Northern Experience Wildlife Tours

Tag: Reed Bunting

  • Black Grouse Bonanza Day 1; Nothing to grouse about

    As I drove to Peth Head Cottage on Thursday afternoon, the rain was hammering against the car windscreen.  Friday’s forecast was good though so, after a meal at The Travellers Rest in Slaley, I reminded Derek and Deirdre that we would have an early start the next morning. 19/04/2013 05:00…the incessant ringing of the alarm…

  • Fireworks

    As a chemist I’ve found fireworks fascinating for some time.  While I was still teaching, I developed a series of demonstration experiments that illustrated how different colours are produced by varying the chemicals in the mix and managed, during one particularly spectacular demo, to set fire to a pile of homework and the surface of…

  • “I wish I hadn’t asked”

    Sunday was something quite different for NEWT, with a guided walk for 14.  We met Linda and her family, who had arrived from all parts of the UK to celebrate several special occasions in one weekend, in Druridge Bay and set out for a walk in rather nice weather.  One or two of the group had…

  • Returning

    Returning clients have been a bit of a theme this year, and I was really looking forward on Wednesday to be collecting Carolyn and Brian for a day of birdwatching in and around Kielder.  The weather was looking less than promising but, as I collected them from their holiday cottage in Cresswell with it’s stunning view out…

  • Here for the weather?

    Just as I arrived at Harkess Rocks to collect Andy and Helen for an afternoon of birdwatching around the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the North Northumberland coast, the first drops of sleety rain began splattering on the windscreen.  We haven’t really had any sort of winter yet, apart from an hour of snow on December…

  • Beginner’s Birdwatching 16/10/11

    I collected Ruth and Margaret from The Swan for their second trip with us; this time a half-day Beginner’s Birdwatching trip around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland.  After scouring some bushes where we could hear a roving tit flock, and enjoying excellent views of a flock of Tree Sparrows in the beautiful sunshine, we visited…

  • A little otter on Friday

    Our fifth safari in four days had been arranged as a birthday present and I collected Barry and Maureen from Ponteland before starting with our usual southeast Northumberland birdwatching woodland walk.  The ‘Red vs Grey’ conundrum occupied our conversation as we enjoyed excellent views of a Red Squirrel.  As we walked by a wonderful hay meadow…

  • Thursday (part 1); summer morning birdwatching

    An early start on Thursday saw us close to home, birdwatching in southeast Northumberland.  6am at Church Point as I collected Mick and Helen was sublime; warm, still and very quiet.  Starting with a woodland walk we had excellent views of Red Squirrel and Great Spotted Woodpecker.  In the bright sunshine our regular Little Owl was…

  • A day in the Bay, Birdwatching Northumberland (part 2)

    Our second day out with the winners of last year’s Birdwatching Northumberland  competition, was a day in Druridge Bay.  It provided a real contrast with our earlier trip to the Harthope Valley. After collecting Jean and Andy from the Bamburgh Castle Inn we headed down to Embleton to collect Helen, our third client on this trip,…

  • Sport Relief

    I spent yesterday in an unfamiliar role; as support to The Swan Striders (Sarah and Kirsty) as they took part in the Sport Relief mile at Druridge Bay Country Park.  This is the first step in a grand plan that should eventually see them completing a marathon.  As they only began their training regime a…