Best Birdwatching Sites: North-East England
By Brian Unwin
"Undoubtedly one of the best regional site guides I have seen......"
WELL, WHAT AN exciting day it turned out to be with the latest offering from Buckingham Press dropping on my desk - the late Brian Unwin's Best Birdwatching Sites: North-East England.
This Site Guide is the latest addition to the Best Birdwatching Sites series and is the largest yet produced, perhaps reflecting the wealth of knowledge author Brian Unwin had in all parts of Northumberland, County Durham and Cleveland (incidentally the geographic region covered by the book). Sadly Brian, a founder member of the Durham Bird Club, a long-time journalist and a friend of mine for over 30 years, died in December 2011 after a long battle with cancer, before completing the manuscript. It was left to Brian's good friend Ian Kerr and (fellow Buckingham Press author) John Miles to stitch the work together for publication.
Brian used to frequently enthuse about his local birding sites when I was on the phone to him and he would often 'tip' me off about a little-known site, both for scarce passage migrants and localised butterflies. He had an excellent knowledge of the area and this soon comes through in the thoroughness this book entails. It has up-to-date information on no less than 17 sites in Cleveland, 37 in County Durham and 42 in Northumberland, with useful birding tips for each location, over 100 detailed and easy-to-read and understand maps and target birds to find and see at relevant times of the year.
Although in small format, it runs to an astonishing 308 pages and is well produced and aesthetically pleasing. It is crammed full of very useful information for the region, even going in to detail about public transport options to sites and those evaluated for wheelchair access. All of the key seawatching sites are highlighted and from pages 20 through to 26, one can plan your itinerary and diary with a detailed overview of what birds are to be found each month and the best sites in which to see them.
Undoubtedly one of the best regional site guides I have seen and testament to Brian's obsession for detail and accuracy. An essential purchase for anyone resident or frequently visiting, crammed full of exciting locations to explore and check out, particularly at migration times. In fact, I hope to test it out tomorrow when visiting the area to twitch the first-ever Stilt Sandpiper in the region.
Lee G R Evans (British Birding Association/UK400 Club)
................................................................................
Reader reviews on Amazon
A must have book
By Just bombers on 1 Feb. 2014
A 'must have' book for bird watching in the North East. Gives full details of lesser known sites, directions and maps. Discovered a whole new world. Cannot praise it enough.
Superbly detailed and up to date
By Mr. P. Stamp on 10 May 2013
I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone wanting a detailed and up to date guide to bird watching sites in the northeast of England (essentially from North Yorkshire Moors up to Berwick-upon- Tweed).
I already had Where to Watch Birds in Northeast England by Dave Britton which is a fine guide in its own right but when that had an unfortunate meeting with a cup of coffee I was looking to see if there was an updated version - as the version I had was updated in 2004 - when I came across this book.
Although the majority of the sites detailed in the books are the same, where this book scores over the "Where to Watch" offering are:
- More up to date (2012) so it includes accounts of rare sightings from the last decade.
- Maps are of a higher quality, including annotations as to prime spots within a site for specific species.
- Includes several walks and drives.
- Provides a % likelihood rating for species to give you a guide to your chances of seeing a species at a given site.
- Gives a month-by-month guide of what happens where in the region.
The only very minor criticism I have (and this is purely personal) is that space is given to telling you about local facilities such as refreshments and proximity to towns etc. Personally I'm not bothered about this information and I'd happily live without it and either have more space devoted to the sites and species or just make the book smaller.
All in all though I'd have to say this is the best book of its type I've seen - well worth the money and a great testament to the author who sadly died before it was published (and also to Ian Kerr who put the finishing touches to the book).
A Great Buy
By MR R NICHOLLS on 20 Nov. 2014
An excellent addition for all birdwatchers living in or visiting the North East. Written by a well respected and knowledgable man with local origins.
Best Bird Watching sites in North East England
By MR DAVID HARDACRE on 9 Sept. 2013
Good book, well written and very descriptive: a good introduction to the area and I use it on a regular basis.
Five Stars
By steven roper on 23 Dec. 2014
Excellent layout and good information.
WELL, WHAT AN exciting day it turned out to be with the latest offering from Buckingham Press dropping on my desk - the late Brian Unwin's Best Birdwatching Sites: North-East England.
This Site Guide is the latest addition to the Best Birdwatching Sites series and is the largest yet produced, perhaps reflecting the wealth of knowledge author Brian Unwin had in all parts of Northumberland, County Durham and Cleveland (incidentally the geographic region covered by the book). Sadly Brian, a founder member of the Durham Bird Club, a long-time journalist and a friend of mine for over 30 years, died in December 2011 after a long battle with cancer, before completing the manuscript. It was left to Brian's good friend Ian Kerr and (fellow Buckingham Press author) John Miles to stitch the work together for publication.
Brian used to frequently enthuse about his local birding sites when I was on the phone to him and he would often 'tip' me off about a little-known site, both for scarce passage migrants and localised butterflies. He had an excellent knowledge of the area and this soon comes through in the thoroughness this book entails. It has up-to-date information on no less than 17 sites in Cleveland, 37 in County Durham and 42 in Northumberland, with useful birding tips for each location, over 100 detailed and easy-to-read and understand maps and target birds to find and see at relevant times of the year.
Although in small format, it runs to an astonishing 308 pages and is well produced and aesthetically pleasing. It is crammed full of very useful information for the region, even going in to detail about public transport options to sites and those evaluated for wheelchair access. All of the key seawatching sites are highlighted and from pages 20 through to 26, one can plan your itinerary and diary with a detailed overview of what birds are to be found each month and the best sites in which to see them.
Undoubtedly one of the best regional site guides I have seen and testament to Brian's obsession for detail and accuracy. An essential purchase for anyone resident or frequently visiting, crammed full of exciting locations to explore and check out, particularly at migration times. In fact, I hope to test it out tomorrow when visiting the area to twitch the first-ever Stilt Sandpiper in the region.
Lee G R Evans (British Birding Association/UK400 Club)
................................................................................
Reader reviews on Amazon
A must have book
By Just bombers on 1 Feb. 2014
A 'must have' book for bird watching in the North East. Gives full details of lesser known sites, directions and maps. Discovered a whole new world. Cannot praise it enough.
Superbly detailed and up to date
By Mr. P. Stamp on 10 May 2013
I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone wanting a detailed and up to date guide to bird watching sites in the northeast of England (essentially from North Yorkshire Moors up to Berwick-upon- Tweed).
I already had Where to Watch Birds in Northeast England by Dave Britton which is a fine guide in its own right but when that had an unfortunate meeting with a cup of coffee I was looking to see if there was an updated version - as the version I had was updated in 2004 - when I came across this book.
Although the majority of the sites detailed in the books are the same, where this book scores over the "Where to Watch" offering are:
- More up to date (2012) so it includes accounts of rare sightings from the last decade.
- Maps are of a higher quality, including annotations as to prime spots within a site for specific species.
- Includes several walks and drives.
- Provides a % likelihood rating for species to give you a guide to your chances of seeing a species at a given site.
- Gives a month-by-month guide of what happens where in the region.
The only very minor criticism I have (and this is purely personal) is that space is given to telling you about local facilities such as refreshments and proximity to towns etc. Personally I'm not bothered about this information and I'd happily live without it and either have more space devoted to the sites and species or just make the book smaller.
All in all though I'd have to say this is the best book of its type I've seen - well worth the money and a great testament to the author who sadly died before it was published (and also to Ian Kerr who put the finishing touches to the book).
A Great Buy
By MR R NICHOLLS on 20 Nov. 2014
An excellent addition for all birdwatchers living in or visiting the North East. Written by a well respected and knowledgable man with local origins.
Best Bird Watching sites in North East England
By MR DAVID HARDACRE on 9 Sept. 2013
Good book, well written and very descriptive: a good introduction to the area and I use it on a regular basis.
Five Stars
By steven roper on 23 Dec. 2014
Excellent layout and good information.
"It’s a highly recommended, well laid out, information-filled guide..."
REVIEWING a book where the primary author is recently deceased was never going to be an easy task. The danger of drifting into eulogy is an obvious one when that author was such a prolific writer on birding in the North-East but, as a legacy left by Brian Unwin to birders visiting our area, this book is a fantastic resource.
The passion that Brian had for the North-East shines through in the depth of knowledge exhibited in page after page of excellent comprehensive site guides covering Cleveland, Co Durham and Northumberland. From the well-watched areas of the Northumberland coast, to the less-visited inland locations such as the Durham Dales, and the strange, industrial birding landscape of Cleveland, everywhere is covered in great detail.
It would be a rare beast indeed if there were no errors, but these are few and far between and of no real consequence, with maybe one exception: the public toilets in the picnic site at North Middleton (listed in the section on the Harthope Valley) were closed by the National Park in 2008 (so head for Wooler instead).
From my office in south-east Northumberland, I could drive for an hour in any direction (other than out to sea) and still not reach the edges of the geographical area covered, and that, to my mind, is the monumental achievement of this book. It’s a highly recommended, well laid out, information-filled guide to a huge area of northern England that will be invaluable to any birder visiting the area. Buy, read, visit!
Martin Kitching (Birdwatch magazine)
.......................................................
REVIEWING a book where the primary author is recently deceased was never going to be an easy task. The danger of drifting into eulogy is an obvious one when that author was such a prolific writer on birding in the North-East but, as a legacy left by Brian Unwin to birders visiting our area, this book is a fantastic resource.
The passion that Brian had for the North-East shines through in the depth of knowledge exhibited in page after page of excellent comprehensive site guides covering Cleveland, Co Durham and Northumberland. From the well-watched areas of the Northumberland coast, to the less-visited inland locations such as the Durham Dales, and the strange, industrial birding landscape of Cleveland, everywhere is covered in great detail.
It would be a rare beast indeed if there were no errors, but these are few and far between and of no real consequence, with maybe one exception: the public toilets in the picnic site at North Middleton (listed in the section on the Harthope Valley) were closed by the National Park in 2008 (so head for Wooler instead).
From my office in south-east Northumberland, I could drive for an hour in any direction (other than out to sea) and still not reach the edges of the geographical area covered, and that, to my mind, is the monumental achievement of this book. It’s a highly recommended, well laid out, information-filled guide to a huge area of northern England that will be invaluable to any birder visiting the area. Buy, read, visit!
Martin Kitching (Birdwatch magazine)
.......................................................
"It’s all presented in Buckingham Press’s unfussy, user-friendly style....."
REVIEWING the latest in Buckingham Press’s Best Birdwatching Sites series is rather a bittersweet task as its author and longtime Bird Watching contributor Brian Unwin passed away late last year after a long fight against illness.
It’s good to be able to report, though, that his character and particular birding passions come through very strongly throughout the book. Just as with his Go Birding walks for this magazine, Brian has combined personal observations and tips with the sort of scrupulous journalistic accuracy for which he was renowned.
It does a great job of catering to birdwatchers of all ages and abilities. Brian had a keen interest in the rare vagrants that turn up along the north-east coast and you’ll find plenty of advice here if they’re what you want to find too, but it will be just as useful to the beginner who wants to start exploring a region that, despite and sometimes because of its industrial past, remains satisfyingly wild.
It’s second great strength is that it highlights sites that only the real local expert otherwise knows, especially in the North Pennines. The wellknown names – Farne Islands, Hartlepool Headland etc – are all there too, of course, but it’s those lesser-known gems that are particularly valuable.
The sketch-type maps with each site are clear and helpful, there’s comprehensive and up-to-date information on things like public transport and wheelchair access, and clear directions to each site.
There’s a combined Checklist of Birds for Cleveland, Durham and Northumberland and a month-by-month guide to what birds to expect, another very useful feature for the beginner, plus general advice for birding in the area.
It’s all presented in Buckingham Press’s unfussy, user-friendly style, and as with the other books in the series, packs in an awful lot of information.
The tribute to Brian by publisher David Cromack is a really nice touch too, but the mixture of practicality and inspirational enthusiasm that drives the rest of the book is a greater tribute still.
Matt Merritt (Bird Watching magazine)
........................................................
REVIEWING the latest in Buckingham Press’s Best Birdwatching Sites series is rather a bittersweet task as its author and longtime Bird Watching contributor Brian Unwin passed away late last year after a long fight against illness.
It’s good to be able to report, though, that his character and particular birding passions come through very strongly throughout the book. Just as with his Go Birding walks for this magazine, Brian has combined personal observations and tips with the sort of scrupulous journalistic accuracy for which he was renowned.
It does a great job of catering to birdwatchers of all ages and abilities. Brian had a keen interest in the rare vagrants that turn up along the north-east coast and you’ll find plenty of advice here if they’re what you want to find too, but it will be just as useful to the beginner who wants to start exploring a region that, despite and sometimes because of its industrial past, remains satisfyingly wild.
It’s second great strength is that it highlights sites that only the real local expert otherwise knows, especially in the North Pennines. The wellknown names – Farne Islands, Hartlepool Headland etc – are all there too, of course, but it’s those lesser-known gems that are particularly valuable.
The sketch-type maps with each site are clear and helpful, there’s comprehensive and up-to-date information on things like public transport and wheelchair access, and clear directions to each site.
There’s a combined Checklist of Birds for Cleveland, Durham and Northumberland and a month-by-month guide to what birds to expect, another very useful feature for the beginner, plus general advice for birding in the area.
It’s all presented in Buckingham Press’s unfussy, user-friendly style, and as with the other books in the series, packs in an awful lot of information.
The tribute to Brian by publisher David Cromack is a really nice touch too, but the mixture of practicality and inspirational enthusiasm that drives the rest of the book is a greater tribute still.
Matt Merritt (Bird Watching magazine)
........................................................
"This guide is no re-hash of publicly available or previously published information."
AROUND THIS TIME last year we were reporting an adult Bonaparte's Gull that was delighting and frustrating would-be observers in equal measure as it ranged along a wide stretch of coastline between Whitburn and Sunderland. Partway through the bird's stay we received a telephone call from Brian Unwin, offering some more precise local directions to help other birders locate the bird off one of the many stretches of promenade-topped beach that it was frequenting.
It wasn't the first time Brian made such a call to the BirdGuides News Team, but sadly it would be the last. That three years into his fight with cancer and just four months before he lost that struggle Brian was still putting effort into helping other birders and making sure that BirdGuides had the right information is a mark of the kind of man he was. It is unsurprising then to read in Ian Kerr's introduction to this guide, published after he succumbed to cancer at just 66, that he was still 'making notes on things that needed to be sorted out and points to be checked' in his final days.
Brian was a journalist who worked for the big two regional newspapers The Journal and The Northern Echo, before going on to work for the Press Association as their regional reporter. As a birder he was well known throughout the North-East as a founder of the Durham Bird Club and for his regular Birdwatch column in The Northern Echo.
In latter years a series of 'Where to Watch' articles covering sites in the region for Bird Watching magazine introduced readers to many of the best sites to go birding in the North-East. His grounding in good journalism ensured he had an eye for detail; add to that his passion for the area in which he lived and birded and you might get a sense of what has been poured into this guide.
Following the introductions and the 'How to Use' section there is a seven-page month-by-month summary of the highlights a visit to the North-East can produce. Unsurprisingly, as Brian was known for spending the odd hour staring out to sea at Whitburn, the guide dedicates four pages to a mini-guide to the best seawatching spots in the region, as well as providing an insight into the coded calls local seawatchers use involving the lobster pot flags that litter the coast.
The bulk of the 300+ pages is made up of the individual site entries split across the three recording areas Cleveland, Durham and Northumberland. Each entry has a brief introduction followed by a list of target species and the percentage chance of connecting with them as well as a further list of other possible species: information painstakingly researched from years of local annual reports and personal observation. Simple but accurate maps along with 'How to get there' notes offer a good level of detail of both directions and invaluable little pointers about such things as hidden speed cameras. Key points about access, toilets and opening times, along with snippets of local knowledge and direction (such as not parking on road verges at the Tin Church at Low Newton), are in highlighted column sections throughout the entries.
This guide is no re-hash of publicly available or previously published information. Far from it. It is bang up to date, and entries for some much smaller sites such as Beehive Flash or West Hartford that you might drive past without a glance are included. Some of these have only recently begun to deliver some quality birds. In addition there are some good pointers for any birders looking to adopt new patches that might offer the potential for turning up quality.
With a succinct style and detailed local knowledge Brian guides the reader through some of the larger and more difficult-to-bird sites such as Sleddale with ease, and just as importantly captures the atmosphere of birding some of these sites perfectly. Not averse to pointing out some of the shortcomings of some sites, his richly personalized text manages to tease out the best birds from each site along with some of the best opportunities.
With a combined 'North East List' published at the back of the guide (created by Ian Kerr who put the finishing touches to Brian's work) as well as summaries of the best sites for disabled access, the best accessible by public transport and a comprehensive list of local contacts, this is a useful guide for visiting and local birders alike.
Brian's legacy to birders is a fine piece of work that will not only introduce many visitors to the best sites in the region for years to come, but hopefully will inspire those that follow in his footsteps to realise some of the potential he saw in a landscape still emerging from its past, and offering new birding possibilities to those willing to take the time to look.
Alan Tilmouth (BirdGuides website)
.....................................................
AROUND THIS TIME last year we were reporting an adult Bonaparte's Gull that was delighting and frustrating would-be observers in equal measure as it ranged along a wide stretch of coastline between Whitburn and Sunderland. Partway through the bird's stay we received a telephone call from Brian Unwin, offering some more precise local directions to help other birders locate the bird off one of the many stretches of promenade-topped beach that it was frequenting.
It wasn't the first time Brian made such a call to the BirdGuides News Team, but sadly it would be the last. That three years into his fight with cancer and just four months before he lost that struggle Brian was still putting effort into helping other birders and making sure that BirdGuides had the right information is a mark of the kind of man he was. It is unsurprising then to read in Ian Kerr's introduction to this guide, published after he succumbed to cancer at just 66, that he was still 'making notes on things that needed to be sorted out and points to be checked' in his final days.
Brian was a journalist who worked for the big two regional newspapers The Journal and The Northern Echo, before going on to work for the Press Association as their regional reporter. As a birder he was well known throughout the North-East as a founder of the Durham Bird Club and for his regular Birdwatch column in The Northern Echo.
In latter years a series of 'Where to Watch' articles covering sites in the region for Bird Watching magazine introduced readers to many of the best sites to go birding in the North-East. His grounding in good journalism ensured he had an eye for detail; add to that his passion for the area in which he lived and birded and you might get a sense of what has been poured into this guide.
Following the introductions and the 'How to Use' section there is a seven-page month-by-month summary of the highlights a visit to the North-East can produce. Unsurprisingly, as Brian was known for spending the odd hour staring out to sea at Whitburn, the guide dedicates four pages to a mini-guide to the best seawatching spots in the region, as well as providing an insight into the coded calls local seawatchers use involving the lobster pot flags that litter the coast.
The bulk of the 300+ pages is made up of the individual site entries split across the three recording areas Cleveland, Durham and Northumberland. Each entry has a brief introduction followed by a list of target species and the percentage chance of connecting with them as well as a further list of other possible species: information painstakingly researched from years of local annual reports and personal observation. Simple but accurate maps along with 'How to get there' notes offer a good level of detail of both directions and invaluable little pointers about such things as hidden speed cameras. Key points about access, toilets and opening times, along with snippets of local knowledge and direction (such as not parking on road verges at the Tin Church at Low Newton), are in highlighted column sections throughout the entries.
This guide is no re-hash of publicly available or previously published information. Far from it. It is bang up to date, and entries for some much smaller sites such as Beehive Flash or West Hartford that you might drive past without a glance are included. Some of these have only recently begun to deliver some quality birds. In addition there are some good pointers for any birders looking to adopt new patches that might offer the potential for turning up quality.
With a succinct style and detailed local knowledge Brian guides the reader through some of the larger and more difficult-to-bird sites such as Sleddale with ease, and just as importantly captures the atmosphere of birding some of these sites perfectly. Not averse to pointing out some of the shortcomings of some sites, his richly personalized text manages to tease out the best birds from each site along with some of the best opportunities.
With a combined 'North East List' published at the back of the guide (created by Ian Kerr who put the finishing touches to Brian's work) as well as summaries of the best sites for disabled access, the best accessible by public transport and a comprehensive list of local contacts, this is a useful guide for visiting and local birders alike.
Brian's legacy to birders is a fine piece of work that will not only introduce many visitors to the best sites in the region for years to come, but hopefully will inspire those that follow in his footsteps to realise some of the potential he saw in a landscape still emerging from its past, and offering new birding possibilities to those willing to take the time to look.
Alan Tilmouth (BirdGuides website)
.....................................................
"This book will be like taking a local birder into the field, such is its completeness...."
ANOTHER in the excellent series by Buckingham Press covers 48 sites (seven in Cleveland, 20 in Co Durham and 21 in Northumberland). The book was originally conceived and written by North-East birding legend Brian Unwin who sadly died before completing the book, though he did work on it until his death. Thankfully Brian’s family and his good friend Ian Kerr, author of numerous birding guides to Holy Island. The book contains glowing tributes to Brian from both Ian and publisher David Cromack.
The introductory chapters contain the usual discussion about the practicalities of birding in the region as well as information on other wildlife that may be encountered – particularly around the key birding areas. There is also some discussion on selecting the ‘counties’ for inclusion. As a dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshireman I could be offended by the inclusion of sites south of the River Tees and thus in Yorkshire but in terms of birdwatching and bird recording this would be churlish of me and I fully support the current treatment. Birds at South Gare are still on my Yorkshire list!
Coverage of birding sites is comprehensive and is broken down into key point; species likely to be seen, this gives a percentage chance of connecting with a target species (remember these are only a guide); access; a site map or series of maps and a section on background, habitat and birding tips.
The site reports are bang-up-to-date, Hartlepool Headland’s write-up only misses this summer’s Orphean Warbler (as did I) as the book was in print.
I must admit to have not spent enough time in the region even though I follow Blyth Spartans (and took in a game after twitching the Greater Yellowlegs and how useful would the guide have been that day) and have seen some real Mega’s up there. I do know Hartlepool Headland well and could not find any inaccuracies. It only lacks a closing time for Verrill’s chippy!
This book will be like taking a local birder into the field, such is its completeness, when I do finally book that week on Holy Island.
One of the best things about the Best Birdwatching Sites books is the consistency across the series, not only in terms of the excellent research but of the overall design. You can open any book and easily find what you need. This book enlivened by some wonderful artwork by Richard Allen stands as a fitting tribute to Brian that raises the bar even higher in this indispensible series.
John Hague (Leics & Rutland OS newsletter)
................................................................
ANOTHER in the excellent series by Buckingham Press covers 48 sites (seven in Cleveland, 20 in Co Durham and 21 in Northumberland). The book was originally conceived and written by North-East birding legend Brian Unwin who sadly died before completing the book, though he did work on it until his death. Thankfully Brian’s family and his good friend Ian Kerr, author of numerous birding guides to Holy Island. The book contains glowing tributes to Brian from both Ian and publisher David Cromack.
The introductory chapters contain the usual discussion about the practicalities of birding in the region as well as information on other wildlife that may be encountered – particularly around the key birding areas. There is also some discussion on selecting the ‘counties’ for inclusion. As a dyed-in-the-wool Yorkshireman I could be offended by the inclusion of sites south of the River Tees and thus in Yorkshire but in terms of birdwatching and bird recording this would be churlish of me and I fully support the current treatment. Birds at South Gare are still on my Yorkshire list!
Coverage of birding sites is comprehensive and is broken down into key point; species likely to be seen, this gives a percentage chance of connecting with a target species (remember these are only a guide); access; a site map or series of maps and a section on background, habitat and birding tips.
The site reports are bang-up-to-date, Hartlepool Headland’s write-up only misses this summer’s Orphean Warbler (as did I) as the book was in print.
I must admit to have not spent enough time in the region even though I follow Blyth Spartans (and took in a game after twitching the Greater Yellowlegs and how useful would the guide have been that day) and have seen some real Mega’s up there. I do know Hartlepool Headland well and could not find any inaccuracies. It only lacks a closing time for Verrill’s chippy!
This book will be like taking a local birder into the field, such is its completeness, when I do finally book that week on Holy Island.
One of the best things about the Best Birdwatching Sites books is the consistency across the series, not only in terms of the excellent research but of the overall design. You can open any book and easily find what you need. This book enlivened by some wonderful artwork by Richard Allen stands as a fitting tribute to Brian that raises the bar even higher in this indispensible series.
John Hague (Leics & Rutland OS newsletter)
................................................................
"The end product is a fitting testimony to Brian’s character as it is eminently readable...."
IT IS THANKFULLY rare when an author fails to see his book published. This unfortunately was the case with Brian Unwin’s eagerly awaited site guide in this series to birding areas in the Northeast, taking in Northumberland, Co. Durham and Cleveland. Brian died of cancer shortly after Christmas in 2011 at the early age of 66.
As a founding member of the Durham Bird Club and with an encyclopedic knowledge of the whole area, he was well-placed to write this site guide. Various friends and acquaintances ensured it was finished and published, including John Miles, Bob Coursey and Ian Kerr.
The end product is a fitting testimony to Brian’s character as it is eminently readable, often not the case with site guides as they can be quite bland. I had the good fortune to meet Brian on a number of occasions, most notably a chance encounter in the Harthope Valley in Northumberland when this jaunty chap with a straw boater introduced himself. His perky personality shines through this guide in the many snippets. My favourite is the idea of bagpipe players in the altogether at Skirl Naked and this image unfortunately stays with me. And who knew that Sir Walter Scott sat in the Rose and Thistle at Alwinton nearly 200 years ago brushing up on Rob Roy?
Durham birders will undoubtedly be aware they have a herd of bison at Bishop Middleham and that Billy Elliott was filmed mainly at Easington Colliery, but I am sure that many more will be enlightened.
The guide is split into sections for the relevant counties and, by using the end-paper maps, numbered sites can be found easily without having to refer to the index. Each site is covered in the same way with a useful key-points section providing a quick guide, a comprehensive map and a guide to what birds may be expected. Disabled access, where possible, is covered in detail. The bird summaries for each area are split into target species, with percentage likelihood of finding, and other possible birds. These percentages, although largely accurate, will hopefully not lead people into thinking that they will definitely find a Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii in the Druridge Bay area with only three or four visits in prime conditions (marked as 30%).
In addition, I do feel that the space utilised by the list of common birds would have been better utilised to include more sites. I expect that Malcolm Hutcheson, who has spent many years surveying the Berwick area, will be miffed to see that the whole section of coast from Holy Island northwards has been omitted. Likewise, it is perfectly possible to find many rare migrants in the section of coast between Craster and Amble. Perhaps Brian was trying to keep some of Northumberland’s secrets in place!
However, this site guide admirably does what it says on the tin, as the best birdwatching sites are covered in detail with a nostalgic note of past major rarities and a highly readable summary for each area. It will inevitably be compared with the revised Where to Watch Birds in Northeast England by Dave Britton and John Day, published in 2004. Although both publications are well worth purchasing, I do feel that Brian’s guide is the easier to use, and includes better maps and directions. It is also completely up to date with references covering recent publications even into 2012.
Ian Kerr has helpfully added an end section that details the status of all species recorded in the area, which is an extremely useful guide for birders visiting the area and a source of reference to county birders in the region.
To summarise, I would heartily recommend purchasing this guide and I can see it sitting in many a birder’s glove compartment as a reference source ready for when that next mega turns up at a little-known site!
Tim Dean (British Birds)
...................................
IT IS THANKFULLY rare when an author fails to see his book published. This unfortunately was the case with Brian Unwin’s eagerly awaited site guide in this series to birding areas in the Northeast, taking in Northumberland, Co. Durham and Cleveland. Brian died of cancer shortly after Christmas in 2011 at the early age of 66.
As a founding member of the Durham Bird Club and with an encyclopedic knowledge of the whole area, he was well-placed to write this site guide. Various friends and acquaintances ensured it was finished and published, including John Miles, Bob Coursey and Ian Kerr.
The end product is a fitting testimony to Brian’s character as it is eminently readable, often not the case with site guides as they can be quite bland. I had the good fortune to meet Brian on a number of occasions, most notably a chance encounter in the Harthope Valley in Northumberland when this jaunty chap with a straw boater introduced himself. His perky personality shines through this guide in the many snippets. My favourite is the idea of bagpipe players in the altogether at Skirl Naked and this image unfortunately stays with me. And who knew that Sir Walter Scott sat in the Rose and Thistle at Alwinton nearly 200 years ago brushing up on Rob Roy?
Durham birders will undoubtedly be aware they have a herd of bison at Bishop Middleham and that Billy Elliott was filmed mainly at Easington Colliery, but I am sure that many more will be enlightened.
The guide is split into sections for the relevant counties and, by using the end-paper maps, numbered sites can be found easily without having to refer to the index. Each site is covered in the same way with a useful key-points section providing a quick guide, a comprehensive map and a guide to what birds may be expected. Disabled access, where possible, is covered in detail. The bird summaries for each area are split into target species, with percentage likelihood of finding, and other possible birds. These percentages, although largely accurate, will hopefully not lead people into thinking that they will definitely find a Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii in the Druridge Bay area with only three or four visits in prime conditions (marked as 30%).
In addition, I do feel that the space utilised by the list of common birds would have been better utilised to include more sites. I expect that Malcolm Hutcheson, who has spent many years surveying the Berwick area, will be miffed to see that the whole section of coast from Holy Island northwards has been omitted. Likewise, it is perfectly possible to find many rare migrants in the section of coast between Craster and Amble. Perhaps Brian was trying to keep some of Northumberland’s secrets in place!
However, this site guide admirably does what it says on the tin, as the best birdwatching sites are covered in detail with a nostalgic note of past major rarities and a highly readable summary for each area. It will inevitably be compared with the revised Where to Watch Birds in Northeast England by Dave Britton and John Day, published in 2004. Although both publications are well worth purchasing, I do feel that Brian’s guide is the easier to use, and includes better maps and directions. It is also completely up to date with references covering recent publications even into 2012.
Ian Kerr has helpfully added an end section that details the status of all species recorded in the area, which is an extremely useful guide for birders visiting the area and a source of reference to county birders in the region.
To summarise, I would heartily recommend purchasing this guide and I can see it sitting in many a birder’s glove compartment as a reference source ready for when that next mega turns up at a little-known site!
Tim Dean (British Birds)
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