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.