North Northumberland Bird Club Celebrates its 40th Anniversary

By Richard PoyerContributor
Published 14th Feb 2024, 12:13 BST
Updated 15th Feb 2024, 10:49 BST
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Forty years ago, on February 17th 1984, Graham Bell founded the NNBC and the club is still going strong with 180 members. Moving to North Northumberland Graham wanted people in the area with an interest in ornithology to have a local club instead of having to make the long journey to Newcastle to the Northumberland Tyneside Bird Club.

Graham's knowledge and enthusiasm got the NNBC of to a flying start on that first Friday evening, giving a talk titled "Starting Birdwatching". For those first 30 years he was Chairman, Programme Secretary, Newsletter Editor and Field Trip Organiser - though ably supported by an enthusiastic committee.

Over the past 40 years the club has enjoyed a great variety of talks from eminent ornithologists such as Roy Dennis, Professor Ian Newton and David Lindo as well as the many excellent local birders. Local photographers such as Laurie Campbell and artists such as Darren Woodhead have shared their passion and skills with the club.

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Field trips have been an important feature of club life with annual Dawn Chorus visits to Lord Joicey's estate, monthly outings within the local area and spreading our wings a bit further to Yorkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Northern Scotland and abroad to Spain and Bulgaria.

David Steel's Talk on Antarctica on Friday 9th February 2024David Steel's Talk on Antarctica on Friday 9th February 2024
David Steel's Talk on Antarctica on Friday 9th February 2024

The club has always participated in the wider birding community. It was involved as soon as it was set up being part of he "Save Druridge Bay" campaign when a nuclear power station was planned there. Locally it supports bird feeders at Bell View in Belford, hides set up at Spindlestone by Charles Baker-Cresswell and the provision of Barn Owl boxes. Fund raising has helped the Italian Bird Protection Group (LIPU) , Albatross Protection from Line fishing and Curlew projects in the region.

From the start, the club has been a very friendly one welcoming starters as well as the more experienced birders and looks forward to many more years of birding together.