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.”
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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.
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Bird of the Week - Week 30
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Little Ringed Plover – Small Wader, Big Personality
​​(Photo by Mark Harper)​​​
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One of the more charismatic little waders to breed in County Durham is the Little Ringed Plover – alert, quick-stepping, and full of attitude. About the size of a Starling, they can be easy to miss, when present but their bright yellow eye-rings, fast movement, and that loud, piping call all help to give them away.
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They favour open, stony ground near water – often former industrial sites, scrape-edged wetlands or reservoir margins. In our County, they’re regularly recorded at places like Derwent Reservoir, Castle and Stonybeck Lakes, at Rainton Meadows, Boldon Flats, Saltholme, and Billingham Reach Industrial Estate. Breeding has been reported at numerous sites, and pairs often show strong fidelity to the same nesting locations year after year.
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These smart little summer visitors, which migrate from Africa to breed in the UK, are relatively new to our shores – the first British breeding record only dates back to 1938. In Durham, they’ve found a foothold thanks to both conservation efforts and the availability of suitable post-industrial habitats.
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Their nests are little more than scrapes in gravel or bare earth, making them vulnerable to disturbance, so it’s best to admire from a distance with binoculars. Watch for them nervously pacing the shoreline, pausing to bob their heads or give chase to insects with an impressive turn of speed.
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Have you seen any Little Ringed Plovers this year, or noticed returning pairs on familiar ground?
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More information on ​Little Ringed Plovers
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E-mail: admin@durhambirdclub.org.uk
Social media tags: #DBC #DBCat50 #DurhamBirdClub #BirdOfTheWeek
#Durham #Birding #BirdwatchingUK #CountyDurhamBirds
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