special anniversary. These include a "Bird of the Week" feature, appearing below.

Bird of the Week - Week 25

Tree Sparrow – A Quiet Resident of Well-Managed Farmland

(Photo by Mark Harper)

With its chestnut crown, neat black cheek spot and sociable nature, the Tree Sparrow is a welcome sight across lowland County Durham, particularly in areas where farming and habitat management support a wider mix of birds.

Though still well recorded in the County, peak counts in recent years have been lower than in previous years.

Most sightings come from the eastern, lowland side of the county, with birds regularly noted at Low Barns, Castle Lake, Hurworth Burn, Croft-on-Tees, Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, Rainton Meadows and Whitburn.

Further west, sightings around Clara Vale, Derwent Reservoir, Muggleswick and the Derwent Gorges continue, and while the long-running nestbox scheme at Woodland has supported breeding in the past, evidence suggests declining success in recent years.

Like many farmland species, Tree Sparrows were hard hit by agricultural intensification during the late 20th century. But where winter stubbles, thick hedgerows, and nesting opportunities remain, they still manage to hold a presence. In Durham, that means they continue to be a regular, if localised, feature of nature reserves and well-managed farmland.

They’re often seen in small, sociable groups, feeding quietly in hedgerows or stubble fields and mixing with buntings and finches. Their soft, chirruping calls often give them away before they’re seen.

Have you seen Tree Sparrows in your area recently or taken part in any work to help support them? We’d be interested to hear what’s happening near you.

More information on Tree Sparrows

E-mail: admin@durhambirdclub.org.uk

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