Tag: Teal

  • Crashing waves; Druridge Bay Safari 01/02/18

    Arriving at Church Point to collect Jenny and Peter, and Lynne, it was looking like we’d have a dry, but cold and windy day around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland… With a stiff breeze, every bit of water we looked at, whether river, pool, pond or roadside flash flood was being whipped up into a…

  • Ice, ice baby; Otter mini-Safari 20/01/18

    I collected Judy and Gary, Jess and Jarrod, and Ben from Whitley Bay, ahead of a few hours around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland for possibly the first time that a NEWT mini-Safari has been a birthday present for a 6-year old.  No ordinary 6-year old though…a 6-year old who wants to be a marine…

  • Chilly; Otter mini-Safari 09/01/17

    Cold and breezy has been a recurring theme over the last couple of months, and when I arrived at Church Point to collect Andrea and Ian ahead of a few hours around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland searching for Otters a stiff breeze had whipped the sea into a frothy white mass and was biting…

  • Swirling; Otter mini-Safari 30/12/17

    Yesterday’s mini-Safari was rearranged from Friday, when the ice on the roads would have made it a foolhardy exercise to head out.  I collected Jo, Chris, Lauren and Dilly from Church Point and we headed off for a few hours exploring Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland… At the start of the afternoon there was no…

  • Winter; Otter mini-Safari 28/12/17

    I collected Stephen from Church Point and we set out for an afternoon around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland… One thing that has stood out in the last few weeks is the great number of Goldeneye and Little Grebe that are wintering here, and this trip was no exception.  Cormorants were diving alongside them in…

  • Lurking; Otter Safari 06/12/17

    I collected Steph for her 4th day out with NEWT and we headed toward Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland for a day searching for Otters… Great Northern Diver, Long-tailed Duck and squealing Water Rails started the day, as three Mute Swans hissed and grunted while staring into a reedbed, although whatever was provoking their ire…

  • A tiding; Bespoke Otter Safari 27/11/17

    Yesterday was a rearranged trip from late March; Trevor had booked an bespoke Otter Safari for Linda’s birthday, then two days before the original date I was knocked off my bike by a car and had a heavy fall that saw me unable to work for a week (and is still causing some ongoing niggles). …

  • Now you see it, now you don’t 😉 Otter Safari 09/11/17

    I collected Pauline and Paul from Newbiggin and we set out for a morning and afternoon searching Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland for one of NEWT’s favourite mammals… Little Grebe, Goldeneye and Mallard were all looking just too relaxed and we walked further on as a noisy tribe of Long-tailed Tits moved through the trees,…

  • A stream of Starlings; Otter Safari 07/11/17

    I collected Karen and Angie, and Nick and Mel, from Newbiggin and we headed off in search of Otters around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland. I quickly changed our plan due to high levels of disturbance at our first site, and as soon we were at our alternative start point there was an Otter 🙂 …

  • Harrying; Otter mini-Safari 26/10/17

    I collected Jan and Hannah, and Tony and Mary, from Low Newton and we headed south towards Druridge Bay… In contrast with recent weather we had blue skies, fluffy white clouds and even some sunshine 🙂  A flock of Whooper Swans were heading south offshore and the assemblage of waterfowl included Greylag and Canada Geese,…