Druridge Bay

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Photo by Delia Todd
The Reserves of Druridge Bay

England, Northumberland

Overview

Photo by Delia Todd
A footpath at Hauxley

This seven mile bay stretches from Amble to Cresswell. Opencast mining in much of this previously flat and and almost featureless landscape has allowed the creation of many wetland areas and lakes which are a magnet for wild life. The planning of these goes back right to the 1960s when the Druridge Bay Country Park was first proposed as a joint effort between Northumberland County Council and the National Coal Board.

This was followed later by the creation of the Hauxley Nature Reserve^[1], Druridge Pools^[1] and finally the 100 acre reedbed and deep water pools, purpose designed at East Chevington^[1] in the 1990s.

The deep-mining subsidence flash at Cresswell completes this chain of wetlands at the south end of the bay.

Birds

Notable Species

Photo by Delia Todd
East Chevington

To do

Rarities

To do

Check-list

Photo by Delia Todd
Druridge Pools

Birds you can see here include:

Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, Common Goldeneye, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser, Grey Partridge, Common Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Jack Snipe, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Razorbill, Little Auk, Common Wood Pigeon, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Tawny Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Skylark, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Eurasian Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, European Stonechat, Eurasian Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Jay, Common Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Reed Bunting

Summer visitors still to be added.

Other Wildlife

To do

Site Information

Areas of Interest

Photo by Delia Todd
Cresswell Pond

Hauxley Nature Reserve

^{Map 2}The lake with islands and reed beds, along with the surrounding trees attract large numbers of birds, including Bewick Swan, Shoveler, Lapwing and Purple Sandpiper

Visitor centre, hides and feeding station.

Druridge Bay Country Park

^{Map 3}Swans and ducks on the lakes, which is also used by non-motorised water craft.

The meadows and dunes are home to four species of orchid and bloody cranesbill.

East Chevington Nature Reserve

^{Map 4}Two large lakes with reed beds, surrounding grassland and woodland. Greylag Goose and Pink-footed Goose are often seen, along with Skylark, Stonechat and Grasshopper Warbler.

Druridge Pools Nature Reserve

^{Map 5}This site consists of a lake and two wet fields and supports large numbers of winter wildfowl, mainly Wigeon and Teal, also breeding Great Crested Grebe

Cresswell Pond Nature Reserve

^{Map 6}This SSSI is a shallow lagoon behind the sand dunes, with surrounding saltmarsh and reed bed.

Cresswell Dunes and Foreshore Nature Reserve

^{Map 7}Breeding grounds for Lapwing and Skylark with Barn Owl often seen hunting in the evening.

Linton Lane Nature Reserve

^{Map 8}This reserve consists of two ponds with surround woodland and grassland, which attracts Whooper Swan, Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow

Druridge Links

^{Map 9}This National Trust Site adjacent Druridge Pools, is an extensive area of sand dunes. Wild flowers, such as Bloody Cranesbill and Restharrow, grow here, along with common blue butterflies.

Amble Dunes

^{Map 10}At the north end of the bay, beside the village of Amble. Coastal birds can be seen here and the area consists of dunes, and rock pools.

Ellington Pond

^{Map 11}A shallow pond in a small reserve run by local residents. It attracts many waders.

Access and Facilities

To do

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Druridge Bay. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Druridge_Bay

External Links

• Northumberland Wildlife Trust
• Northumbrian Birding thread
• Hauxley
• Druridge Bay Country Park
• A Blog on Druridge Pools
• East Chevington
• Druridge Pools
• Cresswell Pond
• Cresswell Dunes and Foreshore Nature Reserve
• Linton Lane Nature Reserve

Maps

1. [http:http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=428500&Y=596500&A=Y&Z=130 Druridge Bay on Streetmap]
2. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=427829&Y=602625&A=Y&Z=120 Hauxley on Streetmap]
3. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=426960&Y=600711&A=Y&Z=120 Druridge Bay Country Park on Streetmap]
4. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=426870&Y=598850&A=Y&Z=120 East Chevington on Streetmap]
5. [http:http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=427345&Y=596067&A=Y&Z=120&ax=427700&ay=597077 Druridge Pools on Streetmap]
6. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=428660&Y=594754&A=Y&Z=120 Cresswell Pond on Streetmap]
7. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=428660&Y=594754&A=Y&Z=120 Cresswell Dunes Reserve on Streetmap]
8. [http:http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=425900&Y=591279&A=Y&Z=126&ax=425900&ay=591279 Linton on Streetmap]
9. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=427700&Y=597077&A=Y&Z=120 Druridge Links on Streetmap]
10. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=428345&Y=603966&A=Y&Z=120 Amble Dunes on Streetmap]
11. [http:http://streetmap.co.uk/map?X=428950&Y=592562&A=Y&Z=120 Ellington on Streetmap]

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