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Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve
Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve is a reserve by the northern bank of the River Tees between the Tees Barrage and the Tees Viaduct, near Portrack housing estate in Stockton-on-Tees borough, County Durham. It is the last remaining wetland on the lower Tees. The site is bounded by Marston Road, a disused railway line, the Northumbrian Water's waste water treatment site, the River Tees, the Tees Barrage White Water Course, the grounds of The Talpore pub and a Tees Barrage access road. Ownership of the reserve is split between Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water but the reserve is managed by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. The reserve in the west and north is mature marsh while there are a series of man–made ponds in the remainder. The site is at an altitude of over datum. History The land for the reserve is inside a former meander of the old River Tees. The loop was removed in 1830–31 by creating the Portrack Cut through the marshes, leaving an artificial oxbow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority with borough status in the counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire, England. The borough had a population of 191,600 in 2011. The main settlement and namesake of the borough is Stockton-on-Tees, which lies on the north bank of the River Tees with the towns of Billingham and Norton-on-Tees. All three towns are in County Durham. The towns of Ingleby Barwick, Thornaby-on-Tees and Yarm are south of the river in North Yorkshire. The borough governed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, and the current mayor is Cllr Ross Patterson. The borough is part of Tees Valley with nearby boroughs of Darlington, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Hartlepool. All River Tees bridges from Yarm Viaduct to Transporter Bridge are in the borough at least on one side, with the Borough of Middlesbrough to the south downstream on the other side to the east of the borough. Teesside International Airport is shared between the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canada Goose
The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during bird migration, migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in Brackish water, brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons. Extremely adept at urban wildlife, living in human-altered areas, Canada geese have established breeding colonies in urban and cultivated habitats, which provide food and few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to its often being considered a pest (organism), pest s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey Wagtail
The grey wagtail (''Motacilla cinerea'') is a member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae, measuring around 18–19 cm overall length. The species looks somewhat similar to the yellow wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted to the throat and vent. Breeding males have a black throat. The species is widely distributed, with several populations breeding in Eurosiberia and migrating to tropical regions in Asia and Africa. The species is always associated with running water when breeding, although they may use man-made structures near streams for the nest. Outside the breeding season, they may also be seen around lakes, coasts and other watery habitats. Like other wagtails, they frequently wag their tail and fly low with undulations and they have a sharp call that is often given in flight. Taxonomy and systematics The binomial name of the grey wagtail ''Motacilla cinerea'' was introduced by Marmaduke Tunstall in his 1771 publication ''Ornithologia Britannica''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Greenshank
The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific ''nebularia'' is from Latin ''nebula'' "mist". Like the Norwegian ''Skoddefoll'', this refers to the greenshank's damp marshy habitat. Relatives Its closest relative is the greater yellowlegs, which together with the spotted redshank form a close-knit group. Among them, these three species show all the basic leg and foot colours found in the shanks, demonstrating that this character is paraphyletic. They are also the largest shanks apart from the willet, which is altogether more robustly built. The greater yellowlegs and the common greenshank share a coarse, dark, and fairly crisp breast pattern as well as much black on the shoulders and back in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Sandpiper
The green sandpiper (''Tringa ochropus'') is a small wader (shorebird) of the Old World. The green sandpiper represents an ancient lineage of the genus '' Tringa''; its only close living relative is the solitary sandpiper (''T. solitaria''). They both have brown wings with little light dots and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern. In addition, both species nest in trees, unlike most other scolopacids. Given its basal position in ''Tringa'', it is fairly unsurprising that suspected cases of hybridisation between this species and the common sandpiper (''A. hypoleucos'') of the sister genus ''Actitis'' have been reported. Taxonomy The green sandpiper was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under the current binomial name ''Tringa ochropus''. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a thrus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great White Egret
The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Recently it is also spreading to more northern areas of Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water. Taxonomy and systematics Like all egrets, it is a member of the heron family, Ardeidae. Traditionally classified with the storks in the Ciconiiformes, the Ardeidae are closer relatives of pelicans and belong in the Pelecaniformes, instead. The great egret—unlike the typical egrets—does not belong to the genus ''Egretta'', but together with the great herons is today placed in '' Ardea''. In the past, however, it was sometimes placed in ''Egretta'' or separated in a monotypic genus ''Casmerodius''. The Old World popul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grasshopper Warbler
The grass warblers are small passerine birds belonging to the genus ''Locustella''. Formerly placed in the paraphyletic " Old World warbler" assemblage, they are now considered the northernmost representatives of a largely Gondwanan family, the Locustellidae. These are rather drab brownish "warblers" usually associated with fairly open grassland, shrubs or marshes. Some are streaked, others plain, all are difficult to view. They are insectivorous. The most characteristic feature of this group is that the song of several species is a mechanical insect-like reeling which gives rise to the group's scientific name. Species breeding in temperate regions are strongly migratory. Taxonomy The genus ''Locustella'' was introduced by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup in 1829 with the common grasshopper warbler (''Locustella naevia'') as the type species. The genus name ''Locustella'' is from Latin and is a diminutive of ''locusta'', "grasshopper". Like the English name, thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Goldeneye
The common goldeneye or simply goldeneye (''Bucephala clangula'') is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus ''Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. Its closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek ''boukephalos'' ("bullheaded", from ''bous'', "bull " and ''kephale'', "head"), a reference to the bulbous head shape of the bufflehead. The species name is derived from the Latin ''clangere'' ("to resound"). Common goldeneyes are aggressive and territorial ducks, and have elaborate courtship displays. Description Adult males ranges from and weigh approximately , while females range from and weigh approximately . The common goldeneye has a wingspan of 30.3-32.7 in (77-83 cm). The species is named for its golden-yellow eye. Adult males have a dark head with a greenish gloss and a circular white patch below the eye, a dark back and a white neck and belly. Adult females have a brown head and a mostly grey body. Their legs and feet ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gadwall
The gadwall (''Mareca strepera'') is a common and widespread dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. Taxonomy The gadwall was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his landmark 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. DNA studies have shown that it is a sister species with the falcated duck; the two are closely related to the three species of wigeons, and all of them have been assigned to the genus '' Mareca''. There are two subspecies: * ''M. s. strepera'', the common gadwall, described by Linnaeus, is the nominate subspecies. * ''M. s. couesi'', Coues's gadwall, extinct 1874, was formerly found only on Teraina, a coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The specific name ''strepera'' is Late Latin for "noisy". The etymology of the word ''gadwall'' is not known, but the name has been in use since 1666. Description The gadwall is long with a wingspan. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing on average against her . The breeding male is patterned grey, with a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dunlin
The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader, formerly sometimes separated with the other "stints" in the genus ''Erolia''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown", with the suffix ''-ling'', meaning a person or thing with the given quality. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East. Birds that breed in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic migrate short distances to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America, although those nesting in northern Alaska overwinter in Asia. Many dunlins winter along the Iberian south coast. Taxonomy The dunlin was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under the binomial name ''Tringa alpina''. Linnaeus specified the location as Lapland. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurasian Coot
The Eurasian coot (''Fulica atra''), also known as the common coot, or Australian coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. It is found in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and parts of North Africa. It has a slaty-black body, a glossy black head and a white bill with a white frontal shield. The sexes are similar. Similar looking coot species are found throughout the world, with the largest variety of coot species living in South America. Taxonomy The Eurasian coot was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under its current binomial name ''Fulica atra''. Linnaeus specified the locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden. The binomial name is from Latin: ''Fulica'' means "coot", and ''atra'' means "black". Four subspecies are recognised: * ''F. a. atra'' Linnaeus, 1758 – Europe and north Africa to Japan, India, southeast Asia, Philippines and Borneo * ''F. a. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Tern
The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are several similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations. Breeding in a wider range of habitats than any of its relatives, the common tern nests on any flat, poorly vegetated surface close to water, including beaches and islands, and it readily adapts to artificial substrates such as floating rafts. The nest may be a bare scrape in sand or gravel, but it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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