Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

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  • Interpreting; Otter Safari 16/09/2015

    I’ve been finding and observing wildlife for well over 40 years, and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s that other wildlife will (almost) always be better at it than I am…

    Day four for Clare and Peter was an Otter Safari, and we collected Chris and Mel, and David and Mike, from Church Point before starting our search of Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland.  I planned to follow our usual strategy at our first site, which is to move on if we haven’t found an Otter within the first hour.  55 minutes in and it wasn’t looking good; everybody else was watching an assortment of waders and wildfowl, and I was staring intently at an almost birdless stretch of water.  Then some movement; a flock of Tufted Duck drifted away from the bankside vegetation where they’d been dozing.  They turned, stared towards where they’d been disturbed from and then drifted back.  Another minute and they left again, this time in a tight flotilla.  By now I was confident that we were going to find our quarry in the first 90 minutes of the trip.  Sure enough, an Otter soon surfaced a few metres away from the ducks and we watched it feeding for 45 minutes before we lost it from view behind bankside vegetation 🙂

    The rest of the afternoon was a tableaux of angry birds.  First a Greenshank took a vigorously intolerant approach towards a juvenile Ruff in a ‘scope filling squabble. As daylight faded into the magical light of dusk and a Common Snipe, glorious in low golden sunlight, gave uncharacteristically obliging views close to male and female Ruff and a healthy sprinkling of Little Grebe, the Grey Heron took centre stage.  Gangly, scruffy, ungainly juvenile Herons, tussling over the best feeding spots, ventured from the reed edge as light levels rendered them elegant; stalking the shallows, squawking and croaking in flight, each maintaining their own individual feeding territory as detail faded to silhouette and a flock of Curlew, heralding their arrival with piercing cries, circled before thinking better of it and vanishing into the gloom.

  • Wilderness; North Pennines Safari 15/09/2015

    Little sign of human habitation, miles and miles of rolling hills, heather moorland and the occasional small stream and isolated lough for additional interest.  A day in the North Pennines is an intriguingly different prospect after a couple of days on the coast…

    I collected Clare and Peter from The Swan and we headed southwest into the interior wilderness of the North Pennines.  Our main target for the day didn’t put up the elusive fight that I expected, as we were no sooner on higher ground than Peter spotted a Greyhen sitting on a dry stone wall.  A Blackcock was feeding in the rough pasture nearby, and suddenly broke off to engage in a couple of minutes of unexpected solo display.  More Black Grouse followed throughout the day and Red Grouse popped up in the heather every few metres.  Kestrels hovered over the fells, Common Buzzards soared along ridges and a flock of Golden Plover was an unexpected find.  Swallows swooped low over streams, fattening up in preparation for the long journey ahead of them, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Lapwing, Teal and Wigeon were around the edges of a lough in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall and the day wouldn’t have been complete without a charm of Goldfinches 🙂

  • Searching; Lindisfarne Safari 14/09/2015

    When we’re heading to the coast, and a generally easterly wind is accompanied by mist and drizzle, my pulse starts racing…

    I collected Clare and Peter from The Swan and we headed north to collect Phil and Susan from the Lindisfarne Hotel.  Holy Island can be a migrant hotspot, and the number of Song Thrushes suggested that there had been a recent arrival.  Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Robin, Dunnock, Linnet and Blackbird were all in the Vicar’s Garden, along with Pied and Spotted Flycatchers that were so busy being intolerant of each other that they weren’t doing too much flycatching.  Walking along the lonnens produced Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch and more Robins then we settled into position to scan the mudflats.  Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Ruff, Dunlin, Little Egret, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit scoured the oozing mud and silvery creeks as the mournful wailing of Grey Seal carried on the breeze and Brent Geese, Wigeon and Teal shifted position as the rising tide disturbed them from the water’s edge.

    In the shadow of Bamburgh Castle, as the weather deteriorated, Knot, Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper were picking their way through piles of seaweed as Eider rode effortlessly over the waves just beyond them and the heavy drizzle brought an end to our day.

  • Persistence; Druridge Bay Safari 13/09/2015

    Birdwatching is a mosaic of challenges; gulls, raptors, waders and seawatching can all test your ID skills, but at least you can usually see the bird…

    I collected Clare and Peter from The Swan for the first of their 5 consecutive days out with NEWT, and we headed across to the coast.  An impressive charm of Goldfinch grabbed our attention and led us to a big flock of Linnet and a ploughed field sprinkled with Curlew.  Ruff, Redshank, Dunlin, Oystercatcher and Lapwing patrolled the edges of ponds and the seashore whilst Greylag Geese, and our first Pink-footed Geese of the autumn, added a touch of brown to the green fields; a taste of things to come.  Red Fox cubs were chasing each other through long grass in the afternoon sun and a Hobby raced by, but it was midday that brought challenge, and reward…

    Woodland birding, with dense foliage and dappled sunlight, can be a frustrating undertaking but we knew that the rewards were in there somewhere.  Brief glimpses of Firecrest and Pied Flycatcher gave way to much better views of the Firecrest as it slowed it’s headlong dash through the trees and settled into one small area, pausing frequently in full view 🙂  One of the sparkling jewels of autumn birding, it eventually moved out of sight and we walked back along the track.  Peter spotted movement in a willow, and a Yellow-browed Warbler graced us with it’s presence for a few seconds, flycatching around the branches of a hawthorn.  Not a bad start to the autumn 🙂

  • When the wind blows; Whales, waders and wildfowl 4-7/09/2015

    Last weekend was our ‘Whales, waders and wildfowl’ mini-break, with an extension to include our Farne Deeps pelagic.

    Day -1 (Friday 04/09/15).  A late cancellation left Sandra and Linda as the only guests on the holiday, and with conditions unsuitable for being offshore, we headed to the far north of the county.  Fulmars and Gannets were battling into the stiff breeze and Eiders were riding the deep troughs and towering crests of the waves that were pounding the shoreline.  Bar-tailed Godwit busied themselves along the water’s edge and the eerie moaning of Grey Seal and haunting cries of Curlew, carried on the rushing wind, enveloped us in the atmosphere of Holy Island in the early autumn.  By mid-afternoon, the wind had died down and the sea was calming – had the forecasters got it wrong…

    Day 1 (Saturday 05/09/15).  04:00 and I wake up to the sound of a strengthening northerly 🙂  Throughout the day, we were close to the sea and could see the amount of swell close to the shore.  Linnets, Goldfinches, Meadow Pipits and Greenfinches were tossed like leaves on the breeze as they ventured from the cover of bushes along the dunes, a stunning male Stonechat looked equally uncomfortable and Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit were roosting facing into the wind as Grey Herons sat motionless and a Little Egret still radiated elegance as it’s feathers were disarranged by the now rather stiff wind.  Always impressive, a male Marsh Harrier flew by before vanishing over a distant ridge, and the day finished with Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Mallard, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and 30 Little Grebes.

    Day 2 (Sunday 06/09/15).  No breeze, bright warm sunshine 🙂  An extraordinary contrast to the preceding days, and with close views of Cormorant and Eider as they dived in calm water.  The Cormorants spent a lot of time standing with wings spread in heraldic pose, drying them before heading back into the water, always an impressive sight.  Wigeon, Gadwall, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe and Mute Swan were swimming lazily around in the afternoon sunshine and a huge flock of gulls, roosting, bathing and following the plough, exploded into the air like a burst eiderdown as a Common Buzzard drifted over.  Dinner at the excellent Ashianna in Bedlington ended the holiday after three great days with Sandra and Linda 🙂

    Our next holiday is Winter Wonderland in early December, so give us a call on 01670 827465 to find out more and to book your place now 🙂

  • Autumn passage; Northumberland Coast Bespoke Birdwatching 01/09/2015

    The start of the month brought returning clients, David and Mary who were out with us in 2009 and 2012 and who we see at the Bird Fair each August.

    Starting at Newbiggin we set out south down the coast and soon found ourselves standing on a track with nine Blackbirds ahead of us, along with Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Linnets and House Sparrows.  Little Grebes slept and dived as young Grey Herons stalked along the water’s edge and demonstrated just how inelegant they are in flight – and especially in landing 🙂  A lunchtime stop overlooking the North Sea produced rafts of Eider, Fulmars arcing effortlessly over the waves and a Harbour Porpoise feeding just offshore as Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Turnstone explored the shoreline.  The afternoon was dominated by waders; Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Lapwing, Ruff, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin. Greenshank, Oystercatchers arriving for their high-tide roost stunning in beautiful light against a dark brooding sky and Common Snipe demonstrating their exceptional camouflage in amongst clumps of rush.  Stonechats flicked their tails nervously from precarious perches on barbed wire and Goldfinches, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs swarmed in rank vegetation and nearby trees.

    See you at the Bird Fair next year 🙂

  • Creepy crawlies;Druridge Bay mini-safari 15/08/2015

    The easiest wildlife to engage with is often the small stuff that we might walk by on our way to search for something bigger…

    I collected Flora, Pete, Katie (‘the Awesome’!), Joe and Madeleine from Church Point and we set out for a morning exploring around Druridge Pools.  Once I’d armed everyone with sample pots, hand lenses and magnifiers, Ragwort was scrutinised closely for Cinnabar moth caterpillars and they were soon tracked down and subjected to close inspection.  Spiders, slugs, snails, bees, hoverflies and a Small Copper butterfly were also potted and looked at in detail.  Much further along the size spectrum, Black-tailed Godwits and Grey Herons offered ‘scope-filling views and empty Swallow nests were easily accessible.  Common Darters stayed just beyond our reach, and soon a whole morning had passed and it was time to head back to Newbiggin.

    Our family wildlife safaris are carefully tailored to keep all ages engaged and we’ve got lots of options including mini-beasting, badger-watching and bat detecting.  Give us a call on 01670 827465 to see what we can do for you 🙂

  • Eight year itch; Otter Safari 18/07/2015

    It’s always a pleasure when clients who haven’t met before get on so well with each other.  Of course they always have a shared interest in wildlife, and other shared interests feature regularly (camping, walking and cycling in particular), and long quests in search of an elusive species soon become a talking point…

    I arrived at Church Point for an afternoon/evening search for Otters, and quickly met up with John, then Lucy, Matt and Graham and finally Kate.  Conversation quickly turned to Otters, and the pressure was ramped up when Kate revealed that her attempts to see an Otter had stretched over several holidays…and eight years 🙂  Conditions weren’t promising – a howling wind that was tossing Starlings and Lapwings around and a male Marsh Harrier was battling into the breeze, almost at a standstill.  Whitecaps on a pond is never a situation that fills me with joy on an Otter safari, and we continued checking all of the likely locations.  Mediterranean Gull, Avocet, Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Little Grebe and Yellow Wagtail were all added to the bird list for the day, Kate spotted a Red Fox creeping into the reeds, but there was still no sign of the sinuous predator.  Early evening, the conditions changed 🙂  The wind died off and the sea was suddenly very calm, so much so that we were able to enjoy watching Harbour Porpoises from our picnic spot.  Things were looking up…

    We settled into position at the site where I’d planned to spend the last couple of hours of daylight, enjoying a chat with Cain, then the day suddenly got really interesting.  First a Barn Owl, white death on silent wings, ghosted by just a few metres away from us.  I concentrated on an area of water with very few birds on it – often a good indication that there’s something the birds are unhappy about.  Scan left to right – two Little Grebes sleeping, scan right to left – two Little Grebes sleeping, scan left to right – three Little Grebes sleeping?  The third Little Grebe didn’t look quite right…which wasn’t a surprise as it was an Otter with just it’s nose sticking up through the blanket of weed on the water’s surface 🙂  A quick text to Cain and he joined us again, and the Otter entertained us for an hour.  Emotional at seeing her first Otter, Kate still grabbed her camera, pointed it down the eyepiece of our ‘scope and started filming it 🙂  The magic continued, as a Long-eared Owl flew around the edge of the bushes in front of us before perching on a fence post, baleful orange eyes staring at us.  Then a second Otter swam across in front of us, while the first one was still hunting in the darkening gloom and the eeirie cries of Curlew coming to roost cut through the chill evening air.

  • Seawatching; Druridge Bay mini-safari 16/07/2015

    Thursday’s second mini-safari was around NEWT’s local patch of Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland.

    I arrived at Church Point to collect Mike, and we started with a scan of the sea in search of White-beaked Dolphin.  It was a bit on the choppy side for observing cetaceans, but there was an obvious movement of seabirds heading north.  Mike soon picked up two birds away to the south, and we watched as these adult Pomarine Skuas passed close by the point.  Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Gannets, Great Skua and 200 Manx Shearwaters passed by in just over 90 minutes and three Arctic Skuas were harrassing terns in the bay.  Common Scoter were also heading north and what had started as a search for Otters, with a scan of the sea for dolphins, had morphed into a fantastic seawatch with an accompaniment of summer-plumaged Turnstone and Golden Plover 🙂

  • In the summertime; Lindisfarne mini-Safari 16/07/2015

    Thursday was to be a day of two mini-safaris, and I arrived at Holy Island to collect David and Larraine for the first of those.

    Lindisfarne offers remarkable birdwatching during the winter months, but in the height of summer it’s chief features of interest lie in the flowers and invertebrates resplendent in the Northumbrian sunshine.  Marsh Helleborine, Common Spotted Orchid, Common Restharrow, Viper’s Bugloss and Cottongrass were all in bloom, and an accompanying cast of butterflies included Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Dark Green Fritillary, Ringlet and Common Blue.  An unexpected find was a juvenile Wheatear, and the morning had passed by almost in an instant.  Time to head home, for a few hours in the office before our second mini-safari.