Following our adventure in the North Sea on Saturday, I had to gather my thoughts, and clean my binoculars and ‘scope, ready for a full week of guided birdwatching. I drove north on Sunday to meet up with Sheena Harvey, editor of Bird Watching Magazine, and her husband Alan. With nearly three days to show them the delights that Northumberland has to offer, in terms of birdwatching holidays, guided birdwatching and birdwatching in general, I was really looking forward to the trip. It started a bit later than expected due to vehicle and aquarium problems at their end 🙁 but we had a nice meal at the Lindisfarne Inn on Sunday night and discussed the plan for the next few days.
If there was one moment that I thought stood out it was early in the trip, on Monday morning. As we approached Budle Bay I could see a few geese in the ‘goose fields’. We stopped to check them and I commented that with the strong northwesterly winds there should be plenty of geese starting to arrive soon. Then, as if on cue, the skeins started dropping from the skies. Mainly Pink-footed Geese, but with a good handful of Barnacle Geese along for good measure. Well over 1000 birds settled into the field in front of us in just over 20 mins. That was just the start of some very good birding and wildlife watching. I’m not going to spoil Sheena’s article by writing a detailed report so, if you want to read about it, you’ll have to buy the January issue (on sale 20th December) 🙂
By mid-afternoon on Wednesday it was time for Sheena and Alan to head back to the deep south of Lincolnshire, after three really enjoyable days for us – and I’m sure for them as well 🙂
Yesterday was our final full-day pelagic for the year. With a couple of late cancellations, ten of us boarded the SarahJFK and headed out to sea. Before we reached the end of the Tyne piers there was already a bit of swell…
Once we were out and heading offshore it was exhilarating, with an often icy westerly breeze and long rolling waves from the north. Small groups of Pale-bellied Brent Geese passed by during the day and a small group of Greylag Geese and Pink-footed Geese as well – a sure sign that the autumn is here. There was an almost complete absence of Fulmars, leading to speculation about what these enigmatic seabirds are doing when we can’t find them, and only one Manx Shearwater. Arctic Skuas were a bit thin on the ground, but we did find a good pelagic prize – a sub-adult Pomarine Skua that passed by with two Great Skuas. Excellent views of the latter species, and some stunning Sooty Shearwaters were the highlight of the day, and there were lots of Kittiwakes and Gannets, although that accolade could have gone to the 2 White-beaked Dolphins that were seen briefly on 3 occasions late in the afternoon.
Great Skua or 'Bonxie'Sooty Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater – the epitome of graceThe swell proved a bit too much for some participants so, in between scanning for birds and cetaceans, I spent some time providing sympathy and advice for the worst of the stricken 🙂 Don’t let that put you off signing up for any of next-year’s pelagics though; it’s actually quite unusual for anyone to be really seasick on one of our pelagics, but the big swell (probably originating a few days ago from the near the north west coast of Norway) combined with a strengthening westerly breeze was a freak combination of conditions that managed to hinder the enjoyment of all the birds around the boat for a couple of the girls. I was once asked, by someone who was a self-professed non-sailor, why I would spend so much time on a small boat in the North Sea…I think that now I would just send them a link to the images in this post and the videos in my Farne Deeps trip report
We’ve got one more pelagic this year, around the Farne Islands, Holy Island and the Skate Road on Saturday December 4th, so give us a call on 01670 827465 for further details or to book.
We had back-to back birdwatching trips earlier this week, covering two of our favourite areas.
On Tuesday afternoon I collected Keith and Jen from home in Monkseaton and we headed northwards up the Northumberland coast. Our destination was the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, one of the birding hot-spots of the entire country. The strong winds were the only downside to the afternoon, but the birdwatching was good. After checking out a large group of Grey Seals we covered the area around the harbour and the Rocket Field. Bar-tailed Godwits, Common Redshank and lots of Ringed Plover were along the shoreline and a delightful charm of Goldfinches were around the Heugh. A distant group of Lapwings, Starlings and Golden Plover took to the air and the cause of their alarm was glimpsed briefly, although too briefly and too distant to make a positive ID. Holy Island birdwatching stalwart Ian Kerr put us on to a Little Stint and, as we headed back through the village, groups of Golden Plover passed overhead. Re-tracing our route back down the coast and checking the Budle Bay on the rising tide, we were just discussing the indications of the presence of predators when a huge number of birds lifted from the mud. As well as the gulls and waders, Jackdaws, Rooks and Woodpigeons joined the throng as they came out of adjacent fields and trees. This time the culprit was seen and identified; a Peregrine, that most majestic of raptors and one of the highlights of any birdwatching day on the Northumberland coast in the autumn and winter. A quick seawatch produced Sandwich Terns feeding, and Gannets soaring effortlessly on the breeze.
Wednesday was a full day out around Druridge Bay and Southeast Northumberland. I collected Jayne and Andrew from Seahouses, and then Hilary and John from Alnmouth, before beginning our tour of some of the best birdwatching spots in our local area. While we were watching Lapwings, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Ruff, Herons and Cormorants on the River Wansbeck I could hear a rough ‘sreee’ call from high overhead. The strong breeze meant that it wasn’t straightforward to locate the bird, but eventually I picked it out. It was an unfamiliar call, but a familiar species; a juvenile Common Cuckoo. The walk back along the river produced a nice flock of Long-tailed Tits. After lunch we stopped off at Cresswell Pond. Hilary and John mentioned that they’d visited Cresswell once before – when they noticed a large group of birders and stopped, managing to see a Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Ruff, Cresswell Pond, Northumberland 12/09/2008With luck like that, we joked about what this visit could produce...
When we arrived at the hide, Jaybee mentioned that he’d had a juvenile Sandwich Tern. I scanned the pond but couldn’t see the tern anywhere and we settled to enjoying the quite remarkable views of Common Snipe that were available. After checking through the assembled ducks, gulls and waders I scanned across the pond again and spotted a tern dip-feeding near the causeway. The bird’s behaviour, combined with it’s very dark back, white rump and silver-grey wings caused me to get rather excited. White-winged Black Tern is a very special bird, and a personal highlight as it’s the third Chlidonias tern that I’ve found in Northumberland. Whiskered Tern is very rare and Black Tern is always a nice bird to see but White-winged Black Tern is such a beautiful species. Jaybee kindly sent me some images to use 🙂
White-winged Black Tern, Cresswell Pond, Northumberland 15/09/2010White-winged Black Tern, Cresswell Pond, Northumberland 15/09/2010
White-winged Black Tern, Cresswell Pond, Northumberland 15/09/2010As other birders began to arrive to enjoy the fruit of our good fortune we continued up the coast. Eiders and a Goosander, as well as some very obliging Grey Herons, were seen as we stopped by the River Coquet. A superb couple of day’s birdwatching, a beautiful rarity and clients who were excellent company.
Now, you shouldn’t need to read too many of my blog posts to realise that seabirds and cetaceans occupy a special place in my heart, and that I’m in my element once I’m on a boat off the Northumberland coast.
Saturday was our annual ‘Whale and Dolphin Cruise’ on Glad Tidings V, out of Seahouses. With 36 participants, including the other NEWT guides (Sarah and Andy), all safely on board we set off down the coast. We were soon enjoying views of two Arctic Skuas and then panic on the deck as our eagle-eyed skipper spotted two Sooty Shearwaters off to one side and everyone rushed to see them. These ocean wanderers are one of the great sights of pelagic seabirding in the North Sea at this time of the year. For one participant though the real excitement was the bird sitting beside the shearwaters; a Puffin 🙂 It’s a few weeks too late to see them at their breeding colonies, but I’d told Sam that we had a good chance of coming across one. Throughout the day we found a few more, as well as plenty of Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Guillemots and a few Razorbills. Perhaps the best entertainment of the day was provided by several feeding groups of Gannets, throwing fountains of water into the air as they hit the sea. There was clearly a lot of fish for them to eat, and it was real mystery to myself, Sarah, Andy and John that there were no cetaceans feeding in the same areas. Oh well, if they weren’t so mysterious it wouldn’t be such an adrenaline rush when we do find them I suppose. A lone Manx Shearwater avoided the boat, as they tend to do, and we headed northwards to the Farne Islands, hoping to see the White-tailed Eagle that has been there for the last week. We were in radio contact with other boats so we knew it had just killed a Shag and was eating it. As we neared the islands our one cetacean for the day appeared, a Harbour Porpoise just to one side of the wake of the boat. Just as we arrived, the eagle crept into a cleft between a grassy bank and some rocks so only one or two people managed to get a glimpse of it’s head as it dropped out of sight. Grey Seals were playing, splashing and racing around and we headed back into the harbour, after a marathon effort by our skipper and everyone on board. We’ve already set the date for the 2011 Whale and Dolphin Cruise – Saturday September 10th so put it in your diaries and give us a call on 01670 827465 to book your place.
Blue skies, calm sea, what more could you wish for?
Even though we live in southeast Northumberland, we’ll never tire of getting out and about searching for new experiences for our clients. Days out with clients are always exciting as well, because we never know exactly what we’ll see or what it will be doing.
Last Thursday we had a Southeast Northumberland/Druridge Bay safari with clients from a fairly wide geographical area; Jeff and Jean from Huddersfield, Lawrie and Linda from Glasgow and Yvonne from southwest Northumberland. Starting at Newbiggin we managed a brief view of a Mediterranean Gull on the beach, and a small flock of Sanderling. These little grey, white and black ‘clockwork toys’ are always entertaining as they scurry back and forth along the water’s edge. The River Wansbeck was our next destination. As expected there was a good sized flock of Lapwing roosting and Cormorants and Herons were doing what they do; standing with their wings out and just sort of standing respectively. All of a sudden a wave of panic spread through the Lapwings. We all scanned backwards, forwards, skywards but couldn’t see any cause. Perhaps it was just a false alarm? The birds settled but were up again within a minute, gradually settling back down with a great deal of conversation between them all. Greenshanks flew by calling and the Lapwings were becoming increasingly jittery. Even birds from distant streams were high in the air, forming the quite tight flocks that indicate the presence of a predator, something that creates anticipation wherever we’re birdwatching. Eventually we found a distant Peregrine, and a big female Sparrowhawk slid menacingly through the trees opposite our watchpoint. One or both of them was presumably the cause for concern. Even the Great Black-backed Gulls flushed and flew overhead, giving calls of consternation.
Among the coastal waders, perhaps the best were three Common Snipe, unusually confiding and just a few metres away from us. The fall of passerine migrants earlier in the week had left a few goodies behind. Spotted and Pied Flycatchers were quite elusive, sallying forth and then back into cover, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs were picking their way through willows beside the path and, providing a visual feast to rival the gaudiest of birds from elsewhere in the world, six male Common Redstarts were along one short stretch of hedge. There really is little to rival the beauty of these birds.
At the conclusion of our journey up the coast a bird as lacking in colour as the Redstart is bathed in it was a final wonderful sighting. As we watched two Grey Herons perched in trees overhanging the River Coquet, a Little Egret flew by before returning and perching high in the treetops in a spot where we could watch it through the ‘scope. There can’t be many better places to be birdwatching than the Northumberland coast in September 🙂
Although our Cheviot Valleys and North Pennines safaris are concentrated in the springtime, we run a few trips to those inland areas in the late summer and early autumn. The final day of August was a trip to the Cheviots, and it could hardly have been better; the weather was wonderful, there were hardly any other people to be seen anywhere and the wildlife was, well, as good and varied as we would expect.
After collecting Hamish and Vanessa we drove past Morpeth then up the A697 and through the ford at Coldgate Mill. The Happy Valley was deserted and peaceful; a Slow Worm was basking in the dappled light between gorse bushes, Small Copper butterflies (a personal favourite) were feeding and sunning themselves and there were even a few Silver Y moths. We get these migrants in our trap occasionally, and I’ve seen them in profusion on the coast, but these were well inland.
Camera-shy Silver YGoldcrests were calling, and eventually spotted, Spotted Flycatchers, Treecreepers and Long-tailed Tits were all found in one tree, Robins seemed to be everywhere we went and the first of the day’s Common Buzzards, rising rapidly in a thermal, suggested that searching skywards could be productive for birdwatching.
After lunch we walked along the far end of the valley. Red Grouse were cackling hysterically on one side of the valley, at the same time as we could hear a shooting party on the other. Siskins and Lesser Redpolls were feeding around the treetops, although they did pause briefly so we had a chance to look at them. The warm sunshine and excellent visibility mean that it did turn out to be a raptor day; as well as Common Buzzards there were regular Common Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk then, as we walked back to the car park, a Peregrine soared majestically and menacingly against the blue sky overhead. Sadly our only Adder of the day was roadkill, although it had gathered an interesting collection of flies and beetles.
One thing that our safaris have proved to be is a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you need to get away from it all then give us a call, or if you know somebody who would benefit from a day of chilled out wildlife watching then our gift vouchers could be just the thing they need 🙂
Hamish kindly provided some images from the day (including the Silver Y that really didn’t want to be photographed) and my own favourites are here;
Mother Nature ages trees better than any bonsai artist can!
Friday was our long-awaited pelagic to the Farne Deeps. We’d originally planned the trip for August 12th, but the weather put paid to that 🙁 Rescheduling to September 3rd meant that four of the original participants had to withdraw because of other commitments, but we were able to fill those places and have a reserve list. Birdwatching from a boat in the North Sea, with the possibility of cetaceans as well, is always an enjoyable way to spend a day.
When I arrived at Royal Quays just after 7.30 I was surprised to see that nine of the other eleven participants were already there; obviously eager to join Northern Experience on our ‘voyage into the unknown’.
As we left the Tyne we soon began to began to find Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins on the sea; all 3 species featuring regularly throughout the day. Gannets, Fulmars and Kittiwakes were all seen in good numbers (Kittiwakes in particular) and we continued to head north northeast, getting further offshore from the Northumberland coast.
I was watching the depth plotter carefully as we approached the edge of the deep water and, as I stepped out of the wheelhouse, thinking that things could get very interesting quite soon, almost collapsed as Allan shouted “Dolphin!”. Within a minute we’d got two stunning White-beaked Dolphins bow-riding. They stayed with us for 40 minutes, and during that time there were at least another three a little distance from the boat. I managed to get ‘a bit’ of video footage 🙂
As if all the excitement of having the dolphins around the boat wasn’t enough, Geoff Morgan spotted a Grey Phalarope (Red Phalarope for any readers in the US). After Geoff’s initial call it was 4 mins before the bird was relocated; sitting on the sea in front of the boat as we continued along with the dolphins. The phalarope, as well as an excellent bird to see in early September, was a milestone as it’s the 40th ‘seabird’ (defined as those covered by Peter Harrison’s excellent ‘Seabirds: an identification guide’) to be found on pelagic trips off Northumberland since the first NTBC organised trip in 1987.
As well as the birds mentioned previously we also found;
Manx Shearwater 4
Sooty Shearwater 4
Arctic Skua 4
Great Skua 9
Typically, the Manx Shearwaters and Arctic Skuas stayed well away from the boat but the Sooty Shearwaters and Great Skuas were much more obliging 🙂
By the end of the day, nearly everyone on board had enjoyed lifers; the White-beaked Dolphins were a much sought-after species for Joanne and the result of a lot of effort 🙂 With the battalion of long lenses on the boat, there’ll be plenty of good quality images for the White-beaked Dolphin identification catalogue that forms part of the Northeast Cetacean Project. We’ll be running at least two trips out to the Farne Deeps next year (date and cost tbc) so get in touch soon to register your interest. With only 12 places available they’ll fill quickly.
After the 10hr marathon of the Farne Deeps, our 8hr pelagic on Saturday was just like a pleasure cruise 🙂 Again we had good numbers of Kittiwake, Gannet and Fulmar, as well as some very obliging Sooty Shearwaters. With some of South Tyneside’s finest on board, I was half-hoping that one of them would point his camera at the sky and randomly photograph a Cape Gannet 🙂 Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Never mind, there’s always next week…and the week after…and next year.
Yesterday was one of what are rapidly becoming our favourite trips; afternoon/evening safaris. I collected Claire and Stuart from their holiday cottage near Brinkburn Priory and we headed towards the coast.
Our regular Little Owl watched us imperiously, before turning tail and scuttling out of sight as a dog walker came along the track. The coastal pools along Druridge Bay are hosting an ever increasing number of waders; Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank, Knot, Ruff, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Common Sandpiper and Curlew were all roosting, a SpottedRedshank called but remained frustratingly out of sight behind a reedbed, and Greenshank and Whimbrel both responded to imitations of their calls. Then, that most majestic of waders graced the air in front of us, although only briefly; a Black-tailed Godwit flew low over the roost, everything panicked, and a Peregrine carved through the flock before heading out over the sea and then away high to the north. Little Grebes and Grey Herons were both well appreciated, then it was time to check some of southeast Northumberland’s finest mammal sites.
Red Squirrels always go down well with our clients, and the one we watched feeding was no exception. A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was equally obliging and we watched it for a while before moving on to our favourite site for Badger watching. Probably the biggest Badger we’ve seen so far trotted across the hillside opposite us and a much smaller animal (maybe a young cub) made it’s way through the undergrowth just over the stream from our position. As darkness approached we found ourselves on a hilltop with a Tawny Owl calling ‘ke-wick’ from the woodland below us. After whistling at waders during the afternoon I imitated the quavering hoot of a male Tawny Owl and waited. The bird called from closer. I called again, and it came closer still. Eventually it flew up into a bare tree, silhouetted against the final glow of daylight in the sky, only 20m away from us. I switched to copying the bird’s ‘ke-wick’ call and it turned to face us directly, ready to challenge this impertinent intruder. I remained silent, not provoking any further response, and the bird flew to a nearby tree, screeching defiantly as we made our way back down the hillside. Common Pipistrelles and Daubenton’s Bats were picked up on the bat detector and seen as they flitted back and forth. The final wildlife of the evening though was close to the cottage at Brinkburn, and was another piece of Northumberland magic; a doe Roe Deer and her fawn ran along the road in front of us.
As Autumn approaches evening safaris mean finishing at a quite amenable hour, so give us a call on 01670 827465 to find out how you can share in these memorable experiences with us.
We had a couple of disappointments at the end of last week, both due to the weather. First we had to postpone our Farne Deeps Pelagic and then I was booked on a trip to the Dogger Bank, which also fell victim to the strong northerlies. Both trips have been rescheduled though so, fingers crossed, they will happen eventually. We’ve got a few places available for the Farne Deeps on September 3rd, although most of our original participants quickly arranged days off work when I gave them the new date, so call us on 01670 827465 to reserve your place on this groundbreaking trip.
With Friday morning clear in my diary I managed a spot of seawatching; that most esoteric form of birdwatching. Then we had a couple of nights in Whitby, followed by a visit to Chesterfield for a Christening, and then home again late last night. While we were away there was a missed call on my mobile; Alan Tilmouth wondering if we’d be interested in a trip across to the Longstone if Saturday’s Thrush Nightingale had remained there overnight. As it was it hadn’t, and we were away anyway. Then, last night came the news of a Booted/Sykes’s Warbler at Hadston Links. With a frantic two weeks ahead of us, I had to work hard to convince myself that I had the time to go and see the bird 😉
Now these two species are a tricky pair to separate and, despite information put out by various bird information services earlier today, I know that the ID isn’t considered to be cut and dried. For what it’s worth, I’ll stick my neck out and say that, on balance, I’m leaning towards Booted Warbler. The real problem though is that in some images it looks very much like a Booted Warbler, in some it looks like Sykes’s. In real life it was just as perplexing, apparently morphing from one to the other. Is it a Booted Warbler, fluffing itself up against the cold (the opinion I expressed to another local blogger after I saw the bird this morning), or a Sykes’s Warbler that occasionally looks sleeker than expected?
Another remarkable warbler earned a local birder, and occasional Northern Experience Pelagic participant, a major honour this month. Dougie Holden, the finder of the Trow Quarry Eastern Crowned Warbler, won the Carl Zeiss Award, which is presented for the photograph or set of photographs considered to have been the most instructive during BBRC’s assessment of rarities over the previous year.
As if all these rare warblers weren’t enough to be going on with, I went into the kitchen this morning only to find Sarah staring intently through her binoculars. Wood Warbler is an extraordinary bird for a southeast Northumberland garden, but there it was. Neither of us had that down as the next addition to the garden list but, as with most of the really good birds on our list, it’s no surprise that Sarah found it 🙂
Sunday’s Northumberland coast safari started very close to home, with Germaine and Greg having stayed at The Swan on Saturday evening. We started with our usual riverside walk, looking at an artificial holt and talking about the ecology of the Otter. Our first really good sighting of the day was a Red Squirrel, which chattered angrily at a photographer who was sitting beneath the tree that it was descending. Woodland birdwatching can be sometimes be very quiet, but with a large mixed flock of tits and Goldcrests, as well as Treecreepers and a very aggressive Nuthatch around the same glade there was plenty to see. Out on to the coast south of Druridge Bay and, in the warm sunshine, our favourite Little Owl was posing for the camera. The sunshine was also encouraging insect activity and we quickly added to the day list; Common Darter, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly, Meadow Brown, Small Copper, Shaded Broad-bar, Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, Common Blue Butterfly, Green-veined and Small White were all found along one small stretch of footpath. Grey Herons were stalking along the pond edges and one got into a gruesome wrestling match with a large Eel. All of the ducks scattered, clearly there was something in the reeds that they were unhappy about, but what it was didn’t reveal itself. Further north, we came across three Little Egrets (surely the next addition to Northumberland’s breeding birds – if they haven’t already…), a Common Lizard that was sunning itself and, thanks to Germaine’s sharp eyes, a pair of Roe Deer. A really good day, with a real mixed bag of wildlife and clients who made it all the more enjoyable. And to think…Sunday used to be homework-marking day 😉
