Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

Author: martin

  • Fin-tastic

    We’re in one of our busier periods at the moment;  two trips on Thursday, two on Friday and then we’ll be out again tomorrow.

    Thursday’s two mini-safaris featured some of our old favourites; Little Owl is one of the best crowd-pleasers that there is, Dunlin, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Grey Heron  and summer-plumaged Knot  all went down very well and some attractive insects added a touch of glitter – Common Darter, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Small Copper, Red Admiral and Dark Green Fritillary are all easily overlooked (well maybe not Red Admiral), but quite stunning if you take the time to search for them and then look closely.  After finishing Thursday’s first trip, and dropping Kevin, Angela and Georgia back at Newbiggin, I went back to the office, dealt with a few e-mails, packed the head torches and bat detectors ready for the evening and then headed back out for the day’s second tour of Druridge Bay and Southeast Northumberland.  Then the heavens opened.  With windscreen wipers barely able to provide a clear view, traffic was crawling.  I was considering the unthinkable – cancelling a trip.  The rain eased and I collected Andy and family.  The trip list was very similar to the morning and then I thought it might be worthwhile to have a quick look at the sea.

    Now, seawatching is an obsessive pastime but it isn’t for everyone; I’m certain that long periods staring at the sea, hoping that something exciting will appear, don’t make for good client experiences.  So we don’t do it…very often.  The sea had been flat calm during the day and there was only a gentle breeze.  Ideal conditions for searching for cetaceans, in fact.  The number of e-mails, texts and ‘phone calls I’d had during the week was the clincher.  I knew that cetaceans sightings were increasing and viewing conditions were just right…surely the right time to take clients for a seawatch.  Gannets were passing by and we all scanned the sea.  Quickly I picked up 2 dolphins away to the south.  Then another 2, then 3 including 2 calves.  Through binoculars I had little doubt that these were White-beaked Dolphins.  A quick look through the ‘scope revealed all of the relevant ID features; tall falcate dorsal fin, white flanks arcing up behind the dorsal to form a pale saddle.  As everyone managed to see the dolphins, I scanned slowly to estimate how many dolphins there were.  At least 25 individual animals were found, and the pod was spread out over at least 6 square miles of the North Sea!  Another birder arrived and we managed to get him on to the dolphins as well.  It’s almost impossible to describe just how extraordinary such a sighting is.  Normally the best opportunities arise when you’re on an organised pelagic trip.  We’ve got 4 more of these this year; and with only one place remaining on September 18th, two places on September 4th and four places on August 12th, get in touch now on 01670 827465 to join us and experience the best pelagic wildlife and birdwatching opportunities available on the east coast.  August 12th will be a groundbreaking trip; we’re heading out to the Farne Deeps and reports from anglers and researchers suggest that the area could produce sightings of some spectacular wildlife.  Minke Whale, White-beaked Dolphin, Common Dolphin and Killer Whale have all been found previously.

    After the dolphins we had another of the species that always captivates our clients as a Barn Owl allowed a prolonged period of observation as it hunted along the coastal dunes.  As darkness descended and we headed back to our starting point the raindrops began to speckle the windscreen of the Landy again.

    The highlights of Friday’s first trip were Red Squirrel and Little Owl (for Kate and Lucy) and a very unexpected Green Sandpiper (for me).

    The evening pelagic took place with some extraordinary glowering skies to the north.  As the swell began to develop, we were treated to very close views of Gannet and Fulmar before returning to Royal Quays in the dark, but the abiding memory of the last week is the extraordinary spectacle of a little-known cetacean, hunting, leaping and playing in the seas off Northumberland.

  • Variety Show

    Yesterday we had an afternoon/evening safari around southeast Northumberland and Druridge Bay, an exciting prospect as these are producing some of our most memorable sightings.

    Around lunchtime I started to receive calls about Bottlenose Dolphins, 5 past Newbiggin and 20-40 E of St Mary’s.  When I arrived at Church Point at 14:40, the dolphins had departed but a Harbour Porpoise was close inshore.  Once our clients had arrived we set off up the coast.  First stop produced a juvenile Little Owl, lazing in the afternoon sunshine.  A seawatching session revealed plenty of Gannets and Sandwich Terns, and Katie quickly spotted more Harbour Porpoises.  The rest of the afternoon’s birdwatching produced excellent views of Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Greenshank, Common Tern and some very entertaining Grey Herons.  Non-birdy interest included Small Copper and Dark Green Fritillary butterflies, Blue-tailed Damselfly and a Common Frog.  I chose a picnic spot giving us a wide view over the increasingly calm sea, producing further sightings of Harbour Porpoise, a distant group of Bottlenose Dolphins and a Peregrine.

    Then we were on our way to the evening’s final destination.  As we walked, quietly, through a heavily shaded steep wooded valley, I began to question myself; could we really be succesful with a group of 6 clients, when we were searching for an animal that is so easily disturbed?  A Red Fox crossed the path ahead of us, although everyone other than Alice was looking the other way.  I allowed everyone to settle into position on one side of the valley and we waited.  In what seemed like no time at all, a stripy black-and-white head appeared from the undergrowth on the opposite side of the stream and our first Badger of the evening came trotting along.  It paused briefly and then crossed the stream before vanishing up the hill behind us.  After 30 mins, and another 6 Badgers!, we headed back to the Landy.  With the bat detector switched on, we listened to, and had close views of, Common Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s Bat.  Family bookings are always interesting, but the enthusiasm and cheerfulness of Emma, Katie and Alice made it such an enjoyable day (not forgetting the three older members of the group of course).

    We’ll be running afternoon/evening safaris throughout the year, so give us a call on 01670 827465 to arrange your own Northern Experience 🙂

  • A pelagic birdwatching guide’s approach to exercise

    In the last week we’ve had a few days out with clients, but gentle, short walks birdwatching in Druridge Bay, southeast Northumberland and on Holy Island rather than the somewhat more strenuous treks into the Cheviots or the North Pennines.  I can’t currently use the exercise bike when I’ve got a day in the office – because I broke one of the pedals.  Yesterday though, I managed to find an activity which, after 2 hours left me barely able to move…

    I’d had a good day, stayed focused, achieved (almost) everything on my daily task list and decided to start preparing things for this coming Friday’s pelagic (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday daytime are already booked with clients).  First task was to strip, clean, oil and re-assemble our chum grinder.  Then the bulk of the ‘chum’; prepare 3.5kg of popcorn…that’s 35 large pans full of the stuff.  I dropped the pan lid on myself, along with some sizzling hot oil, but not to worry…it’s a purposeful activity.

    Then a brief detour into a very important task; Sarah’s on her way home from work and it’s my turn to cook.  Having checked the contents of the freezer, the fridge and the cupboards earlier in the day I decided that the all-new efficient Martin was going to serve up something special;  Guineafowl breast, stuffed with mozzarella and chorizo, wrapped in streaky bacon and served on a bed of couscous and roasted vegetables.  More by good luck than good judgement, everything was ready at the same time.  Then I cleared away the dishes, did the washing up, cleaned all the kitchen work surfaces…have I been taken over by aliens 🙂

    Then to the real work of preparing the ‘chum’.  Slowly, painstakingly, just a few handfuls at a time all that popcorn needed to go through the grinder.  Sarah did some work in the office, I was grinding popcorn.  Sarah went for a 5km run, I was still grinding popcorn.  Eventually, after 2 hours, it was all done.  Moths were swarming around the patio, Common Pipistrelles were swishing close by my head, Red Foxes were calling in the woods behind the house and it was so dark that I could only just see to find my way around the garden.  I added a mixture of oils to the popcorn, put the lid on, and there it will sit until Friday evening when it will be put to use as we continue our quest for petrels.

  • Anniversary flowers

    I was giving a talk last night and realised just how important the final week of July has been over the last few years; 7 years ago we were married, 6 years ago I’d just returned from leading a week of birdwatching and whalewatching on Mull, 3 years ago I was in my final week as a teacher and 2 years ago we had our first bespoke tour for clients wanting to experience the wildlife and birdwatching that Northumberland has to offer.

    We spent our wedding anniversary on Holy Island, and here are some of the orchids we found;

    Common Spotted Orchid, Holy Island, Northumberland 26/07/2010
    Northern Marsh Orchid, Holy Island, Northumberland 26/07/2010
    Marsh Helleborine, Holy Island, Northumberland 26/07/2010

  • Sing a song of sixpence

    As I grow older I’m finding that, alongside the generalist birdwatching that we usually do with clients, my own birding interests are becoming increasingly specialised; seawatching (when I can find the time…) still excites me as much as the first time I sat on Flamborough Head, raptors have been an obsession since I was very young and, more recently, I’ve been spending a lot of time reading about moult strategies and studying bird songs and calls.  The Sound Approach books have all been incredibly inspirational and then, during the winter, I was on a survey trip for the Northeast Cetacean Project and Tim Sexton was mentioning how he’d added sound files to his blog posts.  As we both use the same model of mp3 recorder, and the whole process sounded easy, I thought I’d give it a go.  I’d got an external shotgun mic that was included when I last bought a camcorder, so I connected that up and started pointing it at anything that was singing.  I added the relevant plugins to the blog…couldn’t make it work.  Tim gave me some helpful advice…still couldn’t make it work.  Finally, I tried another way of adding sound files and here’s the first (of many…)

    https://www.northernexperiencewildlifetours.co.uk/blog/audio/Blackbird.mp3

    This Blackbird was singing from the top of the Apple tree in our garden during a heavy shower in late April and, when he stopped singing and listened to the other Blackbirds (which can be heard faintly in the background), he tilted his head, depending on which other bird he was listening to.  We even have a client who asked for a recording of a Blackbird for an arts project he’s involved in.  Who can blame him, it really is a beautiful song.

  • Birdwatching; more than just a Hobby

    Our two Druridge Bay mini-safaris last Wednesday both featured one of my favourite birds; Black-tailed Godwit.  A group of eight flying N at dusk in torrential rain may have included the five that we saw at lunchtime.  With plenty of Curlew, Lapwing and Dunlin, as well as a few Ruff and Common Sandpipers there was a ‘busy’ feel to birdwatching the coastal pools.  Common Frog and Common Toad were perhaps to be expected in the damp conditions.

    Thursday featured more torrential rain, although all of it whilst we were travelling between sites in Druridge Bay.  After collecting two clients individually from Alnmouth we headed south.  Dave had a day to remember with no less than five ‘lifers’; Little Owl, Dipper, Hobby, Scaup and Arctic Tern.  The Hobby was one of those classic moments.  I was watching a group of Sand Martins when they all suddenly rose high above the water.  As I opened my mouth to suggest that there was a raptor about, Dave said “What’s this?”…and there it was, a first-summer Hobby, heading straight towards us low over the pool.  A Whimbrel flew by, giving it’s distinctive call, and the transition from the occasionally difficult birding of mid-summer to the more productive time of mid-July is well underway.

    Saturday was spent covering another three tetrads for the Bird Atlas and then on Sunday we had a few hours in our study area, searching for any sign of Hobby or Honey Buzzard.  With heavy overcast conditions, occasional light rain, and a cold breeze very few raptors were in evidence; just a Common Kestrel and a Common Buzzard to show for our efforts.

  • Damsels in the sunshine

    I’m sitting in the office writing this , and the rain is hammering down outside.  We had a Prestige Photography trip yesterday in brilliant sunshine, but first a quick catch-up (hard to believe but sometimes there are other things to do that are more important than blogging…).

    Kirsty and Sarah continued their running plan by competing in the Sunshine Run last Wednesday, with yours truly again acting as pack animal.  I’m seriously considering taking up running,  as everyone seems to enjoy it so much.  They both bettered their personal best times for 5km, so a big well done to them from me 🙂

    On Sunday we had something quite different; a photography tuition afternoon with a group of ‘looked-after’ children.  We had planned to visit the Farne Islands but the strengthening wind meant that the afternoon sailings were cancelled, so instead we walked along a section of the North Northumberland coast and looked at techniques for creative landscapes and birds in flight.

    Yesterday was a wildlife photography tour of Druridge Bay.  I collected Eileen and Dave from Warkworth and we visited our favourite southeast Northumberland sites.  Damselflies, butterflies and moths featured heavily throughout the day, as might be expected on a sunny day in mid-July, although with it being so warm they were a bit skittish.  As ever, patience paid off.

    Ringlet, Druridge Bay, Northumberland 13/07/2010
    Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet, Druridge Bay, Northumberland 13/07/2010
    Latticed Heath, Druridge Bay, Northumberland 13/07/2010
    Blue-tailed Damselfly, Druridge Bay, Northumberland 13/07/2010
    Common Blue Damselfly, Druridge Bay, Northumberland 13/07/2010

  • A real challenge

    In the 17 years that I’ve lived here, I’ve always believed that Northumberland is one of the finest counties for birdwatching in the whole of the UK.  That belief played a big part in reaching the decision to launch NEWT, and it’s why we’re such an enthusiastic member of the Birdwatching Northumberland Consortium.  We’ll be at the Bird Fair in August (Marquee 1, Stand 53/54) so come along to meet us and find out just how good Northumberland is.

    This morning, though, my attention is on mammals.  We don’t do too badly for them either; Badger, Red Fox, Grey Seal, Red Squirrel, Roe Deer, Weasel, Stoat and Brown Hare all feature regularly on our safaris and, on our Northern Experience Pelagics, there’s the possibility of Minke Whale, White-beaked Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise and other cetaceans.  We’ve had some random sightings as well; a Bank Vole that sat munching on a leaf just a few feet away from us and a Mole that walked into a hide we were sitting in were both bizarre (especially the Mole; I hadn’t seen a live one for a long, long time).

    With the exciting news earlier this week of the first confirmed evidence in 16 years of Pine Marten in Northumberland, we’ve got a new challenge 🙂  We’ve spent some time in the last couple of years checking likely sites and following up reports that we’ve received.  Some of those have been very tantalising, and the species may be more widespread than people imagine.  Otters and Badgers are fairly difficult, but we’ve developed an excellent track record with those two species.  Pine Marten is going to be an altogether different proposition, but we relish a challenge.

  • Wildlife photography in focus

    After a busy week I was looking forward to a couple of days catching up on admin and housework (no, really, I was looking forward to doing some housework…).  Then, on Saturday morning, the ‘phone rang and we took a booking for Sunday; a photographer visting the area was frustrated by the weather leading to sailing cancellations (Farne Islands, Isle of May, Coquet Island) so could we take him out and show him some of the better locations for wildlife and birdwatching photography in southeast Northumberland and Druridge Bay?

    We pride ourselves on being flexible so a meeting point was arranged, camera kit was cleaned, memory cards loaded, batteries charged.  Some excellent views of Red Squirrel, so close that only head shots were possible, were followed by a few hours in the birdwatching mecca that is Druridge Bay.

    Here are a few of my favourite images from Sunday and Monday.

    Banded Demoiselle, River Blyth, Northumberland 20/06/2010
    Ruff, with a ruff, Druridge Pools, Northumberland 21/06/2010
    Sand Martin, Druridge Pools, Northumberland 21/06/2010

  • A little otter on Friday

    Our fifth safari in four days had been arranged as a birthday present and I collected Barry and Maureen from Ponteland before starting with our usual southeast Northumberland birdwatching woodland walk.  The ‘Red vs Grey’ conundrum occupied our conversation as we enjoyed excellent views of a Red Squirrel.  As we walked by a wonderful hay meadow it was hard to believe that we were in an area that one of our previous clients had expected to be ‘sort of grim and industrial’ 😉  On the coast our regular Little Owl was as chilled out as ever and the Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings were struggling to cling to the reeds in a strengthening breeze.  Strong wind is just about the worst condition for watching wildlife but I’m ever the optimist…

    The combination of that optimism, and a lot of experience of Otter behaviour, meant that I still believed that our target for the day would be achieved.  Sure enough, we were able to watch an Otter briefly as it fed.  A commotion in a reedbed, a scattering of ducks, and two nervous-looking Coots, meant that I was sure we were about to see a second Otter.  It soon appeared and we enjoyed a prolonged period of observation as it made it’s way across the pond, eventually passing close by our position.  More Sedge Warblers and Reed Buntings were singing as we walked through another meadow, teeming with vetch and some stunning orchids and a Reed Warbler was picking it’s way along the base of a reedbed before starting to sing and providing a perfect comparison with a nearby Sedge Warbler.  As I drove Barry and Maureen home I was thinking about how, no matter how often I lead our tours, every day is different.  It may be a cliche, but it’s the best part of what we do.