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Seaton Common / North Gare Pier / Seaton Snook (1 Viewer)

IanF

Moderator
Located by the A178 Tees Road one mile south of Seaton Carew and five miles north of Haverton Hill.

Seaton Common comprises rough grassland interspersed with numerous small fresh water ponds, many of them no more than small pools among the grassland. The area is grazed by horses, cattle and occasionally sheep. The Common lies behind a narrow strip of sand dunes which separate it from the north side of the Tees Estuary and North Gare Pier. Apart from a few bushes directly behind the sand dunes, there is virtually no other vegetation raising it's head above the level of the Common. Numerous fence posts and telegraph poles afford perching points for many species of birds. Kestrel and Sparrowhawk are regular hunters, likewise Short Eared Owl once Spring arrives.

Access is via two public roads.

My favourite viewing point is from the Zinc Works Road which runs along the southern edge of the Common. With the sun always to your right, visibility north across the Common is usually very good. The left side of the road is lined with telegraph poles which are popular perches for raptors, especially Kestrel which are numerous around here. I've also seen Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier, Snipe, Rook, Crow and Gulls using the poles. The left side of the road has a wooden post fence which is a very popular perch with the smaller species such as Linnet, Willow Warbler and Skylark. Birds often feed just the other side of the fence. Though this is a single track road, there are numerous large pull-ins from which to watch from your car or else park and walk back a few yards. In the Spring large flocks are common of species such as Redwing, Fieldfare, Curlew, Shelduck and Golden Plover. The small areas of standing water and a stream attract Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler, Northern Pintail and Heron. Parking at the end of the road affords access to the beach through the dunes and Seaton Snook a rocky promontory that stretches in to the estuary providing a high tide roost for many waders. At the end of the road is a firm that collects sand from the beach. You can either walk through the site following the road or make a left turn following the path around the buildings. The path overlooks an otherwise hidden expanse of shallow water where Reed Buntings can usually be seen along with ducks and Heron. Where the path crosses the access road again it's worth hopping over to the other side into a dip where there is a small patch of bushes which again often hold recently arrived migrants. The fence line is worth checking too as for this Linnet

Bisecting the Common is the North Gare Access Road, which runs for about a mile from the A178 to a large car park which then gives foot access to North Gare Pier across a narrow strip of golf course. Mind your heads ! Though the golfers are generally very careful, it's not unknown for walkers to be hit by a ball. Because of the access to North Gare, this is a very popular access route and can become quite busy with people who have no interest in the bird life of the Common.

Driving along the access road from the A178 affords extensive views both north and south. The north side of the road is unfenced and undulating giving views as far as Seaton Carew itself. The south edge of the road is bounded throughout it's length by a wooden rail fence. I mention this as with the area being in such a prominent coastal position, many migrants pass though and this fence is well worth keeping an eye on as a perch / shelter, especially the old sheep enclosure a half mile along the road. This Northern Wheatear was sheltering on the enclosure.

From the car park foot access is gained to North Gare with a pleasant good path through the sand dunes. The pier area attracts similar species to those at South Gare, both are well known for attracting migrants. Waders can be found along the shore at whatever the tide state. The dunes to the north attract Common and Little Tern for breeding and are usually fenced off, but feeding and resting birds can be found on the beach. The dunes behind the beach attract roving flocks of Snow Bunting in Winter, though I have yet to have a close view of them here. An area of bushes behind the dunes on the north side of the Gare often attract the smaller migrants, especially in the Spring. A Hoopoe has been a regular here for several years and was ringed so I was told.

The whole area can be covered in a couple of hours. It is especially suited to parking at one car park and then making a loop walking along the beach taking in North Gare and Seaton Snook and then returning via the path behind the sand dunes which gives a different selection of habitats.
 
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I like the sound of this place. The title got my attention cos we have a Seaton in Devon and it offers good birding too, but not as good as yours sounds.
 
It is one of my favourite sites as access is so easy and viewing so good. If you haven't much time you can just checkout the road accesses and there is usually something of interest to see. I should have mentioned that in Summer the grass can get quite long obscuring views of the birds on the Common itself, but this also tends to force the birds to rest / display along the roadside fences.

I've only mentioned a few of the species that can be seen. The actual list for the site is quite long, especially for the waders and rarities list which of course are seldom seen.
 
Another great entry from you Ian for the county index. Like Andrew, my attention was drawn to the word 'Seaton'! It sounds a great place. I like the detail you get in.
 
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