Ki ttiwakes revisited
No trip to the city of Newcastle is complete without stopping to admire its many inhabitants – the Kittiwakes!
Iam a birding beginner, with only a couple of years’ experience through my role as art editor of Bird Watching magazine, but I get to see fantastic pictures and read great articles in putting it together. Our June 2019 issue featured an excellent article by Oscar Dewhurst about the plight of Kittiwakes trying to nest in buildings around Newcastle’s iconic Tyne Bridge.
In that hazy, pre-lockdown summer of 2019, I needed to visit Newcastle with my older son, as one of his possible university location choices.
I’ve always been interested in wildlife and, as a ‘townie’, have tried to get involved where I can. I’ve been on various birding days with the editorial team, but they’ve always been out in the countryside. As much as I appreciate the great outdoors, I do wonder about the life of birds in and around major cities, and Oscar’s article struck a chord with me.
I wanted to see for myself if anything had changed. Had all the netting been taken down? Were the birds being given more space to nest and breed?
The first port of call was to the Baltic Contemporary Arts Centre, on the Gateshead side of the Tyne. It is free to enter, and they have kindly constructed an outdoor viewing platform level for the main nesting ledge, some four floors up.
Overpowering smell
The immediate reaction was to the smell that hits you full in the face (it was a hot summer’s day in June)! The glass walls seem to hold in the odours, and moments later you realise how close you are to the nests. Wow!
It’s fabulous, though, being able to observe these birds at such close quarters. The Kittiwakes feel perfectly safe and happy in close proximity to humans – it’s as if they understand the glass barrier keeps us away.
The sight of 50 or so parent Kittiwakes tending to their offspring
on what seemed a knife-edge of a ledge was very impressive. Something must be built into the chicks from birth that stops them blindly falling to an unfortunate demise. The excellent next-building skills that stop the freshly laid eggs rolling off in the first place also blew my mind. And who goes in and cleans the many ledges after the chicks have fledged and the parents go off on their sea travels? Not a job I’d fancy.
Next up was a wander across the Millennium Bridge, itself a wonderful feat of modern engineering, and along the Newcastle riverside towards the Tyne Bridge, past a couple of quayside wine bars, busy with the lunchtime trade.
Oscar’s article talked about the various property owners having a responsibility to make sure deterrents are correctly maintained, and to ensure they do not pose any danger to the birds.
What I saw was improvisation from the birds.
A lot of the netting had been removed, and I only saw one narrow building close to the Tyne Bridge being completely covered, which the birds had obviously noticed and left alone. But I also saw partial netting around windows, which created a compromise between Man and bird. The Kittiwakes improvised and nested, adjacently.
Perilously perched
Walking further along towards – and my first ever visit to – the imposingly magnificent steel structure of the Tyne Bridge, the first thing you see is the massive amount of droppings on the pavement, and the sight of locals nervously looking up. I saw scores of white and grey birds perilously sitting on every available ledge and edge, and the question did cross my mind as to what would happen if the average Geordie Kittiwake fell asleep and was enjoying a particularly active dream about Newcastle United and fell off? Luckily, though, I didn’t see any stunned gulls lying on the floor.
The area close to the river has been developed and much improved and targeted towards the entertainment industry, and is well known for the many hen and stag nights that frequented pre-lockdown weekends.
It’s not known why the Kittiwakes choose to live so far inland, alongside the city workers, shoppers and partygoers; but I, for one, am pleased they have chosen to do so.
Man and bird can adapt and tolerate each other in a city centre setting, and the Kittiwakes add to the tourist appeal.
On my next visit to Newcastle (where my son did choose to attend the university) I will make a beeline for the quayside and get reaquainted with one of my new favourite birds.
If Covid restrictions permit, go and see for yourself this spring – Kittiwakes start arriving back at their nest sites from February onwards.
MAN AND BIRD TOLERATE EACH OTHER IN A CITY CENTRE SETTING AND THE KITTIWAKES ADD TO THE TOURIST APPEAL