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birding...
England Northumberland
Northumberland has an area of 5200 sq km and is the most northerly county in England. The easterly facing coastline is some 97km long with a number of small islands - most notably the Farne Islands. The land rises from the coastal plains to vast areas of moorland, peat bog and coniferous plantation. In the north of the county the Cheviot Hills dominate the landscape rising at the highest point to 800m. In Kielder Water, in the west, Northumberland has the largest man made lake in the UK. Two main rivers lie at either end of the county the Tyne & Tweed. Five smaller rivers punctuate the landscape at intervals (R.Blyth, Wansbeck, Coquet & Aln).There are many freshwater ponds & lakes in the south east mainly due to the subsidence in an area once dominated by coal mining. Northumberland`s uniqueness is in its variety from the teeming seabird colonies of the Farnes to its fragments of Ancient woodland in its hill valleys, the unspoilt beaches along its coastline in the north and the moorland in the west. There is always much to discover. Stop Press |
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Allen Banks
(NY797636)Owned by the National Trust this mature woodland runs along the River Allen in the South Tyne Valley. Good for woodland species and warblers.Big Waters, Seaton Burn
(NZ227734)A Northumberland Wildlife Trust reserve which is a mining subsidence pond. Good for wildfowl, autumn waders and has an excellent passerine feeding station. Public hide at the East end.College Valley
(NT894281)A private valley in the Cheviot hills West of Wooler. Cars are not allowed without a permit but you can walk down the valley that is about 7 miles long. Good for moorland birds.Druridge Bay & Pools
(NZ274970)An unspoilt beach with a number of mining subsidence ponds behind the dunes. Most have hides. A parking fee is required. Waders, wildfowl and passage migrants.Farne Islands
(NU230370)A group of islands which lie offshore from Seahouses. Boat trips go out hourly in the breeding season. High numbers of breeding auks & terns. Also a colony of Grey Seals.Holy Island
(NU130310)A National Nature Reserve encompassing Fenham Flats, Rossback Sands & Budle Bay. Excellent for waders on the intertidal areas. Passage migrants in Spring & Autumn along the islands footpaths .( Please check the Tide Tables as the island is cut off for 12 hours each day.)Newbiggin By The Sea
(NZ313880)A small town on the coast in SE Northumberland. Church Point is an excellent sea watching point although it can be exposed in a NE gale. The golf course to the North is excellent for Spring & Autumn passage migrants and regularly turns up rarities. ( An awful place but with the chance of great birds !)North Shields/Tynemouth
(NZ363684)The main fish quay on the River Tyne which is good for Winter Gulls. There is a small private park nearby at Tynemouth which attracts passage migrants. The Fish & chips are marvellous!St Mary`s Freshwater Wetland Pond
(NZ350750)St Mary`s is a freshwater wetland pond atop the headland which overlooks St Mary`s lighthouse at Whitley bay. It is home to a wealth of residential wildlife and for shorebirds roosting on the high tides. This has been a lively year with several rare sightings including avocet, bar-headed goose, white-rumped sandpiper, Wryneck, water rail, and so much more! visiting the pond to rest before continuing their worldwide journey.Stag Rocks
(NU178357)Located 1 mile north of Bamburgh Castle the rocks can be found by the white stag painted on them. Excellent in winter for Divers, Grebes & Sea Duck.contributor |
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Chris Edwards
Additional Material
(North Tyneside)
chris@globalphotosite.org
http://www.globalphotosite.org/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=516&thumb=1
Alan Tilmouth
Alan@atilmouth.freeserve.co.uk
county recorder |
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Tim Dean
2 Knocklaw Park, Rothbury, Northumberland NE65 7PW
01669 621460
t.r.dean@btopenworld.com
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County Bird - Eider Somateria mollissima [The Eider is under the special protection of the Patron Saint of Northumberland - St. Cuthbert, who gave laws to protect it in AD 676 on the Farne Islands - the first protection for any bird, anywhere in Britain. Eiders are still often known locally as Cuddy`s Duck in his honour]
useful reading |
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Bird-life of the Borders
Chapman & Davis Hardcover 280 pages (1 June, 1990) The Spredden PressISBN: 1871739101
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birds in Northumbria
Birds in Northumbria Annual report of the Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club. Latest issue is 2005, back issues available from Club Sale Officer - sales are now handled from 6, Glenside, Ellington, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 5LSBirdwatching on the Northumberland Coast -
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coast Edited by Tom Cadwallender 24 pages, colour photos. Northumberland County Council - Softcover | 2007ISBN: 9781873402252
Buy this book from NHBS.com
Northumberland's Birds, Part 1
Bryan Galloway and Eric R Meek Series: NORTHUMBERLAND'S BIRDS 49 pages, illus. Natural History Society of Northumbria 1980 her parts avalableISBN: 647
Buy this book from NHBS.com
The Atlas of Wintering Birds in Northumbria
Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club 468 pages, 36 col photos, line illus, maps. Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club 2003Where to Watch Birds: Northeast England
by Dave Britton & John Day [2nd Edition] Christopher Helm 2004 ?16.99pSee Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 0713638478
Buy this book from NHBS.com
useful information |
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Proact
Coordinator: Iain Robson
Members: 5
Join us at http://www.proact-campaigns.net/team
Contact your coordinator via mailto:info@proact-campaigns.net
clubs |
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Gateshead Birders
http://www.gatesheadbirders.co.uk/Gateshead Birders is a group of very keen birders who study and record the natural history throughout the borough. Gateshead has several countryside sites owned and managed by the Council and these are freely open for visitors to enjoy a wide range of woodlands, meadows, ponds and riverside walks and bridleways...
Natural History Society of Northumberland
http://www.nhsn.ncl.ac.uk/The Society`s aims are to promote and encourage the study and protection of flora and fauna in the north-east of England...
Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club
http://www.ntbc.org.uk/Birds in Northumbria Annual report of the Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club. Latest issue is 2005, back issues available from Club Sale Officer - 6, Glenside, Ellington, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 5LS
Northumberland Wildlife Trust
http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/northumberland/Northumberland Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary organisation concerned with all aspects of nature conservation in Northumberland, Newcastle Upon Tyne and North Tyneside. The Wildlife Trust manages over 60 nature reserves, each one a special place for wildlife. It also runs important species conservation projects such as Red Alert which aims to save the red squirrel. Through working with and advising businesses, landowners and local authorities, the Wildlife Trust ensures that the needs of wildlife and the local environment are heard.
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Gosforth Park Nature Reserve
http://www.nhsn.ncl.ac.uk/The Society manages a nature reserve in Gosforth Park which has a shallow lake, extensive reedbeds and mixed woodlands. Hides and board walks enable members to view waterfowl, migrating waders, reedbed birds and a wide range of woodland birds and mammals. The reserve has a large population of roe deer and a thriving community of red squirrels...
Holywell Birding
http://www.freewebs.com/holywellbirdingBringing sightings and pictures to you, from Holywell Pond and surrounding areas…
Naturenet: Northumberland
http://www.naturenet.net/england/nhumb.htmlList of reserves and locations etc.
Northumberland National Park
http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/...a landscape of limitless beauty and communities that are warm and genuine. Welcome to Northumberland National Park, the land of the far horizons...
trip reports |
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Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you can’t find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page… give them a try!
2006 [June] - Cygnus Bird Tours
http://www.cygnusbirdtours.com/Brochure/Northumberland%20Trip%20Report.docHeading up the coast we stopped off at Budle Bay checking the ever moving birds on the incoming tide. The expected species of Shelduck, Curlew, Redshank and Dunlin were supported by Greenshank, Spotted Redshanks, Ruff and Grey Plover...
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Birding Pal
http://www.birdingpal.org/Unitedkingdom.htmLocal birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...
Birdwatch Northumbria
http://www.birdwatchnorthumbria.co.uk/Birdwatch Northumbria runs birdwatching tours for people who are not birdwatchers! Many people have an interest in birds, yet they rarely go out birdwatching. Often they think they don`t have the knowledge to try it, or they feel intimidated when they go out by the seriousness of birdwatchers they meet. If you are such a person please read on...
New Horizons
http://www.newhorizonsonline.co.uk/about.htmWe are a husband and wife team (aged 40 something) with wide experience of travel, wildlife photography and leading bird watching courses and tours at home and abroad...
Northern Experience Wildlife Tours
http://www.northernexperiencewildlifetours.co.ukNorthern Experience Wildlife Tours is a Northumberland based nature tourism company...
Not Entirely Sure Tours
http://www.notentirelysure.co.ukNot Entirely Sure is a partnership between Dennis Williams and Keith Taylor, both native North Northumbrians. Our aim is to promote, via the huge natural resources of their beloved county, activity pursuits in the arrangement of holiday breaks. Your FLY DRIVE sea birdwatching trip The Birds Do The Flying, We Do The Driving, You Do The Watching. The North Northumberland coast is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and has an international reputation amongst birdwatchers as an area of outstanding natural sea bird watching. Using one of the quality hotels, as detailed, the Not Entirely Sure Tour Company has designed a four night, three day sea birdwatching tour that embraces the most productive sites, and encompasses some of the deep historical charm felt by all who visit this ancient kingdom. This trip is inclusive of: Collection and return from Alnmouth mainline railway station. All transport to and from sites. Boat trips and landing fees. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast (based on twin room, sharing, with en-suite. Light packed lunch, and an evening talk by a local expert).
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Beach House Hotel - Seahouses
http://www.ukhotel.com/northumbria/beach-house.htmThe Beach House Hotel is family run, and is praised for its relaxed home from home atmosphere, which the new found owners Malcolm and Hazel have striven to create. In its idealic location the hotel is set back from one of the most beautiful stretches of heritage coastline that Northumberland has to offer. The golden sands stretch to the neighbouring village of Bamburgh, where one of the most magnificent castles in England can be explored. The lounge, dining room and bar boast panoramic views of the Farne Islands, situated 3 miles out to sea. The Farnes are now a nature reserve, which are home to a large seal colony, and many different species of seabirds including Puffins, Cormorants and Oyster Catchers.
Blue Bell, The
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bluebel/When you arrive at the Bell at Belford you experience a tradition of over 250 years of catering for the needs of visitors to magnificent Northumberland. The hotel has been privately owned for some years now and during this time extensive refurbishment has brought out the original elegance of the old Coaching Inn, whilst retaining the modern comforts of today. Your bedroom, of course, is en suite, has colour television, telephone and all the other facilities that today`s traveller naturally expects.
Coach House - Birdwatching
http://www.coachhousecrookham.com/birds.htmFor guests interested in doing a little birding, The Coach House is well placed to explore a variety of habitats in North Northumberland and the Scottish Border country. In addition, the whole coast from Druridge Bay, Northumberland, to the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh is within reach. Interest starts at The Coach House itself: tree sparrows, in wide decline nationally, are still resident (at the time of writing); whilst the more usual species like robin, wren, blackbird and swallow are easily found. Warblers including willow and blackcap sing (in season); and a barn owl sometimes patrols by in the evening...
Coquet Cottages - Warkworth
http://www.coquetcottages.co.ukWe have several luxury 5 Star holiday cottages in Warkworth, we have many bird watchers and walkers stay with us, as there are so many great places nearby of great interest to them. Our cottages have lots of reference books of interest to birdwatchers and many of the cottages are located directly facing onto the Coquet Estuary, which is a wonderful place to watch local and migratory birds…
Coquet Vale Hotel
http://www.rothbury.com/vale.htmThe Coquet Vale retains that friendly informality and reputation for value that has become its hallmark. This, in addition to its outstanding cuisine, has earned it an enviable reputation with both locals and visitors alike. Traditional Northumberland beef dishes and good English fare, are always on hand to ensure that our guests and visitors are well fed and comfortable.
Keepers Cottage - Bonnyrigg Hall
http://www.bonnyrigghall.co.ukA beautifully converted former gamekeeper's cottage which offers peaceful, luxury accommodation for 4 people. Set in 15 acres of woodland and garden grounds, it offers views of Hadrian's Wall and is situated in the Northumbrian uplands with a very diverse bird population. Greenlee Lough National Nature Reserve is less than half a mile, which includes a bird hide maintained by the National Park.... Includes 4 poster bed and Jacuzzi bath. This luxury rural holiday accommodation has recently been awarded ETB 5 Star.
Low Dover - Beadnell Bay
http://www.lowdover.co.uk/Kath and Bob invite you to relax in our splendid beachside home with an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity, where you can be assured of our usual Northumbrian welcome. Guests may choose from our three styles of distinctive superior Bed & Breakfast and Self-catering holiday accommodation. Each immaculate suite is superbly appointed and furbished to exceptional standards, and being on the ground floor, each have patio furniture directly outside your individual private entrance. All rooms are elegantly designed with unique character and attention to detail. Low Dover is virtually encompassed by the sea, being situated at the end of a tiny peninsula on the Northumbria Coast at Beadnell.
Northumbria Byways
http://northumbria-byways.comQuality self catering cottages throughout Northumberland and the Borders. Discover breathtaking expanses of golden beach, superb castles, scenic valleys and wild moorland and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of an area of great natural beauty, steeped in Borders History.
Northumbria Coast & Country Cottages
http://www.northumbria-cottages.co.ukSelf catering holiday cottages in Northumberland...
Orchard Cottage - Bamburgh
http://www.secretkingdom.co.uk/Orchard Cottage is a cosy, well-equipped cottage set in our little orchard, adjacent to the main house of our tranquil small 17-acre, Country estate, approximately 2 miles north of Bamburgh. Quality and comfortable accommodation is provided for 3-4 people. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within short walking distance of Budle Bay and the Lindisfarne Nature Reserve, Orchard Cottage is ideal for exploring the miles and miles of unspoilt beaches, which more often than not you have all to yourself. Surrounded by abundant wildlife, the cottage is an ideal base for bird watching or simply for taking it easy...
Rowan Cottage
http://www.rowan78.freeserve.co.uk/home.htmlRelax in the peaceful setting of Rowan Cottage, a beautiful converted barn on a working farm overlooking the South Tyne Valley. This cottage for two is within view of Hadrian`s Wall and provides a convenient holiday base for discovering Northumberland`s unspoiled beauty. Northumberland`s moors and coastline supports a wealth of birdlife and there are several local groups who offer helpful advice.
Yew Tree Chapel - Tynedale
http://www.yewtreechapel.co.uk/Slaggyford is not the most romantic of names but this an attractive village in Tynedale, designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. Salmon and trout leap in the rivers, herons, buzzards and curlew are regularily spotted, and if you are patient you may see red squirrels and deer in the woods...
mailing lists |
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NorthEastBirding
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthEastBirding/To post to list:NorthEastBirding@yahoogroups.co.uk
List contact:NorthEastBirding-owner@yahoogroups.co.uk
To subscribe to list:NorthEastBirding-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
This group is for everyone interested in birds and birding in North East England (Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham, Cleveland, North Yorkshire). It is a discussion forum for all aspects of birding - sightings, trip reports, census work, personality profiles, bird race and Big Day records, lists - and jokes. Although its primary focus is birding in the North East, all other bird-related topics are welcome. However, this is NOT a forum for character assassination, slander or libel.
other links |
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Bigwaters Birding
http://www.freewebs.com/bigwatersbirdingBig Waters is the largest subsidence pond and one of the largest bodies of open water within South East Northumberland with surrounding fen and carr. The topography is generally flat, and slightly rising to the Northeast. Big Waters covers an area of almost 50 hectares, which includes the lake, stream, ponds, marshland, grassland and woodland. Included in this are facilities for walking, picnicking, fishing, bird watching and nature studies.
Bird Watching at Holywell Pond
http://www.freewebs.com/holywellbirding/index.htmWelcome to this site on Bird Watching at Holywell Pond and in other areas nearby. This site contains reviews on Bird Watching areas, latest updates and photographs. I aim to provide you with information which will make you visit these small unvisited areas. All of the areas are places which I visit at least once a week, but I know that some are not properly watch by us birders and who knows what could slip through them...
Birding St Marys
http://www.freewebs.com/birdingstmarys/My aim of this site is just to share information and a few photographs of birds I see at my local patch, which is St Mary's Island area Northumberland...
Birds of Northumberland
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/wildlife.htmlNorthumberland contains an amazing diversity of habitats which attract many different species of birds. These habitats range from offshore islands and muddy estuaries to wooded valleys and open moorland. The birds which can be seen vary widely with the seasons - some only come here in the summer to breed; others only spend wintertime here; whilst others again only use the County as a staging post in their great journeys around the world. Each one of these factors help the give Northumberland one of the richest and most varied birdlife in the country. To many, it is simply a bird watcher`s paradise.
BLOG - Druridge Pools - Ipin's Wildlife Blog
http://ipinswildlifeblog.blogspot.com:80/A blog dedicated to the wildlife I find on my local patch - Druridge Pools. I live in Ellington, four miles from Druridge Pools, I can be there in 6 minutes flat if a MEGA turns up...
BLOG - Newton Stringer
http://newtonstringer.blogspot.com/Local patch birding around Newton by the Sea in Northumberland. Ever wondered where those dodgy records of scarce birds around Newton come from...
BLOG - Northumbrian Birding
http://northumbrianbirding.blogspot.com/Birds, birding and wildlife around Northumberland, Durham etc...
Eider Ducks of the Nothumberland Coast
http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/vg/eider_duck.htmDuring the winter eider ducks will spend much of the time at sea but they can be seen in the refuge of a harbour when the weather is poor. During the spring the courtship displays can be observed in the harbours at Holy Island, Seahouses and Amble. From mid-May ducklings leave their island nest sites and start arriving at these sheltered places. As they grow older they disperse up and down Northumberland`s coast.
Keith Regan`s Birding Site
http://www.wheatear.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Two trip reports of Madeira and Malaysia and various photographs including Yellow-legged Gull (atlantis); 2 different Isabelline shrikes, Northumberland rarities, and odd birds seen in Northumberland. It also includes a quiz of the worst.
Kielder Bird of Prey Centre
http://www.discoverit.co.uk/falconry/An opportunity to meet, see and hear Owls and Birds of Prey from around the world and learn about the ancient sport of falconry.
Natural Born Birder - Birding North Northumberland
http://www.naturalbornbirder.com/uk/uk.phpMy obsession with birds began on the NE coast of England where I grew up in one of the best birding spots in Northumberland: Stag Rocks at Bamburgh. With Lindisfarne (Holy Island) and the seabird colonies on the Farne Islands visible from the house it was inevitable that birding would form a substantial part of my life. I never had a chance...
Newbiggin by the Sea and Birds
http://www.newbigginbythesea.co.uk/birds.htmIn the world of birdwatching Newbiggin has become a name known up and down the land during the last 13 years although the history of man watching birds goes back as far as the mid Nineteenth century when Hancock (the same one the museum is named after in Newcastle) is thought to have visited...
Newton Birding
http://www.newtonbirding.co.ukI've set up this small website so that you too can enjoy the experience of local patch birding in Northumberland. Newton by the sea comprises of two small coastal villages High Newton and Low Newton, situated just south of Beadnell Bay. The area has a wealth of different habitats, and as a result has a fairly diverse bird list. The area is important for a wide variety of breeding and wintering birds, and given the right weather conditions it can be a great place for migrants and the odd scarce or rare bird...
Northern Kites
http://www.northernkites.org.uk/Northern Kites is one of the northeast of England's most high profile wildlife initiatives. It aims to return breeding red kites to the region whilst providing its communities and people with an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate one of the most spectacular elements of our wild heritage...
Poltross Wild Bird Foods
http://www.feedthebirds.co.uk/Poltross Wild Bird Foods is a small family business, operated by father and son team José and Martin Guerrero, and mother Muriel, who answers the phone, and keeps everyone else organised! We specialise in supplying quality wild bird foods and accessories to domestic customers in North Cumbria and South Northumberland.
artists |
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Photographer - Keith Reeder
http://capture-the-moment.co.uk/tp/This site is intended primarily as a place to show some of the pictures I’ve taken with my Canon 30D and 40D cameras and 100-400mm IS lens. Feel free to browse my gallery. I'll also talk about photographic equipment and software, and about whatever else is on my mind. You never know, some of it might be worth reading especially if, like me, you’re a relative beginner...
Photographer - Richard Dunn
http://www.richarddunn.co.ukDescribes himself as birder and photographer - some great shots and well worth looking through...
Photographer - Tom Tams
http://www.tomtamsbirdimages.co.uk/Some great photographs here...
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