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 34
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Spotted Flycatcher – A Patient Summer Sentinel
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​​(Photo by Mark Harper)​​​
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Spotted Flycatchers are never showy, but they’re always a joy to watch – sitting bolt upright on a tree branch, fence post or wall before darting out, snatching an insect mid-air, and returning to the same perch. Slim, streaky, and grey-brown, they make up for their subtle looks with endlessly watchable behaviour.
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This year has been an encouraging one for the species in County Durham. A late arriving migrant, by 8th May two pairs and four singing males were reported at Tunstall Reservoir – after several years’ absence there. Though numbers have fallen greatly over recent decades, Spotted Flycatchers are still widespread, particularly west of the A68, with reliable spots around Stanhope, Frosterley and Bollihope. More recently, breeding has also been confirmed in lowland areas, with tetrads at Crook, Toft Hill and Bishop Auckland holding pairs over the last several years. After years of absence, birds also returned to breed in 2025 at Croxdale (raising two broods), as well as at Hamsterley and Adder Wood.
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Not everywhere in the County has yet shared this upturn – former haunts like the Lanchester area and Low Barns still seem to be without them – but overall, the signs are positive. Several reports also came from central Durham City throughout June, a reminder of how adaptable this little migrant can be.
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They’re worth listening out for: that sharp, single-syllable call is often the first clue to their presence. And if you come across a nest, you may find it in an unexpected spot. In Durham, these have included a gutter, a coconut shell, repurposed nests of Dipper and Mistle Trush and even the backhoe of an abandoned JCB! Of 90 nests monitored by one study across 236 tetrads in 2025, only two were in nest boxes – suggesting strongly that they still prefer more natural or unusual sites.
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Have you noticed Spotted Flycatchers near you this year – perhaps in new places, or nesting somewhere unexpected?
More information on ​Spotted Flycatchers
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E-mail: admin@durhambirdclub.org.uk
Social media tags: #DBC #DBCat50 #DurhamBirdClub #BirdOfTheWeek
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