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Everything ‘adding’ up to a great day; Cheviot Valleys Bespoke Birdwatching 28/03/19
Yesterday was Sue’s 9th day out with NEWT, and the first time we’d headed into the Cheviot Valleys together… In warm sunshine and under blue skies we started with a search for Adders. Sue’s sharp eyes spotted two, and we watched both from a respectful distance so they continued basking in roadside vegetation. Great Crested…
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In the bleak midwin…wait a minute 🙂 Kielder Safari 24/03/19
Yesterday’s Kielder Safari was filled with returning clients; Stephen on his 3rd trip, Andy and Jill on their 3rd and Gordon and Mandy on their 7th. We’d got one species in particular on the target list for the day… The forecast was for blustery showers but it started off fairly fine. Once we were out…
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…and more persistence 🙂 Bespoke Cheviot Valleys birdwatching 29/04/18
Driving towards Bywell to collect Peter and Pat for a day in the Cheviot Valleys I was considering the weather forecast that had suggested it would be dry, bright and breezy. I was mainly considering it because it was raining… Dippers were carrying food to their nests, and carrying faecal sacs away to throw in…
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Another raptor day 🙂 Kielder Safari 05/04/18
When we’ve got a day in and around Kielder and the Scottish Borders ahead of us what I’m hoping for is blue sky, not too much cloud and a nice breeze…exactly what we’d got as I collected Ian and Ian from Newbiggin, Joan and Jerry from Hexham and Duncan and Laura from Bellingham… As Chaffinches…
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Autumn arrivals; Otter Safari 04/10/17
There’s something special about birds with ‘Little’ in their name, unsurprisingly quite little and I can’t think of a single one that isn’t a delight to watch… I collected Calvin from Church Point ahead of an afternoon and evening around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland searching for Otters, and the first spots of drizzle were…
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You never know what’s around the corner; Cheviot Valleys Safari 01/06/17
Always expect the unexpected is a good philosophy to hold when you’re out and about searching for wildlife… I collected Steph from Kingston Park and we headed north for a morning exploring the Cheviot valleys. Along the streams and rivers Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail and Dipper were all sitting on rocks or flycatching, Willow Warbler…
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Black Grouse Bonanza Day 2; Cross-border birding
Saturday saw a much more relaxed start, at a much more civilised hour, for the second day of our Black Grouse Bonanza guided holiday. After another filling breakfast at Peth Head we set out for a day around Kielder and the Borders. With beautiful blue sky, fluffy white clouds and a nice breeze, it looked…
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Would you like to stroke my Badger?
On Saturday I was in the Kielder area with Sarah, collecting our new mountain bikes from Ian at The Bike Place. The weather was glorious; blue skies, sunshine – everything you would want on a day there with clients. Skip forward to Sunday morning… I collected Jon and Alison, Jill and Steve & Laura and…
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Another exclusive…or two
Friday saw us in the Cheviot Valleys, enjoying probably the best weather so far this year, leading another Prestige Tour. With a client fascinated by geology and botany it was an excellent day out, with the abiding memories being the chuckling of Red Grouse in the Harthope Valley and a yaffling Green Woodpecker at Alwinton,…