Mark Newsome
Born to seawatch...
A new county avifauna has just been published, covering County Durham (VC66, between Tyne and Tees).
The book has been completed as part of a non-profit making project - the "Birds of Durham Heritage Project". The project’s aim was to 'bring the wildlife of today to the people of tomorrow' and consisted of public lectures and guided walks, a suite of online resources and the erection of a series of interpretation panels at the sites of some of the most significant historical ornithological events in the county (eg the Bishop Middleham Bee-eaters, the Hartlepool Dusky Thrush, the first UK Great Reed Warbler at Swalwell - the stories of the birds and the people involved). The book itself was the final piece of the jigsaw and commemorates 60 years since the publication of the last county avifauna by George Temperley.
The whole project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and was led by the Durham Bird Club with additional support from a number of partner organisations (Teesmouth Bird Club, Durham Wildlife Trust, Natural History Society of Northumbria and Durham Upland Bird Study Group). All profits made through the book will go back into bird/people related heritage and conservation projects within the county.
The book itself contains 1020 pages of text, 64 colour pages and covers 350 years of ornithology in the county (from 1661 to the end of 2011). There are full accounts for the 386 species recorded in the county along with line drawings of each, 110 charts and graphs of occurrence patterns, plus 5 opening chapters on the county itself and its ornithological history. The colour photos feature 120 species and 14 habitat shots, plus there are an additional 56 black and white photos scattered through the book.
The price is a bargain £30, plus £10 postage and packing. If you are a member of one of the partner organisations, the price is just £25 (plus P&P). More detail is held on the Durham Bird Club website: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/, including any dates when the book may be available for picking up at sites within the county to avoid postage costs.
For ordering by post, an order form is available online: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/articles/BDHP_order-form.pdf.
The initial print run is of 1200 copies, so you may have to be quick to get a copy!
The book has been completed as part of a non-profit making project - the "Birds of Durham Heritage Project". The project’s aim was to 'bring the wildlife of today to the people of tomorrow' and consisted of public lectures and guided walks, a suite of online resources and the erection of a series of interpretation panels at the sites of some of the most significant historical ornithological events in the county (eg the Bishop Middleham Bee-eaters, the Hartlepool Dusky Thrush, the first UK Great Reed Warbler at Swalwell - the stories of the birds and the people involved). The book itself was the final piece of the jigsaw and commemorates 60 years since the publication of the last county avifauna by George Temperley.
The whole project was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and was led by the Durham Bird Club with additional support from a number of partner organisations (Teesmouth Bird Club, Durham Wildlife Trust, Natural History Society of Northumbria and Durham Upland Bird Study Group). All profits made through the book will go back into bird/people related heritage and conservation projects within the county.
The book itself contains 1020 pages of text, 64 colour pages and covers 350 years of ornithology in the county (from 1661 to the end of 2011). There are full accounts for the 386 species recorded in the county along with line drawings of each, 110 charts and graphs of occurrence patterns, plus 5 opening chapters on the county itself and its ornithological history. The colour photos feature 120 species and 14 habitat shots, plus there are an additional 56 black and white photos scattered through the book.
The price is a bargain £30, plus £10 postage and packing. If you are a member of one of the partner organisations, the price is just £25 (plus P&P). More detail is held on the Durham Bird Club website: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/, including any dates when the book may be available for picking up at sites within the county to avoid postage costs.
For ordering by post, an order form is available online: http://www.durhambirdclub.org/articles/BDHP_order-form.pdf.
The initial print run is of 1200 copies, so you may have to be quick to get a copy!