Tag: Redshank

  • Punk’s not dead; Otter mini-Safari 22/01/22

    Yesterday was our first mini-Safari this year, after filling the first three weeks of the year with stargazing events and all of the planning for other projects we’re going to be involved in this year, so it was great to meet up with Clare and Lisa, then Monica and Michael, for a few hours around…

  • Waxing and Murmuring; Druridge Bay Safari 19/11/19

    I arrived in Newbiggin to collect Colin and Charlotte for a day around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland, but sadly not Tony who’d had a fall earlier in the week and wasn’t able to be on the trip with us… On calm water Little Grebes were constantly diving as a Kingfisher flew by and settled…

  • Quick start; Otter Safari 20/08/19

    I collected Jo from Newbiggin for her 2nd day out with NEWT and we set off for an afternoon and evening around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland searching for Otters… As we set off I decided to change the order that we’d visit our usual sites…and it paid off almost immediately with an Otter cub…

  • Cold westerlies; Otter Safari 29/03/19

    There was a chilly breeze as I collected Kev and Heidi from Newbiggin ahead of an afternoon and evening around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland, but the weather is otherwise quite pleasant at the moment… A Cormorant in proper heraldic pose was well appreciated, as they always are, as Goldeneyes and Little Grebes dived in…

  • A herd of pygmies; Otter mini-Safari 26/03/19

    I collected Jennie and Dean from Newbiggin and we set out for a few hours exploring Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland… A chilly westerly wind kept temperatures down and the wildlife was a mixture of winter and spring; Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser and flocks of Mallard, Teal and geese were a lingering reminder of the big…

  • Early spring 🙂 Otter mini-Safari 23/03/19

    Arriving in Newbiggin to collect Jonathan and Emily & Scot and Sam, there was chilly breeze but a definite feel of changing season in the air… Cormorants were roosting on fallen trees in the river and with a big tide they soon found their tail feathers and feet getting wet 🙂 Oystercatchers, Redshank, Lapwing and…

  • Dabbling in duck ID 😉 Druridge Bay Safari 28/02/19

    I collected Toni and Tom from Newbiggin and we headed off to explore NEWT’s local patch, Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland… Late winter often features wildfowl expressing their affection, and yesterday was no exception. Drake Goldeneye and drake Red-breasted Mergansers were enthusiastically following ducks around and a violent altercation between two Mute Swans eventually ended…

  • Waiting for the weather; Druridge Bay Bespoke Birdwatching 13/08/18

    With a fairly awful weather forecast for Sunday, we’d rescheduled Linda and Peter’s day with NEWT around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland for Monday, where the forecast suggested it would rain until lunchtime and then improve after that… Pre-lunch it was indeed lovely weather for ducks and Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and Tufted Duck all…

  • Feels like autumn 😉 Druridge Bay Safari 19/08/18

    Collecting Rosie and Ben for an afternoon and evening around NEWT’s local patch, Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland, the weather looked ever so slightly murky… Ben was armed with his D500 and 200-500mm lens (I’ve seen several copies of that lens in action now but still not pulled the trigger on purchasing one myself yet…)…

  • Into the arena; North Pennines Safari 03/05/18

    After collecting David from Newbiggin we headed across to Hexham and quickly found Becky, for her 2nd day out with NEWT, and then Emma and Rob before heading into the North Pennines, with one particular experience high on everybody’s wish list for the day… In a bitterly cold westerly wind, birds were mainly keeping their…