Tony Henderson on the pleasures of birdwatching

Dec 20 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

THE changing world of birdwatching over the years is being highlighted as part of 50th anniversary celebrations. The Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club is marking the half-century milestone of its founding in 1958.

The club, which has a membership of 270, grew from a move by birdwatchers to produce a monthly bulletin with information on bird sightings in the area.

One of the club’s founder members, David Howey, recalls birdwatching in the early 1950s.

Binoculars, for example, were in extremely short supply and there was little choice.

“They were the enormous ex-Navy pairs which required a fork lift truck to lift,” said David.

Binoculars, cameras and bird books were poor by today’s standards.

“SLR cameras were rare, telephoto lenses were almost unknown, and digital cameras had still to be invented,” said David.

Of the few books available, one of the most popular had half its illustrations in black and white and only six of the 201 plates showed a bird in flight.

Transport was another problem. Of the original 11 contributors to the bulletin, only one owned a car.

“Without a car somewhere like Holy Island was certainly not a day trip,” said David.

“By the time you had taken the bus to Beal and then made the long walk to Holy Island, virtually a whole day had gone.”

There were no mobile phones, pagers, Bird Lines or websites to spread instant information. It is quite amazing to think that not all of the original contributors to the bulletin even had a telephone at home,” said David.

The growing club ran monthly meetings, field excursions and surveys, and coach trips to birding hotspots.

It produced its annual Birds in Northumbria report, a guide to over 50 major birdwatching sites on Tyneside and in Northumberland, and atlases on the breeding and wintering birds of Northumbria.

John Day, a club member for 36 years who lives in Benton in Newcastle, said: “There was a rise in bird watching in the 1960s as people had more time and often their own car.” The club takes part in major surveys for its own records and for national projects run by the British Trust for Ornithology.

It has built up a 50-year database of bird information which is consulted by a wide range of bodies, often for planning and development purposes.

Mike Hodgson, a former club chairman from Whitley Bay, joined in 1963 as a 14-year-old.

“The club started because of a thirst for up-to- date information about sightings,” he said.

“We have now established a massive historical record over the last 50 years which can be used for research and for the better conservation of birds and their habitats.”

Northumberland, says Mike, is one of the best counties in England for birdwatching with its diversity of habitats from coast and lowland plain to woodland and uplands.

In the early days, there were few female bird watchers, but that is changing, said Mike.

Today, some birders enjoy an increasingly competitive element and bird races are held in which teams vie to see who can spot or hear the most species in a 24-hour period.

Mike said: “I can’t remember a time from the age of 12 when I haven’t been interested in bird watching.

“It’s a way of life for me. I eat, drink and sleep birds. It has become a total fascination.

“You can birdwatch literally anywhere, in the middle of Tyneside or in the Cheviot Hills.

Another former club chairman, Newcastle-based Ian Kerr, said: No one can tell what the next 50 years will bring but it seems likely that we will have new breeding species. Osprey, avocet and little egret are the favourites to join the list of our breeding species.

“One thing is certain. Whatever does breed or occur as a migrant will be accurately recorded by the club, continuing the example set by those who attended that meeting half a century ago.”

:: For club details, go to www.ntbc.org.uk or telephone (0191) 252 2744.