The superb drive up to Whitelee Farm to collect clients is always enjoyable, and today was no exception. Collecting Jan, David and Thistle, we were soon heading down the A68 towards…Short-eared Owls. Jan had mentioned that she would love to see a Short-eared Owl and I thought I knew just the place. Even in mid-June, Northumberland moorland can seem bleak and inhospitable but, once you get over the other-worldliness of it, you soon realise that it has a stark beauty all of its own. The birdwatching is about quality, rather than quantity, and the Short-eared Owl that appeared, ghost-like, above the fell we were scanning, had genuine quality. Backwards and forwards, like a huge moth, it quartered the hillside, alighting briefly before continuing on it’s way. The backdrop to this was the eerie calls of Curlew and Golden Plover and then a real surprise as a stunning little male Merlin raced over our heads before pursuing a pipit across the fell, twisiting and turning in flight. As we explored further valleys, finding campions, stitchworts, bedstraws and a mind-blowing field of pansies, excellent birds continued to appear; Dippers bobbing and diving, Buzzards soaring and mewing, 14 Goosander ducklings skittering downstream, a male Cuckoo perched in a tree on the opposite bank of the river, a handsome Golden Plover watching us from a roadside hillock and a Blackcock who seemed intent on playing hide-and-seek. The journey back up the A68 afforded incredible views of the landscape and the contrast created by one or two heavy storms amongst the otherwise bright, sunny sky. Now to bed, to dream about the last few days and to think about the Holy Island walk we’re leading tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon’s trip to Inner Farne and Thursdays’ Otter Safari.
Author: martin
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Playing catch-up (2)
Arriving at Saughy Rigg Farm on Friday evening, I met up with Peter and Janet, who had been on a trip with us in September of last year. Now they were back, with 11 other members of their Natural History Society, for a weekend of wildlife, mothing, birdwatching and botanising in the Border Forests and the North Pennines. We’re preparing a full trip report (which will go on the all-new NEWT blog soon…) but just to whet your appetite; Black Grouse 15 (inc 5 lekking), Short-eared Owl 3, Peregrine 3, breeding waders, Scottish Asphodel, Alpine Bistort and a lot of moths.
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Playing catch-up (1)
Remember the days before mobile ‘phones and the internet? Well, having just spent the best part of four days without either, life’s a lot easier now.
Friday morning I set out to collect clients for a Safari Day in the Cheviot valleys. First stop was close to a Dipper nest, so it wasn’t entirely surprising that we soon found a Dipper, bobbing on the rocks before disappearing downstream. What was surprising was watching a House Martin joining a line of Swallow fledglings, apparently waiting to be fed…even more surprising was when it copulated with the adult Swallow!!! By strange co-incidence, Sarah had asked me the night before if I’d seen the picture of a presumed Swallow/House Martin hybrid in the latest issue of Birding World. I’ll need to check back there in a month or so to see if there are any hybrid young.
As we set out on a leg-stretching walk, botanical interest was provided by Speedwell, Water Forget-me-not, Heath Bedstraw and several orchids. A song-flighting Tree Pipit was up and down like a Jack-in-the-box, a tiny Common Frog was relocated from the middle of a dry footpath to a damper, shadier location and an iridescent flash as we walked along the track proved to be a Green Tiger Beetle. Siskins and Willow Warblers were abundant and Redpolls sang their buzzing flight-song. Back at the Landrover we had lunch and prepared for our afternoon walk. Much steeper and in a narrower valley, our main quarry was Ring Ouzel. Facing the elements, we made our way higher with a stunning view of the valley below and the hillside opposite. The simple, melancholy song of the ‘Mountain Blackbird’ echoed down the valley, but the songster remained out of sight. Whinchats, resplendent in their summer finery, called from the heather around us and then, as we descended towards the valley bottom, a female Ring Ouzel perched for a few seconds with a beak full of food before vanishing into the vegetation.
Inland birdwatching may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the combination of stunning scenery, fantastic flowers and top-quality birds always make for a great day out.
And so, after returning Jacky, Andy and June to their B&B in Powburn, it was time to head into the deep southwest for our fully-booked North Pennines weekend…
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The things our clients see…
Things are hectic at the moment, and with 9 trips out with clients over the next 10 days…
At the weekend, myself and Andy spent some time going through our old DV tapes and editing down to some nice length clips for posting on YouTube. The results of our labours can be seen here, here and here. Watching the White-beaked Dolphins made me realise that our 2009 Pelagic Trip programme is rapidly approaching, and by strange co-incidence we took another booking from someone we bumped into just after filming the otter video. July 31st is almost full and September 5th and 19th are filling rapidly as well. Have a look at our Pelagics page and give us a call on 01670 827465 to book your place. Always a highlight of the late summer!
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The return of the Osprey
Today’s big news is that a pair of Ospreys are nesting in Kielder Water and Forest Park; the first successful nesting attempt in Northumberland for 200 years (if, indeed, there has ever been evidence of breeding at any point in the past!).
When I was a young boy, Osprey was a species I only dreamed of seeing. Eventually I made the pilgrimage to Loch Garten, and saw the bird of my dreams. Since then I’ve seen many in Scotland, and found a few in Northumberland as well, but to have them breeding in my home county really is a dream come true. Myself and Sarah will both be involved in assisting with the watchpoint and we will also be adding Osprey to the list of species we search for on our Kielder birdwatching tours. Eventually we may even see the establishment of several breeding pairs of the ‘fish-eagle’. Yet another reason why Northumberland is so very, very good if you’re interested in wildlife.
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Heat haze
Prime target for today’s Druridge Bay mini-safari was to see Otters. Walking along the River Wansbeck, the air was shimmering in the heat and we enjoyed good views of ducks, geese and herons. Swallows and martins were swooping around the treetops and drinking from the river and Chaffinches, Wrens, Blackcaps and Whitethroats were all engaging in some midday serenading. As we drove up the coast an adult Mediterranean Gull kept pace with us for over a minute. Bloody Cranesbill, Viper’s Bugloss and Common Spotted Orchid added a splash of colour to the verdant grassland and we settled at our picnic spot. Common Terns and two incredibly vocal Sandwich Terns were close by as myself, Martin and Jill scanned the pond. Chance dictated that the direction I was facing saw the appearance of our target; a rounded head bobbed into view, then the dark, sinuous shape of a diving otter. It gradually worked it’s way across the pool, then back again, repeatedly rolling on it’s back to enjoy a healthy lunch of fresh fish. Eventually, it moved out of view and we all left with memories of this stunning predator. Birdwatching, botany and elusive mammals; that’s why I love Northumberland so much – there’s something for all natural history interests.
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Brock
It was still daylight as we settled into position; both of us standing with our backs against tree trunks to minimise the obvious human silhouette. Blackbirds were alarming frantically; probably the first stirrings of the Tawny Owl, that was soon hooting mournfully from the branches directly above our heads, had triggered their agitation. A Nuthatch suddenly began trilling nearby, the first one we’d heard in this particular piece of woodland. Crows and Rooks cawed as daylight faded and the woodland was lit by the eerie light of the moon, filtered through a thin layer of cloud. The eyes start to play tricks on the mind at this time of day – was that a movement in the undergrowth? is that shape a tree stump or something much more interesting? Then it happened; a flash of white in the gloom. Then nothing…no, wait, there it was again – this time appearing from behind a tree trunk on a bend in the track through the wood. Sprinting up the track straight towards us; not the Fox that we’ve seen on all our previous visits to this site, but a Badger cub. Hurtling at breakneck speed. What’s it doing? That question was soon answered…it was coming to investigate me. For 10 seconds I was within inches of the cub as it sniffed my legs. Not sure whether it was going to bite me or scent mark my feet, I moved my head fractionally because it was so close that I couldn’t see it. Then it was off, back down the track. The movement had revealed my identity. I should probably be offended that it didn’t seem too concerned by my scent…something gleefully pointed out by Sarah, who’d had a grandstand view of the proceedings from 10 feet away.
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Of grouse and cottongrass and Gentiana verna
After a stunning couple of days inland, I’ve finally got time to sit down and catch up on paperwork, and blogging…
Saturday dawned bright and clear. By breakfast time it was already incredibly sunny and warm. Ideal for a wander through some of the hidden woodlands of our inland areas. Large clearings within plantations were carpeted with cottongrass. Under a brilliant yellow sun, and with a cool breeze blowing, the tufted heads at the end of each stem were like a raft of candles floating on a green sea. Buzzards soared overhead, chiffchaffs sang from dense stands of spruce and, out on the moorland edges, Black Grouse wheezed and cooed at each other. Birdwatching in a Northumberland woodland is sometimes hard work, but with the trees alive with birdsong, sheltered glades filled with (Red) squirrel-nibbled pine cones and woodland rides carpeted with sphagnum moss, heather and bog-rosemary, the cares of the world just melt away.
Sunday saw us concentrating on Upper Teesdale. Black Grouse were there again but the artic-alpine flora was our focus for the day. Mountain Pansies and Common Dog Violets were everywhere that the eye could see. I’ve yet to take anyone to Upper Teesdale who wasn’t amazed at just how small these flowers are. Then, a real speciality of the area, Bird’s-eye Primrose Primula farinosa. The striking pink flowers formed a narrow ribbon across the fellside, paralleling the line of a small stream. Spring Sandwort Minuartia verna could be found around the bare areas amongst the grassland, but we were still searching for the real prize. Then, as we looked over another swathe of pansies, a stunning blue caught my eye. Spring Gentian Gentiana verna; a plant of alpine meadow and moorland in central and southeastern Europe, and only found in Upper Teesdale in mainland Britain. In the blazing sunshine, the flowers were wide open and we found four separate plants – which is twice as many as I found in 2008. The blue of the gentians is indescribable; search for it on Google Images and you’ll get an idea, but to actually see it in real life, under a clear blue sky, in hot spring sunshine with a warm breeze blowing from the southeast, really can’t be bettered.
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A day in the life…
…of Martin Kitching (age 42). When we receive enquiries, people always ask what one of our Safari Days involves. Every day is different, and depends very much on particular requests from our clients; some want to see otters or foxes or badgers or Red Squirrels, some are very keen on a guided birdwatching tour and some just want to see, and discover more about, Northumberland. So, bearing that in mind, here’s yesterday’s run-down (with my bits added on as well);
06:00 Alarm goes off. Get out of bed, go downstairs and make coffee and breakfast.
06:30 Get dressed. Assemble maps, field guides and freshly-polished binoculars ready for use by clients.
07:00 Wash Landrover, polish mirrors and clean windows. Go to garage and fill with diesel (over £1/litre again!!).
08:00 Deal with e-mails and other admin stuff
08:30 Drive to Eshott Hall to collect clients (the recipients of the first Gift Vouchers we ever sold!). Top of their wish-list was to see otters in the wild…
09:00 Leave Eshott Hall and drive down through Southeast Northumberland, stopping at roadside ponds and enjoying close views of Coots sitting on nests, Herons, ducks, Swallows, martins and Swifts.
10:30 Walk along River Blyth and through woodland. Best way to learn birdsong is to get out into a good wooded area and listen, and then track down the singers to confirm what you’re hearing. Chiffchaff, Blackbird, Chaffinch and Song Thrush were dominating as we stood in a shaded grove, surrounded by bluebells, forget-me-nots and wild garlic. Then, there it was…Red Squirrel. We’ve got a 95% success rate on trips where we go looking for them, but they can be awkward when all of the trees are in leaf. Putting in a lot of time, when we haven’t got organised trips, gives us a much better than average chance of finding them at any time of the year though.
11:30 Head towards the coast, with a running commentary on the industrial and natural heritage of the area as we pass significant landmarks. Visit Newbiggin-by-the-sea before starting the journey up the coast.
12:00 Arrive at our lunch spot. Altered from our usual spot, overlooking the North Sea, as the local otters have been active around lunchtime in the last few days. Point out the most likely spots for the otters to appear. Enjoy lunch, and watch and wait…
12:30 Excited shout from Iain, and there are two otters, rolling and diving. No wait, three otters! Feeding, resting, swimming, running along the water’s edge, play-fighting (the otters, not us!), and causing general panic amongst the ducks and geese on the pool takes us all the way to…
14:00 On to check more coastal pools. Great-crested Grebes displaying, Shovelers shovelling, Gadwall engaging in what appear to be interminable chases and a good cast of ducks, geese, Little Gulls and terns all hold the interest until it’s time to return to Eshott Hall at…
16:00 Head home, put Landrover back in it’s garage. Go and buy DV tapes so that I can (hopefully…) record some good sequences of the two female cubs play-fighting (they’ve been at it for several days now, and seen well on our trips on Monday and yesterday).
19:00 More e-mail and admin stuff
19:30 Settle down for the evening with an excellent chinese meal, courtesy of Sarah, and enjoy the extraordinary display of football served up by Barcelona against the rather lacklustre Manchester United.
22:30 And so to bed, dreaming of squirrels, otters…and the day that Hull City are crowned champions of Europe 🙂
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Thermals
This morning we had a mini-safari to Kielder. Our clients were local and had received Northern Experience Gift Vouchers from their daughter, with the main aim of the trip being to reveal some of the hidden gems for birdwatching in Northumberland’s biggest forest. Although it was warm and sunny near the coast, as we headed inland it started to cloud over. There are a lot of rivers and streams throughout the border forests and we were soon watching a male Grey Wagtail as he bobbed his tail up and down from his vantage point on a mid-stream rock. Oystercatchers angrily chased Crows around the fields and a pair of Siskins were resplendent in their striking black and yellow plumage. We settled to watch over the forest from a vantage point and sure enough, as the sun began to break through the clouds, Common Buzzards began soaring with the lift provided by thermals. One strayed over the territory of a pair of crows and soon found these angry black birds snapping at his tail feathers. Other buzzards began rising and one was in view for a few minutes as it hovered repeatedly over an area of clearfell. A Sparrowhawk flew by and, all around us, Coal Tits, Goldcrests, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Chaffinches and Willow Warblers were singing. A Little Grebe was chased by a female Mallard and responded by swimming across the reservoir and singing. A pair of Oystercatchers were tending a nest, and Mallard ducklings skittered in and out of the vegetation by the water’s edge. As we headed back towards Bellingham I pulled over at the side of the road, where there was just a large enough gap between the trees to afford a view of the river. Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martins and Pied Wagtails all hunted the abundant flies just above the water and a pair of Mandarins with a duckling swam by.
And no, the other sort of thermals weren’t necessary; Spring has come to the forest.