Author: martin

A couple of years ago, I was with Sarah checking a flooded field not far from home and we noticed two young women in a parked car. One of them got out, walked along the road towards us and said, in a heavy Scots accent “is this the way to Glasgow?”. It was quite a challenge to direct them towards even an appropriate road, given that they had somehow found themselves on a minor country lane between Morpeth and Druridge Bay. We’ve often wondered since then, about how they arrived next to one of the many excellent birdwatching sites near the Northumberland coast when they were aiming for the major conurbation on the west coast of Scotland.

Yesterday I found myself on that same country lane, this time with a Landrover full of keen birdwatchers. Five minutes earlier we’d been discussing how excited some birdwatchers get about summer-plumaged godwits…so the six birds feeding in the flash pool couldn’t have been better if they’d been working to a script. The deep chestnut red of one bird identified him as a male Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit. Herring Gulls, Black-headed Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls were all strangely intolerant of these elegant waders, harassing them persistently, causing them to keep changing position on the pool and revealing the striking black and white wing pattern that separates them from Bar-tailed Godwits. As we reached the coast, migrating waders became a bit of a theme; 4 Whimbrel flew over Cresswell, giving the distinctive seven-whistle call and a male Ruff, well on the way to developing the elaborate plumes around his throat that form part of his breeding finery. A pair of Grey Partridges walked straight towards us and Sandwich Terns perched so close that ‘scope filling views were enjoyed by all. A bit more exposed mud around some of the coastal pools would be nice, but we can’t have everything, can we?

…big red, feathery eyebrow. That’s how I found myself yesterday. After a few days of windy, drizzly weather, Sunday dawned bright and sunny and we had a hastily arranged trip into the North Pennines. Although cloud cover increased it was still a beautiful day, and the patches of bright sunlight picked out the contours of the hills as we drove down through Allendale. Black Grouse site number one didn’t produce any birds so we continued on our way. Sarah spotted some movement in the grass, and out came a stripy black, white and yellow Golden Plover chick. Sure enough, one of it’s parents was soon perched on a rise in the surrounding terrain, calling plaintively. If you’ve never heard the call of a Golden Plover then you’ll have to take my word for it, that it’s hauntingly beautiful. Black Grouse site number two appeared devoid of birds so I decided to stalk along the edge of the field behind a dry stone wall and check the next field. As I lifted my head just over the wall, there they were! Three stunning blackcocks, quietly feeding by the shelter of the wall. I turned and motioned for Sarah and Andy to join me, and we were all able to enjoy these magnificent birds. By keeping low and not making any sudden movements, we avoided alarming them and had the best views we’ve ever managed. Images and video will be added to our gallery as soon as I have a free moment…

As the boat heads across the short stretch of North Sea between Seahouses and the Farne Islands, the number of birds flying by steadily increases. First, the terns; Sandwich, Common and Arctic, all flying back towards the islands after hunting the shallow coastal waters and Seahouses harbour itself. Then the auks; chocolate brown Guillemots, the stark black-and-white contrast of Razorbills and, everybody’s favourite, the Puffins. With it’s massive multi-coloured beak and comical waddling gait, the ‘Tommy Noddie’ is a must-see on many people’s holiday ‘To-do’ list. The Grey Seals were all basking in the warm sunshine, totally unconcerned by another boat full of tourists. Once on the islands, the embryonic breeding season was obvious; Sandwich Terns were courting and food-passing, pairs of Arctic Terns, tiny twinkling lights against a stunningly blue sky, were flying in close formation way overhead, Puffins were popping up out of their burrows like Meerkats in evening dress, and the early breeders, Shag, Eider and Kittiwake, were already firmly ensconced on their nests.

A Farne Islands Safari is more than just a visit to the islands though; summer-plumaged Grey Plovers (IMO the best looking of all the waders that we see), Greenshank in a typically erratic feeding frenzy, Common Scoters watched from our picnic spot and plunge-diving Gannets were all part of yesterday’s trip. That last spectacle was ranked Number One in Nature’s Top 40. I’ve seen and heard some criticism of that ranking, on the grounds that it isn’t really something that everyone can enjoy. That criticism seems unjustified, you don’t need to visit offshore islands; we watched Gannets feeding yesterday from the mainland, I’ve sat with clients watching them from July through to the end of October and our birdwatching pelagics from Royal Quays in July, August and September have always produced stunning views of them as well.

Now it’s time for me to head out of the office and check our favourite sites for Number 4 on the Nature’s Top 40.

Druridge; possibly the best place for a birdwatching tour in Northumberland. That’s where I spent yesterday, after collecting clients from St Aidan’s Cottage at Dukesfield. We started with a walk along the River Blyth (south of Druridge Bay but always an important part of our tours in that area). The trees were dripping with birdsong; Blackbird, Song Thrush, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Grey Wagtail combined to produce a wall of sound. Wild Garlic was in bloom and the faint aroma added to the soundscape and the colours of bluebells and forget-me-nots to create the multi-sensory experience of an English woodland.

Once on the coast we could feel the bracing wind and sat down to eat lunch overlooking the North Sea. A group of birds on the rocks just above the breaking surf looked interesting and close inspection soon revealed the stripy head patterns and downcurved beaks of no fewer than 15 Whimbrels. Cormorants were drying their wings in that heraldic pose by the side of Cresswell Pond, Black-tailed Godwits were busily feeding in shallow pools, no doubt re-fuelling before the next leg of their migration, and a walk along another coastal track revealed lots of Cowslips in bloom. The pleasant coconut scent of Gorse filled the air and, as we concentrated on the water surface of a coastal pool, no fewer than 3 otters could be seen – eventually at such close range that you could hear the splash as they dived in search of food. They were all fairly small, so presumably last year’s cubs. Two of them were staying close to each other, feeding and surfacing together, but the third was on its own. Maybe a young male, starting to feel the need to hold his own solitary territory? The one thing we do know is that they entertained us for nearly an hour before heading across to a remote corner of the pool and out of sight.

As May progresses, our Druridge and Otter Safaris play a prominent role in our calendar and 2 otter safaris at the end of the month are sold out already. Why not join us on Saturday 16th? We’ve got just 2 places left.

Today was hectic. First thing this morning I drove up to Otterburn Mill for an Outdoor Show follow-up meeting, and the start of planning for next year’s show. Then back to the office and a photo-shoot for Living North magazine – followed immediately by another photo-shoot, this time for The Journal. As a keen photographer myself, it was really interesting to see these professionals at work. Once my afternoon in front of the camera was done, I was back out again, this time to a meeting at the Wansbeck Business Centre. And, dotted in amongst all of this were enquiries about our Dawn Chorus Walk and Northumbrian Breakfast this coming Sunday. The day is fast approaching, but there’s still time to book your place, so give us a call on +44 (0)1670 827465 and come and join us on an excellent wildlife-friendly arable farm.

…is what you get when you forget to reset your alarm clock to your usual getting up time 🙁 Our local Blackbirds had risen before me though, and were singing their beautiful melodies from around our house and garden. Young Blackbirds have been appearing for several weeks already and the contest between the adult males continues, with the right to father a 2nd or even 3rd brood being the ultimate prize. Even as I type this, there’s a remarkable stand-off in the Ash tree at the bottom of our garden; no less than 5 adult male Blackbirds all sitting and eyeing each other warily. Perhaps they all turned up in the battleground of our garden at the same time and can’t decide who they should be disputing the territory with? Settling it by song seems so much more appropriate than all the flailing feathers, waving wings and stabbing beaks. As memorable as the Dawn Chorus may be, it’s a serious business for the birds.

Yesterday I led a hastily-arranged Druridge mini-safari for Pat and Noel, clients from Duluth, Minnesota. After several days of the best weather we could wish for earlier in the week, it had all changed; strong cold south-easterly winds and coastal mist gave the area more of a ‘migrant’ feel. The beach at Newbiggin allowed us to start with a masterclass in gull identification. At least four Mediterranean gulls were present, but none of them the nice, easy, white-winged, black-headed adults. No, these were all immature birds with patchwork plumage and needing an appreciation of structure and feather topography in order to easily separate them from the Black-headed Gulls. That’s the sort of thing that gets a lot of birders excited though. Our birdwatching tour continued up the coast and, probably the bird of the day, a stunning summer-plumaged male Bar-tailed Godwit, sitting alongside a much more subtly-coloured female. A brief detour off the beaten track to a colony of Tree Sparrows revealed lots of Wheatears in the grassy fields, followed by another ID session – this time on Rook, Carrion Crow and Jackdaw. More waders and wildfowl were studied at great length, and male Stonechat and Reed Bunting sitting alongside one another were much appreciated. Skylarks were singing throughout the bay, and one eventually landed a short distance away before walking right by the Landrover, allowing close study of it’s remarkably intricate plumage. Back down to Newbiggin and a quick check revealed that the Bar-tailed Godwits had departed, presumably due to the persistent harassment that they were suffering from the gulls when we were watching them earlier in the morning. It’s always a real pleasure to lead trips for birders from overseas, not least because it makes me look at all of our common birds much more intently than usual.

Magpies. Traditionally regarded as a bad omen, and in modern times blamed for the disappearance of many of our songbirds. Now, it may not be particularly pleasant to see a blackbird egg or chick removed from it’s nest and eaten on your garden lawn, but it is a part of the natural order of the world around us. Predators don’t (with very few exceptions) have a significant impact on the population of their prey. They can’t, otherwise what would they eat? Even very young children will have been introduced to the, admittedly simple, idea of a pyramid of numbers; millions of leaves feed thousands of caterpillars feed hundreds of Blue Tits feed a pair of Sparrowhawks. There’s a balance, that is obvious to anyone who spends time watching our wildlife, so it was interesting to hear a spokesman for Songbird Survival, on BBC Breakfast yesterday, denying that such a balance exists. Alongside him was Chris Packham, who thankfully does know what he’s talking about.

Calls for legalised control of predators (or increased control of species which can legally be controlled already) are a long way from either understanding the problem or proposing a viable solution. Sparrowhawks (which have featured in so many of my blog entries) are often brought into conversations that appear to be ostensibly about Magpies. If, heaven forbid, legalised control of Sparrowhawks is ever allowed (although, for once, the input of the EU is to be welcomed as there are very stringent laws relating to wild birds) then what next; Buzzards? Peregrines? Hen Harriers? If you search the internet you can find proposals to control the Hen Harrier population. Remarkable, considering that illegal persecution led to only 10 successful nesting attempts in England in 2008. Myself and Sarah are involved in Hen Harrier nest-monitoring and we have a raptor study area in southwest Northumberland as well. Northern Experience Wildlife Tours clients always, without fail, get excited when they see raptors; whether it’s a close view of a Kestrel sitting on a telegraph pole, a Buzzard (or two…or three…or four) soaring over a conifer plantation or a Peregrine carving it’s way through a coastal flock of waders. We should celebrate that we share this planet with such magnificent creatures, which brings us back to the Magpie; take a close look at one, try to forget the occasionally unsavoury habits, and just marvel at the beauty.

On Thursday I was the birdwatching guide for another Nature Tourism workshop based in the Tees Valley. It was cold and misty and, although the Common (Harbour) Seals we searched for couldn’t be found, we had excellent views of 7 Avocets and a Little Ringed Plover as well as a brief sighting of a Brown Hare. Friday was occupied with admin work and preparations for a night away from home in Stirling. After sampling the delights of Stirling town centre on a Friday night, I set off this morning for some off-road training in a Landrover Defender 110 (a new version of the model that has carried so many Northern Experience Wildlife Tours clients around Northumberland). What can I say? Letting the vehicle take itself up steep inclines on the off-road course was eye-opening. Time to add a few more green lanes to our inland routes I think.

I saw my first Swallow of the year on Thursday, Sarah saw hers on Friday and today they were everywhere. We managed to fit in some birdwatching and wildlife observations while away from home as well; Red Kites near Doune were busy scrapping above the woodland, Gannets soaring over the Bass Rock could be seen with the naked eye from the car, Sarah found a Brown Hare near the 4×4 course and there were Roe Deer by the A1 near Holy Island on our way back south.

I left home this morning in fairly heavy fog. The forecast was for inland areas of Northumberland to have bright, sunny weather during the day so I wasn’t too concerned. However, as I headed up towards Whitelee, to collect our clients for today’s Kielder Safari, my confidence began to wane. Two Snipe flew across the road in front of me as I passed the entrance to Whitelee Moor NWT Reserve so,once we were heading south again, that was our first stop. At least three birds were calling but failing to reveal themselves in the quite ethereal mist. Down the A68 and the fog worsened but we still managed to get excellent views of Lapwing, Curlew and a very surprised Buzzard that was sitting in a roadside field. As the visibility improved we had close views of a Goshawk as it glided menacingly between plantations and several Buzzards began soaring as temperatures rose. While we were close to Kielder Water the weather turned warm and sunny. Red Squirrel foraging around a tree close to the road was a popular sight, as was a drake Mandarin; remarkable to think that this native of China and Japan now has a population close to Northern Europe’s largest man-made lake in central Northumberland. Birdwatching in Kielder is never dull; there may not be a vast number of species, but with Goshawk, Mandarin, Crossbill and Goosander among others there’s a lot of quality. The final leg of our journey was across the Forest Drive and back to Whitelee – still shrouded in mist and where those Snipe were still playing hard to get.