News
The Graham Bell Trophy for Bird Photography by NNBC members
2024 marks the 40th Anniversary of the NNBC’s founding by Graham Bell. To mark this occasion the club decided to have an annual member’s photographic competition for the Graham Bell Trophy.
This year Tom Cadwallender judged the 35 entries and below are the top six he chose. Alan Yeomans was the winner of the Trophy with his Finnish Capercaillie.
A rarity for Northumberland just south of NNBC region Lesser Grey Shrike at Amble
Photo by Neil Hinchliff
NEST BOXES
Following Graham Sorrie’s talk on Friday 11th October 2024, Phil Hanmer is willing to make a swift box for you if you can’t do it yourself. The cost will be £20.
Please message me on the contact email on the website and I’ll pass on the request.
Richard Poyer
Saturday 18th May 2024 40th Anniversary Celebrations
On Saturday 38 members came together at Bamburgh Pavilion to celebrate 40 years since the club was founded by the now Honorary President, Graham Bell. We enjoyed a buffet lunch, photo show and a Neil Hinchliff quizz. A lot of chatting and reminiscing went on. The Club announced that from 2024 there would be an annual members photographic competition for the Graham Bell Trophy.
THE FOUNDING OF THE NNBC
40 years ago today, January 31st 1984, the first meeting of people interested in forming the NNBC took place. The club is still going strong.
BTO Breeding Bird Surveys
There are 33 Breeding Bird Survey squares available for take up in Northumberland. Some are really up in the hills eg Kielderhead but others are in populated areas eg Widdrington. The survey takes place within a 1km square and involves walking across the square on 2 “paths” 500m apart to record the birds seen/heard. The surveying is done twice in the breeding season.
To see the squares and details of how to take part access the link here : Breeding Bird Survey (3)
Phil Hanmer’s action packed story of his 40 mins. in a Spindlestone Hide
Forty minutes in a hide 2023
Bex Outram, Wildlife Warden for the Life Wader Project has written the report that can be accessed on the next line. Hover with the pointer and click.
2023 Northumberland Coast Ringed Plover Report
Link to Schedule 1 Birds and our responsibilities under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Breeding Bird Survey and Wetlands Bird Survey 2022
Breaking news! Northumberland has been given 20 new BBS squares because of our wonderful surveyors’ success at covering over 85% of assigned sites in 2021. Many of these are in easily accessible areas, and others in close proximity to another square which could be done consecutively. There is now a chance to have visits to 142x1km squares.
If you’d like to take part, please register with BTO on the BBS website https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/bbs or contact Muriel Cadwallender at tomandmurielcadwallender@hotmail.com
| Grid Ref is SW corner of 1km square
BBS Vacant Squares 2022 |
|||
| Grid Ref | Approximate Location | OS Map | |
| NT7108 | Deerlee Knowe | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NT7405 | Middle Shank nth of Catleugh | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NT8017 | Blackbrough Hill (Borders) | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NT8617 | White Knowe, Cocklaw (Borders) | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NT9540 | Heaton Moor nr Etal | 75 | NEW Route needed |
| NT9837 | nr Routin Lin | 75 | NEW Route needed |
| NT9849 | Unthank Square, West of Scremerston | 75 | NEW Route needed |
| NU0247 | NE Cheswick | 75 | Mapped |
| NU0637 | Buckton Moor | 75 | Mapped |
| NU0313 | Eslington Park, West of Whittingham | 81 | NEW Route needed |
| NU0740 | Fenwick Granary | 75 | NEW Route needed |
| NY6068 | Snowden Close, NW Gilsland | 86 | NEW Route needed |
| NY6781 | Whickhope Nick Kielder | 80 | Mapped |
| NY6799 | nr Kielder Head | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NY7298 | steep ravine no tracks | 80 | uncoverable? |
| NY7398 | Blakehope Nick East, Kielder | 80 | Rough Terrain |
| NY8091 | Highgreen Manor, Tarset Burn | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NY8293 | Nether Houses, nr Rochester | 80 | NEW Route needed |
| NY9059 | High Ardley, Hexhamshire | 87 | Mapped |
| NY9154 | White Hall W of Slaley Forest | 87 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ0075 | Mootlaw, E Hallington | 87 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ0154 | Barley Hill Nth of Derwent | 87 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ0355 | New Field, E of Minsteracres | 87 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ0567 | Welton Farm, Near Whittle Dene | 87 | Mapped |
| NZ0577 | Belsay Barns | 87 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ1270 | Dissington Old Hall nr Medburn | 88 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ1593 | Smallburn W of Longhorsley | 81 | NEW Route needed |
| NZ1698 | Howdens SE of Felton | 81 | NEW Route needed |
| WBBS Vacant River Sections | |||
| Ref Only | Stretch (negotiable) | ||
| NU0026 | Wooler Water | 74 | NT995279 – NT997248 |
| NY6086 | Lewis Burn | 86 | NY631887-NY623874 or NY888927-NY900901 |
The BTO Breeding Bird Survey & Waterways Breeding Bird Survey
The BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring the population changes of the UK’s common breeding birds. It is a national volunteer project aimed at keeping track of changes in the breeding populations of widespread bird species in the UK. Wild bird populations are an important indicator of the health of the countryside, and knowing to what extent bird populations are increasing or decreasing is fundamental to bird conservation. WBBS extends the methodology of BBS to linear waterways.
BBS involves two early-morning visits through April, May and June to a randomly selected 1-km square to count all the birds seen or heard while walking two 1-km transects across the square. In WBBS, up to ten 500m units in a stretch may be covered. Basic habitat details are required, with an option to record mammals. For those covering BBS with free time later in the season another visit can be made for a Butterfly Survey.
If you’d like to take part, please register with BTO on the BBS website or contact Muriel Cadwallender at tomandmurielcadwallender@hotmail.com.
If you have interesting sightings or feel that you could write a short article on a birding topic then please send the material to the NNBC email address :
ringouzel@northnorthumberlandbirdclub.co.uk
The club’s Facebook site will also keep you up to date about local birding.
Natural England Lindisfarne Reserve
Would you like to help to keep an eye on some of the most sensitive of the breeding birds on the reserve this spring/early summer – a morning or afternoon a week?
The Little Terns and the Ringed Plover need your help.
Please get in touch with Andrew Craggs – Senior Warden for the reserve – for more information at Andrew.Craggs@naturalengland.org.uk