It was the walk that had nearly everything…that Northumberland’s weather could throw at us. As part of the Rothbury Walking Festival we were leading a 4.5 mile evening walk from Rothbury, along the River Coquet, through Newtown, Whitton Hillhead, Whitton and then back to Rothbury.
With glorious sunshine as our 14 participants gathered, black clouds massing ominously as we set out, gale force winds and driving rain when we were just a few hundred yards from our starting point and a spectacular double rainbow over Rothbury, we were really only missing snow and fog.
Sedge Warblers, Willow Warblers, Song Thrushes and Chaffinches were singing along the route, Swallows were trying to feed, while all the time being pursued by their recently fledged offspring and Woodpigeons, Rooks, Carrion Crows and Jackdaws were loafing around or feeding in the grassy fields.
A stunning male Yellowhammer perched on a fence and allowed everyone a good long look at him. As he belted out his song, one of our walkers was incredulous about the description of it as ‘little bit of bread and nooooo cheese’, and suggested the alternative of ‘take off my socks and tickle myyyyyy feet’ 🙂
As we dropped back off the hills towards Rothbury, a family party of at least 9 Great Tits moved through the trees ahead of us, Siskins called but remained out of sight and the first drops of the next rain shower began to fall.