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Warbling 🙂 Kielder Bespoke Birdwatching 03/05/19
I collected Nick and Mel (for their 3rd day out with NEWT) and John and Heather from Bellingham and we took a short drive up the North Tyne valley for a day out around Kielder and the Scottish Borders… Birdwatching in a dense forest in early May is a challenge and a small flock of…
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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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Setting sun; Bespoke Wildlife Safari 05/02/17
Sunday was a second day out for Edward and Isabel, although this time a bespoke trip. I collected them from Greycroft and we headed south. Brambling was the first target on our list for the day and an impressive flock was alongside Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Coal Tit and a male Siskin. Red Squirrel was another target…
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Raptor Day; Kielder Safari 23/04/2015
There’s a lot of very impressive wildlife in and around Kielder, particularly if you extend your visit across the border into Scotland, and we always hope for bright clear weather with a bit of warmth and a breeze… I collected Brian from Bellingham and we headed up the valley in just the sort of weather…
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Kettling; Kielder Safari 23/04/2014
The alarm went off at 06:00 on Wednesday, and my heart sank as I looked out of the window…heavy mist, not ideal for any of our tours, but particularly not good for a day in Kielder. I drove to Kingston Park to collect Steph and we headed west in much more promising conditions; low cloud…
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Fantastic Mr Fox; Moorland and Coast 07/03/2014
One of the best bits of being outside and searching for wildlife is the how everything around you ties together to create an experience; the landscape, the wildlife and the weather all come together to produce whatever they may… I collected Paul and Jeanette from their holiday accommodation in Warkworth and we started out down…
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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…
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Big Garden Birdwatch 2013
Last weekend was the Big Garden Birdwatch and we followed tradition by sitting in our kitchen with a mug of coffee, and a bacon and tomato sandwich, having topped up all of the feeders the evening before. An hour later, we’d racked up a list of 21 species; Blackbird 3, Jackdaw 2, Collared Dove 2,…