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 47
Grey Partridge – A Quiet Icon of Farmland Durham
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​​(Photo by Mark Harper)​​​
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You often hear a Grey Partridge before you see one — a sharp, rasping “kerr-ick” from somewhere low in the stubble, or the sudden thrum of wings as a covey bursts from cover. Stocky, chestnut-faced and beautifully patterned, they’re one of our most characterful farmland birds, even if their habit of keeping low and still means many people rarely catch more than a fleeting glimpse.
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In County Durham, Grey Partridges remain a genuinely important species. Once widespread across the whole county, their fortunes declined sharply during the late 20th century as agricultural intensification reduced the rough margins, winter stubbles and insect-rich field edges they depend on. Yet despite those pressures, they continue to hold territories across the County.
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Although they remain most reliable across the east and south-east of the county, they remain present in the west at locations such as Derwent Reservoir, Newbiggin Common, Blackton and Middleton-in-Teesdale.
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In the east, Blackhall Rocks, Hartlepool, Castle Lake and Bishop Middleham, Seaton Common, Seaham and Croft-on-Tees and surrounding farmland remain reliable sites.
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Coveys form in late autumn and early winter, family groups staying tightly bonded as they forage quietly along hedgerows, beetle banks and unploughed strips. Birders often encounter them at dawn or dusk, slipping between fields or feeding unobtrusively along grassy margins.
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Good habitat management makes a huge difference for this species — conservation headlands, flower-rich margins, reduced pesticide use and sympathetic stubble management all help. Where these measures are in place, Grey Partridge numbers can stabilise or even increase, and several sites in the county demonstrate exactly that.
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They may be understated birds, but they’re part of our agricultural heritage — a reminder of the value of healthy, diverse farmland and the species that depend on it.
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Have you come across any coveys this month, or noticed birds in places you haven’t seen them before?
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More information on Grey Partridges
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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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