Martins to Dunnock

House Martin A small colony has established itself on one of the first houses south of the car park at Sunderland. Approx. 5 pairs at present. Small no's of migrants noted.
Sand Martin The nearest colonies are several miles further up the River Lune, therefore they are predominantly seen on passage. Sometimes quite large off-passage flocks gather in autumn, i.e. c50 in Sept. '96.
Swallow A common summer breeding bird. Spring migration usually follows the shoreline at Middleton Sands and can be substantial. In autumn, large no's have been seen moving south with at least 1168 on 21/9/97.
Richards Pipit Vagrant. One record from 9/11/80.
Tree Pipit* Recorded as a spring migrant in small no's.
Meadow Pipit Local breeding bird on the salt marshes. Also present in small no's. in winter. Meadow Pipit make a huge contribution to autumn visible migration watches especially in late Sept. and early Oct. Day counts of 500+ in Oct. '95 and 1559 on 28th Sept '97 are typical peak counts.
Rock Pipit Present on the salt marshes in winter. Best seen at high tide on the Middleton salt marshes. A familiarity with the call is an advantage as they often fly overhead. Peak no's occur during October with migrants stopping over for a few days.
(Littoralis Rock Pipit) Vagrant. This sub-species has been recorded at least twice. One in summer plumage in spring '98.
Grey Wagtail Regular autumn migrant in small no's.
Pied Wagtail A few breed in the area. Regularly seen on spring and autumn passage. Up to 30 per day from Sept. to early Nov. is standard.
(White Wagtail) Presumably a regular spring migrant. i.e. 3 grounded individuals on 26/4/97 with 6 on 27/4/97. Records from the 1980's indicate that flocks of 20-30 are possible. No certain autumn records but difficult to differentiate from flyover Pied Wagtail.
Yellow Wagtail* 6 birds on the 21/8/96.  1 on the Bowie Pool August '99.
Wren Breeds in the area. Small no's of birds are present year round.
Dunnock Breeds locally. There is some evidence of a small autumn passage.