Teesdale Allotments

Also within

Durham County North Pennines Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Peatland / Mire

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Description Teesdale Allotments forms part of an extensive area of enclosed upland grazings in two blocks among a larger area of rough grazings on the north side of the Tees Valley near Middleton in Teesdale and are of national importance for their breeding bird assemblage. The bird community includes lapwing, snipe, redshank, curlew, golden plover and black grouse, all species which with the exception of curlew are declining nationally due to changes in land use, particularly agricultural intensification. In terms of breeding wader densities the populations in Teesdale District of Durham are the most significant in the uplands of England and the Teesdale Allotments with the Upper Teesdale SSSI and parts of the tributary valleys of the Lune and Balder are the most important areas for these birds. Outside the North Pennine dales, important concentrations are restricted to a few sites in the lowlands specifically managed for their bird populations. The density of breeding waders on this site form some of the highest in Britain with over 90 pairs recorded in a one kilometre square. Individual maximum species densities pairs per kilometre square are as follows; golden plover 6, lapwing 75, curlew 10, snipe 11 and redshank 10. In addition to the wading birds the site has a number of important concentrations of black grouse with individual leks supporting up to fourteen male birds. In England this century black grouse distribution has declined dramatically with many populations having become extinct in the last 20 years, e.g. Exmoor and Dartmoor. The populations in the North Pennines have also declined but those of Teesdale are relatively stable and support 30 percent of the English population with seven percent of the English population occurring in the Teesdale Allotments. A variety of other breeding species are recorded including teal, merlin, red grouse, dunlin, short eared owl, wheatear and ring ouzel. In addition to the birds actually breeding on the site, the land is also used as a feeding area by birds breeding on the adjacent moorland areas. Of the species mentioned above, the following are listed as Red Data Birds in Britain; teal, merlin, red grouse, black grouse, golden plover, dunlin, curlew and redshank; whilst lapwing, snipe, short eared owl, ring ouzel and wheatear are considered as candidate Red Data Birds because their populations are declining or their status is uncertain. teal, merlin, red grouse, black grouse, golden plover, lapwing, dunlin, curlew and redshank are all recognised as a particular high priority for conservation action in England. The international importance of this bird assemblage is supported by the presence of the following species listed on 'Annex 1' of the EC Birds Directive, merlin, golden plover and short eared owl. Teesdale Allotments consists of a diverse range of upland vegetation types over an altitudinal range of 340 metres to 590 metres which includes wet acid pastures, mire and heather communities and a small number of hay meadows generally within large enclosures adjacent to the moor edge. The extensive nature of livestock production on this land and management for game, particularly predator control, has helped to maintain the range of species and the particularly high densities of waders. Other Information The site is adjacent to parts of the Upper Teesdale SSSI. Part of the site falls within the Pennine Dales Environmentally Sensitive Area. The site is located within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is a new site.

Species mentioned