All birds, their nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. The full

details of the act are laid out here.

There are also a range of species that fall under Schedule 1, for these species it is illegal to recklessly

disturb birds and their young either at, on or near an ‘active’ nest. The full Schedule 1 list can be

viewed here, the club would encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the list. However,

the following list contains species that either occur, or have a likely potential to occur as a breeding

bird in Durham:

• Avocet;

• Barn Owl;

• Bearded Tit;

• Black Redstart;

• Black-necked Grebe;

• Cetti’s Warbler;

• Common Crossbill;

• Common Quail;

• Eurasian Bittern;

• European Bee-Eater;

• Garganey;

• Goshawk;

• Hen Harrier;

• Hobby;

• Honey Buzzard;

• Kingfisher;

• Little Ringed Plover;

• Little Tern;

• Marsh Harrier;

• Marsh Warbler.

• Mediterranean Gull;

• Merlin;

• Osprey;

• Peregrine;

• Red Kite;

• Spoonbill; and

• Spotted Crake.

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In line with this we ask that between the months of April and August (and outside of this period for

species such as Barn Owl and Common Crossbill) users of club facilitated platforms refrain from

supplying locations of the above species away from well wardened nature reserves/areas (Little

Terns at Seaton Carew, Saltholme etc). We would also encourage people to be cautious when

reporting the precise locations of species that often draw significant crowds in recent years, species

such as Little and Long-eared Owl.

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Outside of the breeding season we request precise locations of roost sites of the following species

are not shared on any club facilitated platform (with the exception of well wardened sites such as

Saltholme):

 

• Long-eared Owl;

• Short-eared Owl;

• Marsh Harrier; and

• Hen Harrier.