Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

Category: Northumberland

  • The overlap

    On Saturday we ventured into Kielder Forest, checking out some new sites for our forthcoming safari on March 24th. The weather was changeable, but we still found our first Sand Martin of the year, as well as Goosander, Mandarin, Merlin, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and plenty of Redwing and Fieldfare.

    Yesterday was WeBScount day, so we walked along the beach from Cresswell to East Chevington. It was so warm that hats and gloves weren’t required (for the first time in a long time). The beach was beautiful and clean and the weather was glorious; fluffy clouds against a deep blue sky above Druridge Bay. There were still plenty of birds as well, including a flock of 52 Sanderling charging up and down the edge of the surf like clockwork toys and 120 Wigeon resting on the sea. It won’t be too long before these winter visitors are on their way again but, for a few weeks now we’ll have the early summer visitors and the lingering wintering birds at the same time.

  • Signs of Spring

    06:30 – Martin woke from a good night’s sleep and sensed something different, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. The most obvious thing was that the sky wasn’t the deep black of a winter morning, but it was starting to get light already. 06:30? When did this start to happen? Then the dawning recognition…bird song. That was it; robins, blackbirds, chaffinches, mistle thrushes and song thrushes – all belting out their very own ballads as they tried to woo the ladies. As daylight took hold, the scene around the feeding station wasn’t quite how it has been recently. The blackbirds were fighting instead of feeding, our resident collared doves were nibbling each other instead of the seed that we provide for them – the long-tailed tits were feeding, but just the two of them instead of the dozen or so that usually encapsulate the feeders in a heaving ball of pink fluff.

    As we headed up the coast, the warm sunshine broke through the fluffy white clouds that were scudding across the sky, propelled by a wind that was chill enough to remind us that it is still the winter. A sprinkling of snowdrops decorated the roadside verges, another sign of new life after the heavy snow of recent weeks. And then, after a very productive and enjoyable photographic session near Bamburgh, on the journey home we passed fields of very small lambs. Does any creature revel in new life as much as these little balls of white wool as they dash headlong around the fields?

  • More BTO Atlas work

    We went up into Harwood today, to undertake our late-winter visit to two of the tetrads we’re surveying for Bird Atlas 2007-2011. The weather was fine, with big fluffy clouds against a beautiful blue sky, and quite warm; at least it was quite warm while we were out of the wind… The winter is a great time for a walk in the forests of Northumberland, although the density of birds is somewhat limited. A pair of Mistle Thrushes caught our attention and, as we scanned the area for more birds, a pair of Stock Doves were up and displaying, a single Skylark flew overhead and a Buzzard soared above the trees. With a strong breeze and excellent visibility we expected to find more raptors, and two Kestrels hovering over an area of clearfell were a good addition to the list. Inland winter birding is often characterised by periods of nothing, interspersed with sudden concentrations of birds, and today was no different; after a long time with nothing to add to the list we came across a field that held 50 Fieldfares, 12 Redwings, 6 Mistle Thrushes, half a dozen each of Chaffinches and Goldfinches and a single Song Thrush. A pair of Stonechats ‘chacked’ angrily at us and flicked their tails as we had the temerity to cross their clearfell territory. The best was yet to come though; as we walked along the forest rides a Great Spotted Woodpecker flushed from close by and we rounded the edge of a plantation…and our ears were assailed by the maniacal screaming of a male Goshawk who had been sunning himself near the top of a spruce tree and didn’t take too kindly to being disturbed. His escape route was across a clearfell so we enjoyed the best views we’ve ever had of this phantom of the forest. When our Kielder trips begin on March 24th, this will be one of our target species; powerful, secretive but always impressive.

  • Change is all around

    There has been a noticeable change in the weather over the last couple of days with much warmer temperatures clearing away the snow that had fallen so hard at the end of last week. We may even avoid any frosts over the coming nights too. Being out and about over the weekend we saw our first snowdrops of the year, blanketing the ground in swathes of green and white as they did indeed push up through the snow and frozen ground to make us all think of spring. Skeins of Pink-footed Geese were heading north over Druridge Bay yesterday, perhaps already departing the wintering grounds in Norfolk, and Martin demonstrated his ability to pick up flyover birds on call as he pinpointed a small movement of Skylarks, presumably now dispersing from the large flocks in which they spend the winter (it’s a shame he isn’t so good at picking up the close range voice of his wife…). It’s noticeable too that the evenings are staying lighter for longer and dawn is getting earlier, giving all of our wildlife more daylight hours in which to feed up for the biggest change of all; getting ready to breed and raise the next generation. Collared Doves are cooing and preening on our extension roof, and spending more time near to last year’s nest.

    With this in mind we were pleased to hear of proposals to reintroduce set aside; the scheme where farmers are encouraged to leave part of their farms free from production to enable nature to take over, which provides plenty of food for some of our most endangered species such as Yellowhammer, Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrows and Skylarks. Introduced when European farmers were producing too much food, it was abandoned as food production became more critical. Reintroduction is planned on a voluntary basis, so let’s hope that room can be found for a little bit of nature to find its way back into our agricultural landscape to help support and conserve those declining species that were once so common.

  • Footprints in the Snow

    I returned home yesterday lunchtime, after having put in a few extra hours at work, to see that there was still a covering of snow in our garden. Martin had spent the morning watching a red squirrel bury hazelnuts in the garden and he was able to point out the tiny squirrel footprints to show where they had been. Along with the prints of blackbirds and other garden regulars there were some large bird footprints. Without a second thought we assumed that one of our neighbour’s chickens had come to take advantage of a free breakfast of spilled bird seed under our feeders.

    I was definitely ready for some fresh air in the afternoon and we decided to head out to see if we could find some more footprints in the snow before it all melted. Unfortunately, despite an icy chill in the air the snow was beginning to disappear and the only footprints that we could find were those of the many folk that had beaten us to it and their trusty four legged companions. We did have some excellent views from a local vantage point but as the afternoon wore on we were ready to head home for a warming mug of hot chocolate.

    As I was waiting for the kettle to boil I looked out into the garden as the feeders provided the local finch and tit population sustenance to make it through another sub-zero night. Then the owner of the large footprints in the snow wandered into view. Definitely a new addition to our garden bird list, and whilst by no means an unusual or rare bird, one that neither Martin nor myself would have predicted to be in our garden. Not one of our neighbour’s chickens but a Moorhen!

    We would love to hear of any unusual birds that you have seen in your garden over the recent cold spell; let us know by e-mailing us at: blog@newtltd.co.uk

  • Off the beaten track

    We went for a walk around our local woods this morning but decided to change from our usual route. An inspired decision as we found pine cones nibbled by squirrels and also located the trees where the crossbills that sometimes visit our garden were feeding. There have been a few reports recently of ‘small’ deer so we checked the plantation where they have been seen, but we couldn’t find any tracks or signs of them. A pile of woodpigeon feathers suggested a Sparrowhawk had eaten recently and we continued on our way. With the trees bare of leaves we counted at least 4 squirrel dreys and found what seems likely to be a Sparrowhawk nest as well. A squirrel sat above our heads, chattering angrily at the disturbance to his domain. Then we left the footpaths and set out to explore amongst the trees. A pile of chewed feathers showed evidence of the carcass having been eaten by a fox and we went deeper into the gloom of the denser part of the wood. Sarah was just photographing a fungus when we noticed movement through the undergrowth…and two Red Squirrels came charging headlong towards us. At the last minute they sprinted straight up the trunk of the tree that we were next to. So many secrets, so close to home. Seeing the familiar in a new light is really invigorating.

  • Big Garden Birdwatch

    This weekend is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. The easiest, most comfortable bird survey you are ever likely to be involved in. Our routine is always to fill all of our feeders the evening before then, after an extra hour in bed, make bacon or egg sandwiches for breakfast and settle down at the patio window for an hour watching the feeding station and all of the trees and bushes around the garden. As we started the count a flock of 12 Long-tailed Tits descended on the peanut cage. Not a bird we get on this survey every year, so a good start. Blue, Great and Coal Tits arrived and our next task was to try and count the maximum number of each species present at one time; not the easiest thing to do when they grab a seed from the feeder and hide amongst the branches to eat it. Greenfinch and Goldfinch have been very scarce in the garden this winter (worryingly, a number of our clients are reporting a similar situation from around the country) but both did eventually appear. Willow Tit is a bird that will not appear on many garden lists so we were pleased when one joined the masses. Sadly we didn’t find a Song Thrush, and it now seems to be completely absent from our garden. Having suffered a national decline of 63% over the last 30 years, the Big Garden Birdwatch is an important tool in monitoring the fortunes of this species, famous for the ‘thrush’s anvil’ on which it breaks open snail shells. With just two minutes of the survey remaining, bird number 63 (and species number 16) put an end to any further additions to the list; a female Sparrowhawk scythed through the feeding station and everything scattered. It really is easy to participate in this survey. Click the link above and, if you don’t manage to count your garden birds tomorrow, there’s always next year.

  • What’s in a name?

    I have recently been dipping into an old book that a friend had given to me when he was having a clear out. The book, published in 1936 is called “Birds of the Wayside and Woodland” and is a fascinating insight into a bygone age and just reading it can transport me back through the decades. It does give a fascinating insight, however, into names and how they have changed. I was particularly reminded of this today when we were travelling down the A19 to take Martin’s grandma out for lunch on her birthday. We passed fields of pheasants, and usually you may not give this colourful game bird a second glance, but look closely and you will see wide variation. These birds, which feature in the Northern Experience logo, are really quite remarkable. Some of the males can be almost black in colour and some have vividly marked neck rings whilst others have none. My book gives some indication as to the reason for this under the entry for Pheasant. It refers to two species: the “Common Pheasant” Phasianus colchicus, introduced into this country centuries ago, and the “Ring-necked Pheasant” Phasianus torquatus introduced more recently. Of course, the pheasants that we see now are a mixture of various species and races and it is impossible to distinguish their ancestry. One of the distinguishing features of all pheasants, the long tail, does mean that the name is given to other species, colloquially, and I was interested to read in my book of “Reed Pheasant” and “Sea Pheasant”. I had never heard of these species before but, turning to the relevant pages, all became clear. They referred to Bearded Tit and Pintail, respectively birds of reed and sea and both with long tails. Whilst Bearded Tit is a rare bird in Northumberland, Pintail can be seen off the Northumberland coast in winter and is a spectacular sight on our Lindisfarne safaris.

    Browsing through the book, I also got to discover some other local and now forgotten names for other bird species, for example ‘Black Curlew’ (Glossy Ibis – a rare visitor to Britain), ‘Common Bunting’ (Corn Bunting – now almost absent from Northumberland) and ‘Blueback’ (Fieldfare – a winter visitor from Scandinavia).

  • It must be getting warmer…

    …the sea’s starting to thaw.

    It was our pleasure today to take award-winning photojournalist Lee Karen Stow on a tour of the north Northumberland coast. It really was so cold that along the Holy Island causeway there were extraordinary ice formations where the incoming tide had frozen. Patches of snow amongst the Spartina were an unexpected sight as well. As the tide approached, the wading birds were all frantically feeding and allowed a very close approach. Pale-bellied Brent Geese moved along the shoreline in rippling waves and Wigeon, Teal, Red-breasted Merganser and Pintail were all part of the wildfowl throng. Common and Velvet Scoters were alongside Slavonian Grebe and Common Eider on the sea, and Oystercatchers, Grey Plovers, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers were gathering on the rocks as the tide lapped up. After a warming lunch of soup and a sandwich we headed south, looking for flocks of birds, gathering together for the night. Pink-footed Geese and Whooper Swans were feeding in roadside fields and a mixed flock of Whooper and Mute Swans made a precarious landing on the frozen pool at East Chevington. Further south, at Cresswell, waders flocked together in the middle of the frozen pond and ducks hid amongst the reeds. A mass of Wood Pigeons swirled overhead, and as we headed north again towards Alnwick a corvid roost of Jackdaws and Rooks was gathering. Amazingly, as the birds assemble in a pre-roost on the ground, all is silent, but as they move off towards their night time tree-top roosts they chatter loudly, no doubt informing each other of the day’s adventures. As night drew in we all thought of warming mugs of tea and coffee, warm slippers and a good night’s sleep.

  • Pillow talk

    05:55. Another 5 minutes until the alarm goes off, but we’re already awake…and in the churchyard across the road so are the Tawny Owls. This morning it sounds like a very clear territorial dispute between 2 males. Each tremulous hoot was answered by another bird slightly further away. Listening to Tawnies is one of the great pleasures of life – whether it’s the birds in our garden, the ones that start their nightime serenading while we’re out checking our fox and badger sites, the one that usually starts our winter bird race list or the male that on a May bird race responded to an imitation of it’s call by flying in to investigate and perched on a horizontal branch just above head height and only 20m away from us. Although the ‘ke-wick’ and ‘hooo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooo’ calls are typically given by the female and male respectively that isn’t always the case; the male uses the sharp contact call and the female can hoot, although it’s much coarser than the resonating beauty of the male’s song.

    Easy to hear, but difficult to see, although in May our Kielder trips will include a demonstration of Tawny Owl chicks being ringed (when there is a brood of the right age). In the meantime, why not listen near your local woodland and enjoy the aural world of the ‘Brown Owl’?