'Tit-bits from Temperley' - Durham Bird Club

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Tit-bits from Temperley The Birds of Durham Heritage Project ‘Bringing the wildlife of the past, to the people of tomorrow’ at other times of the year. By 1840, Hutchinson was documenting it as having bred in Durham, with three young out of a brood of four being shot near Allensford on the Derwent in May 1830. In the 1860s and 1870s, Temperley recorded that several nests were found in the Derwent valley and elsewhere. By 1874, Hancock said it was breeding in the area of the Tyne, around the confluence with the Derwent and was not as uncommon as previously supposed. By Temperley‟s time of writing, he noted it as nesting in all suitable woodlands, often close to centres of population, e.g. at Ravensworth Castle, in the Team valley and at Gibside. An enquiry into its status as a breeding bird in Britain, reported that 12 pairs nested in 7000 acres near Stockton-on-Tees and 10-12 pairs nested annually in a 2000 acres estate near Chester-le-Street. Great Snipe Temperley said it was a “very rare passage migrant”, though in relative terms, much more common in the past than in modern times. The first county record is one mentioned by Hogg (1827) of one shot flying over the Tees, “about four years ago”. Selby (1831) recorded it as a rare and occasional visitant; several were shot during the dry autumn of 1826 in a marsh near Sedgefield. Hutchinson (1840) wrote that „solitary individuals had been shot in other parts of the County in autumn and winter‟. Hancock (1874) gave ten records for Northumberland and Durham, three of these from Durham. One was near Thornley in September 1874; one was near Witton-le- Wear in October 1830 and one near Bishop Auckland in 1893. In addition, one was shot in early October 1885, at Burnledge in Weardale and another shot „about fortnight ago‟. Tristram (1905) said that it was very occasionally seen at Darlington Sewage Farm in September! Red-necked Phalarope Temperley said it was “a very rare autumn passage migrant”. None of the Victorian chroniclers of Durham‟s birds mentioned this species. Hancock (1874) gave no records but there was by Temperley‟s time, a specimen, of a juvenile, in the Hancock Museum that was labelled as taken at South Shields, but no date was attached to this. The first definite record of the species seems to be from 23 October 1881 at Teesmouth. Nelson (1907) picked up a dead bird on that date. One, an immature was shot on a pond near the Golf-house at Seaton Carew on 6 September 1901. Another one was near Graythorp Shipyard on 2 October 1943. Temminck’s Stint Temperley described it as a “very rare spring and autumn passage migrant”. The first documented record for Durham was by Edward Backhouse (1834), who said it was „rare‟ though one had been shot at Seaton Snook in the autumn of 1833 it was shot in the company of a small flock of grey plover. One was also killed on the Kings‟ Meadow, an island in the middle of the River Tyne near Dunston, on 25 th May 1843. Pectoral Sandpiper Temperley, called it “a very rare casual”. He documented three records and discussed the doubts over the first of these, a bird shot in October 1841; very near Hartlepool by Dr. Edward Clark, which was documented by Yarrell in his volume on British birds. Consequently, Temperley assumed that this added authenticity to the record. It was certainly a good time of the year for such a record of the species, but there is no known specimen from the incident. One was recorded as shot at Teesmouth on 30 August 1853. The third record, documented by Hancock (1874), was of one shot near Bishop Auckland,‟ a few years before 1873‟. Temperley expressed his concern about this specimen and where it was shot, but felt it was acceptable, but with some reservations.
Tit-bits from Temperley The Birds of Durham Heritage Project ‘Bringing the wildlife of the past, to the people of tomorrow’ Ruff Temperley called it a “fairly regular autumn passage migrant, in small numbers”, “has been known to breed”. He gave no evidence to state that breeding was ever regular in the past. Sharp (1816), described it as a „very rare‟ bird in the Hartlepool area; Hogg (1827) said it was „extremely rare‟, though he noted its passage status at Teesmouth. By contrast, Edward Backhouse (1834) described it as „not uncommon‟ at Teesmouth, rarely met with in breeding plumage. He did note that one was shot at Whitburn Moors, „a few years ago‟. Hutchinson (1840) noted it as occasionally found in small parties in September and October. Breeding occurred at Teesmouth „probably, 1901‟ and definitely in 1902 (two nests), in 1903 birds possibly bred, but there were no birds in 1904. Tristram (1905), had it on good authority that ruff formerly bred at Boldon Flats. Kentish Plover Temperley called it “a very rare vagrant”. Three records up to 1951, Temperley‟s time of publication. The first record of the species was of one at Teesmouth on 8 June 1902, observed by J. Bishop, and C.E. Milburn. The second record was on 20 May 1904, Bishop found one at Seaton Carew – an adult female was picked up dead near the North Gare breakwater at the end of May, and this was presumably, the same bird. The third record was on 11 th May 1924, when a pair was at Teesmouth, found by the same pair of observers who had found the first bird almost 22 years earlier. Dotterel Temperley said that it was “a passage migrant in very small numbers”. He said that it was mainly a spring migrant, annually recorded in the late 1940s and early 1950s at Teesmouth, though records elsewhere in County Durham, he called „exceptional‟. Three birds were noted at Darlington Sewage Farm on 3 September 1929 but it is very rare in the autumn in the County. Temperley commented that when the species nested more regularly in the north Pennines and the Lake District, then he felt it was then more commonly documented as occurring in Durham, particularly in the west of Durham. Hutchinson (1840) reported its passage in autumn as rapid, but more lingering in spring, with the greatest numbers in May. He said that it had not been recorded breeding in Durham, but he speculated on where successful breeding might occur, these included Burnhope, Killhope and Wellhope. Temperley observed that since 1840, the Durham Moors had been extensively searched „in vain‟ by ornithologists, including Temperley himself, but no Dotterel were found breeding, and passage birds were rare on moorlands by Temperley‟s time of writing. Stone Curlew Temperley documented that this “was a very rare vagrant”, his first record was one taken in the neighbourhood of Wycliffe-on-Tees in August 1782. The second record was of one killed at Saltholme Pool in 1843. The third was courtesy of Hancock (1874), who told of one shot in a grass field near Frenchman‟s Bay, South Shields, on 4 February 1864, the first winter record. Tristram stated that one was at Teesmouth on 11 November 1901. Little Bustard Temperley said one was shot at Harton, South Shields in December 1876, the specimen was sent to Hancock to „improve the stuffing‟ on 9 March 1877. A specimen was presented to the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne in 1935; the details of this indicate that it had been shot at
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'Tit-bits from Temperley' - Durham Bird Club

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