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 39

Osprey – A Passage Guest with Promise

(Photo by Mark Harper)

Ospreys are one of those birds that never fail to stir excitement. Big, bold fish-hunters with long wings and a distinctive black eye-stripe, they’re unmistakeable as they hover or plunge into water with talons outstretched.

September is a great month to look for them in County Durham, as birds from Scotland and Scandinavia pass south on migration. This year has been no exception: records have come from Rainton Meadows, Houghton and along the coast, while Derwent Reservoir held two birds for several days at the start of the month. Another was sighted only today (28 September 2025) at Burnhope Reservoir.

For now, they’re passage visitors, pausing to refuel before pushing on to West Africa. But there’s hope for something more permanent in the future. The Club recently funded the installation of an osprey nesting pole in the south-east of the county, part of a wider effort to provide safe nesting opportunities should birds decide to linger and breed. It may take time, but every great story starts with a small step.

Have you been lucky enough to catch sight of an Osprey this month – maybe perched on a post, or fishing at your local reservoir?

More information on Ospreys

E-mail: admin@durhambirdclub.org.uk

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