Best Rarities Durham or Northumberland

[rokermartin]

I am a county Durham birder who has seen many rarities over the years in county Durham.Also seen many rarities in Northumberland.I have noticed that Northumberland does better for certain rarities than county Durham such as rare Wheatears,Buntings,pipits and especially Dusky Warblers,Terek Sands and LB Dowitchers.There has been no LB Dowitchers in the county Durham also there has'nt been a Terek Sand or a Dusky Warbler for years in the county.Seems like we miss out on them.Also another bird that we have not had in the county is Blyth's Reed warbler which i find very surprising because again Northumberland has had a few records in the last few years. On the other hand i think Durham is a better county for rare waders than Northumberland especially the Teeside area we have had Great Knot,SB Dowitcher, Long toed Stint and many more rare waders.So what county does the bird forum members think is the best for rarities.

[Ross Ahmed]

I am a county Durham birder who has seen many rarities over the years in county Durham.Also seen many rarities in Northumberland.I have noticed that Northumberland does better for certain rarities than county Durham such as rare Wheatears,Buntings,pipits and especially Dusky Warblers,Terek Sands and LB Dowitchers.There has been no LB Dowitchers in the county Durham also there has'nt been a Terek Sand or a Dusky Warbler for years in the county.Seems like we miss out on them.Also another bird that we have not had in the county is Blyth's Reed warbler which i find very surprising because again Northumberland has had a few records in the last few years. On the other hand i think Durham is a better county for rare waders than Northumberland especially the Teeside area we have had Great Knot,SB Dowitcher, Long toed Stint and many more rare waders.So what county does the bird forum members think is the best for rarities.

Northumberland certainly does better for certain birds - quite inexplicably in most cases e.g. why should the Farnes have had 40 records of Little Bunting and 10 Yellow-breasted Buntings?

I think Northumberland also has better extent of habitats - 'Norfolk of the North' is a fairly well deserved title I think.

[rokermartin]

It is strange that county Durham have had very few Little Buntings.Also only 1 YB Bunting record.Yorkshire,Norfolk and even Dorset have had a few records of YB Bunting.Also Northumberland i think have had more Fea's Petrel records than Durham.I think Newbiggin often does better than Whitburn for seeing the large Shearwaters.

[IanF]

I sometimes wonder about just how inclined birders are or report rarity sightings or any other for that matter? Very few seem to be reported from my area - albeit Cleveland.

I'm from SW Durham originally and still have contacts in the area. Whilst I visit the area pretty frequently I miss an awful lot of birds that I know have been sighted by more local birders. I suppose it's an issue in whatever area you live. Not evreyone is interested in documenting what they've seen - even to the local bird club.

Personally I think the rarities maybe in the County but not simply not identified/reported.

[Ross Ahmed]

I sometimes wonder about just how inclined birders are or report rarity sightings or any other for that matter? Very few seem to be reported from my area - albeit Cleveland.

I'm from SW Durham originally and still have contacts in the area. Whilst I visit the area pretty frequently I miss an awful lot of birds that I know have been sighted by more local birders. I suppose it's an issue in whatever area you live. Not evreyone is interested in documenting what they've seen - even to the local bird club.

Personally I think the rarities maybe in the County but not simply not identified/reported.

Thats defo true. Vast swathes of the Durham coast are massively underwatched.

It's been said time and time again, but the coast between Sunderland and Hartlepool has so much potential yet to be fully recognised.

The birds that must go undiscovered.

[rokermartin]

I dont think many birders check the denes like Castle Eden or Hawthorn.Because i think they are to frightened to check these places because of missing something at Whitburn or Teeside.Also you may spend hours at Hawthorn Dene not seeing anything when every is turning up at Whitburn or Teeside but thats the chance you have to take when you check these underwatched places.This sort of situation can be frustrating at times especially if someone is at Hawthorn and you get a message on your pager saying there is a Siberian Blue Robin showing well at Whitburn and you are at Hawthorn Dene or somewhere miles away

[rokermartin]

What is the all time best rarity that we have had in the county in terms of views etc.My best rarity in the county has to be between the Isabelline Shrike at Marsden and the Baillon's Crake at Mowbray Park.When i saw the Isabelline Shrike birders got with in 6 ft away from it and we saw it catching bees and hovering above the ground amazing views.And the Baillon's Crake cracking close views of it around the edge of the pond.

[Gavin Haig]

This sort of situation can be frustrating at times especially if someone is at Hawthorn and you get a message on your pager saying there is a Siberian Blue Robin showing well at Whitburn and you are at Hawthorn Dene or somewhere miles away
This ain't gonna happen every day - or even every decade!!! If you've got vast swathes of underwatched coast up there, then go for it! It's the North East coast, for goodness' sake - it'll be heaving with goodies going begging. Someone (or two) needs to adopt a new local patch and just slog it - the rewards will definitely come.

[mark ridsdale]

What is the all time best rarity that we have had in the county in terms of views etc.My best rarity in the county has to be between the Isabelline Shrike at Marsden and the Baillon's Crake at Mowbray Park.When i saw the Isabelline Shrike birders got with in 6 ft away from it and we saw it catching bees and hovering above the ground amazing views.And the Baillon's Crake cracking close views of it around the edge of the pond.Probably the Red flanked Bluetail a few years ago at Marsden quarry.When i got there the bird had disappeared for some time and most of the birders were in that "wait here where it was last see and chat till it turns up stage".I to waited at this corner thinking this must be the spot.After a while a friend and i decided to try looking at the bush from on top of the quarry.We did and with in minutes a bird showed well but would be impossible to see from the origional spot.We tried waving people over but this took time as we didnt want to holler.Eventually birders drifted over.But my personal favourite although just out must be the Ivory gull at Saltburn back in 86!!

[whitburnmark]

One problem in comparing the two counties is size. Northumberland has at least twice the length of coast of Durhams (with just 36 miles) and is at least twice the area in square miles . It's inevitable that more coastal migrants will be found in Northumberland. Also the mix of habitats is very different - there's very few areas of Durham with coastal pools away from Teesmouth.
Also Northumberland seems to attract more birders willing to check around relatively under watched locations - an excellent way of finding new sites and birds. Ringing also plays a part - not many operate in coastal Durham.
Many Durham birders (certainly in the South Tyneside area where I live) want to sit inside drinking cups of coffee until their pagers go off telling them which bush to look in. Lazy birders = no birds.

[rokermartin]

I know i am a county Durham birder but i think on the whole Northumberland does better for rarities and birds in general.Just cannot understand why Durham misses out on so many of the rare wheatears,pipits and buntings especially Dusky Warbler.We have the same habitat on the coast where these birds are found.The last Dusky Warbler in Durham was way back in 1984 so it is well over due.I know my friend Whitburnmark said there are more birders in Northumberland looking for birds but Teeside and Hartlepool are migrant hot spots and they are very well watched also the Whitburn area is quite well watched every spring and autumn but as Mark said there are a few birders who are really lazy who just rather sit about waiting for a phone call about a rarity.If more birders got off there backsides more birds would get found.Also i dont think the birders in Northumberland are any better than the Durham birders at identifying and finding birds.At the moment Durham for the last fews years has done better than Northumberland for w w gulls and Sunderland Harbour is now the best place on the english east coast to see them.Also we do very well for Med Gull and YL Gull.So we do better for certain birds than Northumberland.But i still think we are the poor relation to Northumberland

[StevieEvans]

This ain't gonna happen every day - or even every decade!!! If you've got vast swathes of underwatched coast up there, then go for it! It's the North East coast, for goodness' sake - it'll be heaving with goodies going begging. Someone (or two) needs to adopt a new local patch and just slog it - the rewards will definitely come.

Hi Gavin
Couldnt agree more.
Take this example.....
One BF members first year's experience of the Durham coast, last year, produced these as self founds:-

Amur Wagtail, Raddes, x2Greenish, several YBrow's etc

A co-ordinated migrant count is planned for the back end of this year; the whole coast will be split into sections & burned up..... our friend rokermartin is welcome to do the migrant trap at Hawthorn Hive... wheres theres no mobile phone reception & one of the very few folks you see there, wears a cowboy hat & lives in the sea-caves (true).

SE (my dads bigger than your dad..... so that means pink panther country has the best rarities. Alright !?) ;)

[rokermartin]

I know the coast between Sunderland and Hartlepool is unwatched i have been saying that for years but i still think birders rather do the migrant hot spots of South tyneside,Whitburn,Hartlepool and Teeside because they have a proven record of attracting rare birds.Ithink most local birders are to frighten to miss anything good by checking Hawthorn Dene and Dawdon as Steve said there has been some good birds found on this part of the Durham coast over the years.And if this part of the coast was checked more often things will get found.And may be more birders will then check these underwatched areas of our coast.Until then birders will just keep checking the migrant hot spots such as Whitburn.