Request for help!
BioBlitz Elba Park - 17 & 18 August 2019 12pm-12pm
Email from Becky Vickers Community Project Manager Groundwork NE & Cumbria
"I'm organising a BioBlitz this summer at Elba Park in Sunderland and wondered if someone from the bird club would be able to attend to help us survey our birds. The main event will be from 12 midday 17th August till 12 midday 18th August. We'd like to have a dawn chorus walk as a minimum. We do quite well for ground nesting birds at the park so it would be great to be able to survey them in some way too. We have a small budget for the event so could cover modest expenses or make a donation to your group.
We've also got some funding from Sunderland Council for some basic training for the local community in how to survey and identify different species. Is this something you could also help us with? We are thinking of a couple of hours one evening or weekend, just going through the different ways to survey birds and some ID tips. If you can help here could you let me know how much you'd charge and give me some idea of dates and times that would suit.
Thanks very much
Please let me know if it will be possible to work together."
Volunteers should contact Becky at Rebekah.Vickers@groundwork.org.uk and please CC in the DBC email address durhambirdclub@gmail.com
Thanks you
- DBC
- Jun 27, 2019
This year the Little Tern colony has relocated from Crimdon Dene to Seaton Carew and the Little tern partnership is looking for volunteers to help with the wardening effort.
Please consider offering to help safeguard this ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Tees Valley’s coastline.
Breeding activity may continue into August and will extend into the school holidays when Seaton Carew will become especially busy with day-trippers and holidaymakers. Currently the large site is cordoned off and notices have been put out, but with so many people about a greater conservation presence is needed on a daily basis. Mandy Bell from Durham Wildlife Trust is coordinating the warden coverage, with support from the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Hartlepool Borough Council, Durham Heritage Coast and INCA. Unfortunately, Seaton Carew car parking charges still apply for volunteers, but funding is being sought to cover this. Cars can be left for free in the North Gare car park, but that involves a 1 mile walk each way.
Little Tern is a Schedule 1 legally-protected species, with fines for deliberate disturbance. Hartlepool Borough Council is liaising with the police who have already responded to one potential offence. Birders and photographers should observe from a safe distance.
For further information contact Mandy Bell – 07713 461520. Email: abell@durhamwt.co.uk
- DBC
- May 9, 2019
To improve user interaction and functionality of the website, we've introduced a new website add-on to replace the existing comments application on the Daily Sightings page. This new add-on will allow unlimited bird sightings to be posted by those in the field.
Not all of our members have smart phones or the capacity to use the member forum, and as a result, we would encourage those able to, to keep the sightings page up-to-date so that all of our members can be included in the latest birding news.
As these sightings will be in the public domain, we would also encourage users to not post about sensitive breeders or locations under pressure.
Thank you and we look forward to seeing your regular birding news!
Sacha