Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

Author: martin

  • Red Squirrels

    Now, we’ve never made a secret of our love for Red Squirrels; we regularly take clients to see and/or photograph them and we have them as a garden visitor.

    Northumberland's iconic mammal

    Red Squirrel conservation is a bit of a thorny issue though, particularly as control of Grey Squirrel numbers, especially in and around areas where Red Squirrels still have healthy populations, is an important part of it.

    I went last week to a meeting of Northern Red Squirrels (NRS) (I’m currently Chair of one of the NRS member organisations), and there was an excellent presentation from Red Squirrels Northern England (RSNE).  It was refreshing to see a project which is realistic about the size of the task facing it, realistic about what it’s proposed outcomes should be and aware of the issues, and potential pitfalls, that surround all of that.

    It was encouraging to see just how many local ‘Red Squirrel’ groups there are, and good to see that they’re all communicating with one another.  With good lines of communication between NRS and RSNE, the battle to conserve the Red Squirrel population of Northumberland and the other Northern England counties is one that can surely be won.

    Please, please, please…if you have any sightings of either Red or Grey Squirrels in Northumberland, Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire, north-west Durham or the Yorkshire Dales, then submit them via the sightings page of the RSNE website.  A good evidence base makes it much more likely that conservation measures can be targeted appropriately and we’ll see a successful outcome to the project.

  • Saying goodbye to a faithful friend

    We know it’s inanimate (although it may not have always seemed that way) but it’s difficult not to be sentimental about the departure of a long-serving member of the NEWT team; our beloved Land Rover Defender 110, the vehicle that we launched NEWT with back in 2008, has gone to a new home.  It served us incredibly well for three and a half years but it was ageing, increasingly expensive to run, not the most economical vehicle when it came to fuel consumption and a whole raft of changes in vehicle licencing regulations meant that it was time to put it out to grass.  At least we know it’s gone to a good home 🙂

    We started using the Landy’s replacement earlier this year – a Ford Galaxy Titanium X – and the positive comments we’re received from every client who has been in the new vehicle have reassured us that we made the right decision; a higher than normal viewpoint, electric windows, air con, leather upholstery, excellent fuel economy have all added up to birdwatching transport in luxury.  It’s so quiet though, particularly compared to the Landy, that I sometimes have to rev the engine just to convince myself it’s running 😉

  • Autumn colours

    Yesterday was a twice-postponed bespoke photography trip to look at the techniques involved in capturing autumn colours at their finest.  I collected Norman from his home in Throckley and we headed towards the Northumberland coast.

    Landscape photography tuition is something I really enjoy delivering.  Just a few simple camera settings can make a huge difference, although not as big a difference as some nice light…

    Autumn colour is a transient, and unpredictable, thing but we managed to get lots of trees in oranges, reds and yellows for Norman to try out a range of new techniques.  At our first site, we enjoyed views of a Red Squirrel, and a young Common Buzzard, as we searched for the best viewpoint along the river, and for a brief spell there was enough sunlight to lift the colours from pastel shades of the riverbank.  As we neared the finish of our day, at Howick Gardens, a thick blanket of cloud cover put paid to thoughts of a glorious sunset.  Redwings called as they passed overhead on their way to roost, and we headed off ourselves as daylight faded.

  • Magic moments

    They happen all the time when we’re out with clients; unexpected, breathtaking, spectacular.  All part of that ‘every day is different’ thing that comes with being a wildlife guide 🙂

    On Saturday, at the end of a day of good autumn birdwatching around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland, I was privileged to share an extraordinary moment with Richard, Hazel and Ruth.

    It started with the familiar call of distant Pink-footed Geese.  The weather had begun to deteriorate, dark clouds covering much of the sky, and heavy rain falling, but with the sun still managing to burst through in places.  Then it all came together; birds, weather, light, as skein after skein of geese headed north to roost, framed by a double rainbow 🙂

  • Whalefest

    For some reason, everyone we know laughs when we tell them the name of the event where we’ll be on the first weekend in November…

    Whalefest is the first event of it’s kind in Europe; sort of a British Birdwatching Fair for cetacean watchers 😉  We’ll be there, promoting our pelagic trips and holidays and selling our new range of postcards, greetings cards, notelets and limited edition prints.  If you’re visiting Whalefest then please come along and say hello 🙂  We’re really looking forward to this; an opportunity to spread the word about how good Northumberland is and meet other operators, researchers and charities.  We’ve got a few exciting new projects that we’ll be discussing in meetings during Whalefest so watch this space…

    We’ve just added our 2012 dates to the calendar, including an expanded set of pelagic trips.  After excellent sightings of White-beaked Dolphins in 2010 and 2011, we’re looking forward to 2012 already.

  • Bittern by the birdwatching bug

    Clients often comment that what really appeals to them about birdwatching is that every day is different and there’s always something new to learn. I couldn’t agree more; I have lots of days out with clients, and a lot of time in the field on ‘non-client’ days, and still feel enthusiastic every morning when I wake up, knowing that I don’t know what the day will bring.

    Thursday was Peter and Alison’s second day out with us, and this time we were birdwatching around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland.

    The weather forecast had shown the edge of the rain staying south of Newcastle all day, so that should have been alright…

    As it turned out, we had rain for a good chunk of the day, but the birdwatching was still excellent.  From Black-headed Gulls, and a lesson on moult and ageing, Mediterranean Gulls scavenging in the Church Point car park, 4 Short-eared Owls and a Hen Harrier quartering the ash lagoon bank, a Sparrowhawk hunting as a group of Starlings came swirling in to roost, a tiny Goldcrest flitting about in a windswept Willow, a skittish Water Rail apparently struggling to summon the courage to run across the gap between reedbeds, a thousand Pink-footed Geese flying in at dusk, 300 Barnacle Geese taking to the air together, all the way to the finale of the trip as a Bittern flew between the north and south pools at East Chevington as dark descended, it was another day of outstanding experiences.

    And tomorrow…is another day 🙂

  • Rough…

    The last 2 days were spent running 2 Prestige Tours for Peter and Alison, and the Northumberland coast delivered plenty of birdwatching gems.

    On Wednesday we were covering Holy Island and the Northumberland coast, and planned to spend the morning on Holy Island and then come off at lunchtime just before the tide covered the causeway (remember – the crossing times are published for a reason, don’t drive into the North Sea, it won’t end well!).  A thorough check around the village, and the Heugh, produced 2 Black Redstarts, Blackcaps, lots of Blackbirds, Fieldfares, Redwings and an intriguing Chiffchaff (almost sandy brown above, very unlike our breeding birds).  Grey Seals and Pale-bellied Brent Geese were out on the mud, Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal were roosting on the Rocket Field and a Woodcock was flying circuits of the village.  As well as an almost continuous wave of thrushes leaving the island, the distinctive flight calls of Skylarks and Lesser Redpolls could be picked out.

    Once we were off the island, I’d decided to head north to Goswick.  Another Black Redstart and a Yellow-browed Warbler were around Coastgurad Cottage, and we made our way through the dunes.  The adult drake Black Scoter was still present, although less than easy to see with a line of rolling surf impeding the view.  As the tide rose, flocks of Bar-tailed Godwit, Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover rose from the exposed sandbar, shuffling along to the next ‘dry’ spot.  A Short-eared Owl was seen coming in-off, harrassed by Herring Gulls before finally finding sanctuary on the Snook, and then the bird of the day (well, I think so anyway) appeared just behind us.  Tracking south along the coast a juvenile Rough-legged Buzzard was given a bit of a going over by the local corvids.

    Heading back towards Seahouses we stopped off at Harkess Rocks,  where Purple Sandpipers, Turnstones, Redshank and Oystercatchers were all flitting from rock to rock and Eider were bobbing about just offshore as daylight faded and it was time to return Peter and Alison to their holiday accommodation.

  • Hiding from the wind

    With a forecast for heavy rain today, we had one more client than expected yesterday for our Druridge Bay/southeast Northumberland tour.

    I c0llected Annie from High Weldon, Brian from Bedlington and then David from Warkworth before our first stop at one of our favourite birdwatching spots beside the River Coquet.  The first thing that was apparent was that there was a not inconsiderable wind-chill factor in play.  Thankfully our local area has plenty of reserves with north-facing hides, so plotting a route that would keep us out of the wind wherever possible was quite straightforward.

    It wasn’t a day for passerines, although Blue Tit and Goldcrest could be heard calling from deep inside coastal hedgerows, and we found ourselves in the middle of a big swirling flock of Starlings as we ate lunch overlooking the sea, so waders and wildfowl provided the main focus of the day.  Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Dunlin and some very nice flocks of Golden Plover, Curlew, Knot and Lapwing were feeding, roosting and, at Cresswell, taking to the air in a panic as a Peregrine exuded menace as it passed over.  ‘Scope-filling views of Common Snipe always go down well, and there was an excellent array of wildfowl and waterbirds to enjoy; Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Wigeon,Pochard, Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Pintail, Little Grebe, Coot, Moorhen, and Pink-footed, Greylag and Barnacle Geese were all well appreciated, especially with a lot of the drake ducks out of eclipse plumage and looking quite stunning. especially when the sun broke through the clouds.

    When the autumn really starts to feel autumnal, I’m always optimistic 🙂

  • Arrivals

    The autumn regularly produces excellent birdwatching experiences, and our Friday afternoon Lindisfarne mini-safari was no exception.

    I collected Pat and Ian from Glororum and we headed north towards Holy Island.  With the tide falling, the newly exposed mud provided a veritable banquet for the massed waders and wildfowl.  As far as the eye could see the shoreline was lined with Pale-bellied and Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Barnacle Geese were arriving and the mud was a hive of activity with Wigeon, Teal, Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlews, Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover all tucking in.  2 Carrion Crows were administering a warm welcome to a Peregrine, and a Little Egret flew in, landing beside another egret that was stalking around the edges of a pool on the mudflats.  As the afternoon wore on, we relocated to Bamburgh, and the rocks there produced excellent views of the waders we’d seen earlier as well as a few Purple Sandpipers.

    Then came one of those real experience moments.  Despite the strong offshore winds 3 Fieldfares were battling against the headwind, low over the waves.  They crossed the beach, flew by us and as they dropped towards the shelter of the coastal fields they were intercepted by 2 Sparrowhawks.  The final act of the encounter happened out of sight, but you can’t help thinking that it was a cruel end to a herculean effort.

  • Planning

    It’s been a busy few weeks here at NEWT.  We had our annual strategic planning meeting in early October and we’re busy putting everything together ready for next year.  We looked at what worked well, what could have worked better, and what we can do next year to raise our game.  We’re keeping all of our existing itineraries, and we’ll be announcing some exciting new photography training days very soon.

    2012 trip dates will be on our calendar soon, and 2012 pelagic dates will be in our November newsletter (so subscribe now to see them in a couple of weeks time!).

    Now, with a week full of bookings coming up, and what could potentially be some exciting birdwatching weather at the start of next week, I’m heading north for a Lindisfarne mini-safari.  Wish me luck 🙂