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The Nativity service is one that always puzzles me; I always feel a sense of serenity at the service but, for the main characters in the story, it must have been an incredibly stressful time. It could be an allegory of triumph of human will over adversity.

As we left the nativity service at the Church of the Holy Family, we couldn’t resist embarking on a wildlife search…after all, it was only 1am. Although serenaded by Tawny Owls, the other creatures of the night eluded us and we headed home to 2 days off work (not entirely true…we’ll be out and about finding and filming Northumberland’s wildlife). Then it’s back to work with a fully booked otter safari on 27th, another otter safari on 28th and Holy Island walks on 29th and 30th (an excellent way to enjoy our wildlife and walk off any excesses of the festive season).

All that remains now is to wish you all, wherever you are, a very Merry Christmas.

Heading inland from home, the first snow that I saw was as I reached Belsay. Following the road north, the white blanket on the verges deepened and the stands of conifers were bedecked in a remarkable checkerboard pattern; there was no doubt which direction the snow had arrived from. Buzzards perched on trees and fence posts, pheasants stalked along the roadside and a scattering of corvids crossed the road ahead of me; a tumbling mass of black specks against the white landscape which seemed to be an extension of the sky. Up through Otterburn, Rochester and Byrness, the expanse of Catcleugh Reservoir appeared to the left of the road and, shortly after paying my respects to the hardiness of the Whooper Swans, I turned up the crunchy, icy track to Whitelee. John Wilson and his sheepdogs were there to greet me and we set off on a walk around part of the farm. The sheer raw beauty of this remote corner of Northumberland was breathtaking; it may have been in the grip of the snow but there were still lots of birds, testament to the wildlife-friendly approach that John, and his wife Jill, have taken with their farm. Finches, tits, even a Stonechat was braving the cold. Best of all though, were the two Barn Owls; like ghostly white moths, one even ventured close to where we were standing and perched awhile, observing, studying, before resuming it’s silent flight along the wooded valley. Wrens headed to roost and up on the hill, surrounded by a snow-covered landscape, really was a place to get away from it all. As I drove back through the gathering gloom into the darkness of the winter’s night, I was gripped by the enchantment of Whitelee; what will I find there in the spring? what about on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust reserve at Whitelee Fell? so many questions, a reason to return – although I wouldn’t really need a reason…

Our Cheviot trips usually run from March/April to June, but tomorrow I’m on a mission to provide photo opportunities with grouse for two of our clients. I hadn’t been into the Cheviot valleys since the flooding of early September so I decided to make the most of the nice weather and head inland. A lot of the road is still showing the scars of the damage caused by the floods, but at least it was driveable. Huge numbers of Pheasant were scratting at the roadside, or sitting in the now bare bushes. Red Grouse were cackling away on the hillsides and eventually sitting out in the open, close to the road. Buzzards were hovering in their own lumbering way and the hills and valleys were illuminated by sublime sunlight as several patches of poor weather passed by. Probably best of all was that, after leaving the A697, I only saw 3 other people; all walking and in a position to appreciate the ever-changing landscape.

I diverted the journey home to include one of my favourite patches of moorland; with a remarkable panoramic view out over the sea it really is quite breathtaking. The hoped-for Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls didn’t materialise – perhaps the small mammal population of the moor is in a cyclical trough? I don’t know, but the one thing I do know is that I’ll keep going back; with every confidence that I’ll once again be rewarded with the sight of these magnificent birds floating effortlessly over the heather.

Saturday marked the culmination of the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club, with a conference and evening reception at the Civic Centre in Newcastle. Luckily the winds were from the southwest, so there was no sudden exit of delegates due to a major rarity turning up in the county!

The afternoon featured four speakers;
Mike Hodgson spoke about the first 50 years of the club
David Parkin highlighted important scientific papers published by NTBC members during the last 50 years
Mick Marquiss described three of his recent studies; White-tailed Eagles and lambs, Marine-foraging Ospreys and Sparrowhawks and Bullfinches
Colin Bradshaw looked in some detail at what the next 50 years may hold for birdwatchers

All of the speakers were inspirational in their own way.

The evening entertainment included a buffet and a birding quiz organised by Graeme Bowman. The winners of the NTBC 50th Anniversary Photo competition were also announced (judging this was not an easy task…);

Birds as Art – Black-necked Grebes by Ian Fisher
Bird Behaviour – Moorhens by Steve Barrett
Flight – Arctic Tern by Peter Tapsell
Rarities – Lesser Grey Shrike by Ian Fisher
Open – Red-breasted Merganser by Roger Forster

Best Portfolio – Ian Fisher
Best Image – Moorhens by Steve Barrett

I can honestly say, hand on heart, that being part of the organising committee for the last 16 months has been really enjoyable for both myself and Sarah. Here’s looking forward to 2058…

After the drenching at Druridge while assisting with Bioblitz, and the devastation visited upon Morpeth by the torrential rain on Saturday, what would Sunday bring? Well, as the easterly winds and rain coincided with an area of high pressure over Scandinavia, the most likely outcome would be a lot of migrants…and so it proved. A day spent at Newbiggin, with an ever increasing crowd of birdwatchers, produced a very tame Dotterel, a stunning male Red-breasted Flycatcher, a handful of Wrynecks and lots and lots of Wheatears, Redstarts, Willow Warblers etc. And then the sun came out and it was a beautiful afternoon on the coast, hard to believe that just a few miles away the clean-up operation in Morpeth was still ongoing.

I started yesterday with every intention of finishing my final species account for Birds in Northumbria 2007…but the great outdoors always has that magnetic pull, so I went to Druridge to assist Iain Robson for a few hours while he ran the Bird and Cetacean Watch as part of Bioblitz. The weather conditions weren’t exactly ‘ideal’ for sitting on top of the dunes so the hides were utilised instead. Despite the driving rain and strong winds we still managed to record some interesting species; Marsh Harrier, Common Buzzard, Cuckoo, Brown Hare and excellent, prolonged, views of an impressive dog Otter. I was cold and wet by the time I returned home later in the evening but will probably go and join Iain again for a few hours this morning (my NTBC pelagic has fallen victim to the weather…).