Joe's Pond (formerly known as Nicholson's Pond) is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
that lies to the east of, and adjacent to, the
Rainton Meadows nature reserve in
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
The county is ...
, England.
History
It was originally notified, as Nicholson's Pond, in 1968. Its main feature is a deep freshwater pond, but the surrounding area contains a variety of
habitat
In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...
s that provides shelter for over 140 species of birds and other wildlife.
The pond occupies the site of a former open-cast coal mine. It was leased in 1951 by one Joe Wilson, who began to manage it for wildlife and from whom the site derives its name. It was purchased in 1970 by the
Durham Wildlife Trust, which manages it in conjunction with the adjoining
Rainton Meadows nature reserve. The site actually consists of three ponds: the smallest (the "Balancing Pond") helps to prevent pollution of the main pond by trapping seepage from adjacent coal waste tips; another, slightly larger pond (the "Overflow Pond") is used to control the water level in the main pond, to which it is linked via a sluice gate.
Location
The site is located to the north of
East Rainton
East Rainton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Hetton, in the Sunderland district, in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. It is situated alongside the A690 road between Sunderland and Durham, near Houghton-le-Sprin ...
and to the south of
Chilton Moor. It is easily accessed from the
A690.
Joe's Pond is an excellent bird-watching site, with over 140 species to be seen, including wintering
common teal
The Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca''), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being th ...
,
common pochard
The common pochard (; ''Aythya ferina''), known simply as pochard in the United Kingdom, is a medium-sized diving duck in the family Anatidae. It is widespread across the Palearctic. It breeds primarily in the steppe regions of Scandinavia and Si ...
, and
tufted duck
The tufted duck (or tufted pochard) (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of nearly one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. They are partially migratory. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek , an unide ...
, and, in summer,
great crested grebe
The great crested grebe (''Podiceps cristatus'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The bird is characterised by its distinctive appearance, featuring striking black, orange-brown, and white plumage, and elaborate courtship displa ...
s. The surrounding scrub areas host large winter flocks of
thrushes
The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flycat ...
and all five species of owl are regularly seen.
References
External links
Durham Wildlife Trust WebsiteBBC Tyne Website
Parks and open spaces in Tyne and Wear
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Tyne and Wear
Nature reserves of the Durham Wildlife Trust
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