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Hazy, lazy afternoon; North Pennines Safari 17/05/18
I collected James and Emma from Hexham and we headed into the North Pennines for a day searching for the flora and fauna of the hills and moorland… We were soon watching our first Black Grouse of the day, which remarkably also proved to be our only Black Grouse of the day, as Common Snipe…
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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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A wet day in the borders; Kielder Safari 17/04/18
I collected Gordon and Mandy from The Battlesteads for their 5th day out with NEWT and we headed towards Kielder. The forecast suggested occasional showers, so I was hopeful that the breaks in the rain would encourage raptors to be up and about… 6 hours later the rain eventually stopped 🙂 We’d had views of…
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Localised weather systems; Cheviot Valleys group birdwatching 11/07/17
Watching the weather forecast on the breakfast news, I was confident that any rain we encountered on our day in the Cheviot Valleys would be quickly passing showers… As I collected Mike and the other 12 members of his group from Belford there was a steady drizzle, and I was questioning the forecast already 😉…
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Stoatally amazing 😉 Druridge Bay Safari 16/06/17
I collected Eileen, Malcolm and Ben from Newbiggin and we headed up the coast for a day around Druridge Bay… We started a bit further north, with Fulmars and Kittiwakes battling the breeze as Common Whitethroats sang from deep cover and Shelduck sat on the sea far below our clifftop position. Common Swifts were heading…
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Making the most of the weather; Bespoke Cheviots Safari 08/06/17
I have a bit of an obsession with the weather. It can have a real influence on the outcome of our trips and we always try to be as flexible as we possibly can. If the forecast is really poor we always offer clients the option of rescheduling; either for a different time on the…
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Localised; Bespoke coastal birdwatching 06/06/17
I left the house to head to Newbiggin to collect Andy and Caroline, ahead of an afternoon and evening around Druridge Bay and south east Northumberland, in weather that was slightly less than pleasant with heavy drizzle covering the windscreen in flowing water every few seconds… …12 minutes later and I’m Newbiggin, where all the…
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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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Larking about; Druridge Bay bespoke birdwatching 22/05/17
Yesterday was Pete and Jan’s 10th trip with us, and we were heading for NEWT’s local patch… Travelling south from Embleton we stopped off to enjoy cliffs covered in Fulmar and Kittiwake before stopping off at Boulmer to search for the Shorelark. We watched a small flock of these fantastic birds during the winter, but…