Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

After a morning working in the office, I packed the Landrover and drove to Newbiggin by the Sea to collect Mary, Peter and Mark. Although an Otter Safari, other wildlife and birdwatching are always a feature and, in the blustery southeasterly winds an adult Mediterranean Gull was floating above the car park so we watched it and discussed separation from Black-headed Gull. Up the coast and the search for Otters began in earnest (although an egg-laying Garden Tiger moth was a spectacular diversion by the side of the path). We didn’t have to wait long; I was just describing where to watch for them, when a sudden panicked movement of Gadwall caught my eye. I focused on the spot where they had previously been sitting…and the tell-tale fleeting glimpse of a sleek dark back sliding beneath the surface wasn’t long in coming. After what seemed like an age it surfaced and began swimming and feeding close to the bankside. Eventually it was just a few metres from us, being watched by eight people and a dog. It was a bit of a no-brainer to predict the appearance of the otter’s two siblings…and within seconds there they were. For over an hour we watched them all, including the young male Otter stalking a Gadwall (which did manage to flee at such a rate that the Otter lost interest). As the rain began to intensify we checked the other coastal pools before heading back down the coast to Newbiggin by the Sea. And the good news is that the level of water in CresswellPond is falling…