-
Starry, starry night
We were in Wooler last night, quite close to one of our favourite areas of Northumberland – the Harthope Valley. The road into the valley was closed for a time after the devastating floods of early September, but is thankfully re-opened now. Looking into the darkness of the hills around us my mind was transported…
-
The magical hour
We’re sitting quietly, dressed in full camo, overlooking a badger sett. Red Squirrels are leaping through the nearby hawthorns, oblivious to our presence; we’re privileged to watch as they quietly snuggle down into their dreys, close to our lookout position. Daylight is drawing to a close and Blackbirds, Goldcrests and Coal Tits suddenly increase their…
-
While Martin was out…
Martin was leading an Otter and Red Kite safari today, and I wasn’t feeling well so stayed at home. No sooner was he out of the house than I looked out of the office window and saw a Red Squirrel in our apple tree! Normally they run around a bit and quickly disappear into the…
-
Like a millpond
Today featured two very unusual occurences; a mid-November boat trip and all three of the Northern Experience guides on one trip together. Watching the weather forecasts for the last few days meant that we were confident the trip would go ahead; and our confidence wasn’t misplaced. Twelve enthusiastic participants gathered at Seahouses harbour at 10am…
-
Shall I compare thee to…
No, I’m not going all Shakespearean. Just wondering how I would describe Newbiggin to somebody who has never been there. That particular train of thought arose yesterday morning while I was engaged in an ultimately fruitless search for the Desert Wheatear that had been on the golf course for the last few days. I followed…
-
A day in the office isn’t so bad…
…when, outside the window, there are Coal, Blue, Great, Long-tailed and Willow Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Bullfinches, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves, Starlings, House Sparrows, Robins, Wrens, Dunnocks, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Blackbirds and Red Squirrels. Unfortunately, I’m easily distracted by the comings and goings around our battery of bird feeders, so I often only really get…
-
The characteristic autumn experience?
Arriving in Morpeth at 12:30 yesterday, I collected a family for a wildlife tour of southeast Northumberland. The trip was (supposed to be) a surprise birthday present, but the cat had been let out of the bag. First up was a wander along the River Blyth, top spot for Red Squirrels and Otters. We did…
-
Gems from the east
I was working over near Haltwhistle yesterday, without my pager (the source of rare, and not so rare, bird news). Getting back to the office at 2pm, there was a missed call from Sarah…who was more up-to-date with rarity news than I was. Red-flanked Bluetail on Holy Island!! This eastern gem (the bluetail, not Sarah)…
-
Why do I enjoy…
cold, damp, misty autumn evenings? Perhaps it’s the ethereal nature of the world around me, shrouded in a hazy cloak…roving tit flocks moving along hedgerows…corvids heading to roost…blackbirds alarm-calling when you disturb them…hedgehogs snuffling amongst fallen leaves…the high pitched flight calls of Redwings, invisible in the gloom…foxes purposefully following their regular routes…and then, drying out…
-
A ray of light and a tide of black
I went to check on one of our regular sites for foxes, close to Ashington, this afternoon. It wasn’t easy to tell that dusk was approaching, because it had been murky, misty and drizzly all day. A flock of Canada and Greylag Geese seemed quite content and weren’t giving any indication that they’d spotted a…