Tag: Turnstone

  • Waves of panic; Otter mini-Safari 16/11/21

    The time of year when we have to start mini-Safaris early afternoon always seems to creep up before unexpectedly arriving. I met up with James, Michael and Colin ahead of an afternoon around Druridge Bay searching for otters and our first site had played host to four of them earlier in the day! Regular ripples…

  • Light on the water; Bespoke Photography 10/09/2020

    Yesterday was a trip we were really looking forward to after what has been a really challenging year in so many ways. Emma and Janine have been on a couple of photography holidays that I’ve led since late 2018 and yesterday’s trip was organised for Janine’s birthday. Water and wildlife were the specific requests so…

  • Mud, mud, glorious mud; Lindisfarne Safari 21/11/19

    Yesterday was Colin and Charlotte’s second day out with NEWT this week and this time we were heading north to Lindisfarne… A quick look at Monk’s House Pool on the way up the coast revealed the continued presence of the Long-tailed Duck that we saw with Sue earlier this month and then we headed to…

  • Wind-blasted; Bespoke Lindisfarne Safari 05/11/19

    I collected Sue for her 10th NEWT safari and we headed north in weather that didn’t seem to be quite certain of what it was… Along the causeway, with the tide only just receding from the road, Curlews, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey Plovers, Redshanks and Oystercatchers were probing the freshly exposed mud as Pale-Bellied Brent…

  • 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…

  • Group birdwatching; Druridge Bay and Lindisfarne 21-22/05/19

    We usually limit our tours to a maximum of 6 participants, and our increasingly popular bespoke tours to 2 participants, but over the last 11 years we’ve done a few tours for larger groups. 34 members of an RSPB group was on a different level though… With Sarah and Tom assisting we separated the group…

  • Between a rock and a hard place; Druridge Bay Safari 25/08/18

    I collected Barbara and Jeff from Newbiggin and we set off for an afternoon and evening around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland in conditions that felt slightly cooler than of late… A walk along the Wansbeck brought 2 Green Sandpipers, 2 Greenshank, Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Mallard, Lapwing, Curlew, 2 Little Egrets and some delicious…

  • Save the best ’til last; Druridge Bay Safari 20/04/18

    All of our Safari Days have developed over the last ten years, and even on our familiar, regular Druridge Bay Safaris there’s always the possibility of changing the route slightly and visiting sites that we visit ourselves regularly but haven’t taken clients to yet… That’s how I found myself with Ian and Elaine & Becky…

  • Mist, murk, mud and mergansers; Otter Safari 12/04/18

    I collected Stephen and Soraya from The Swan, then Martyn and Colin, and Jo, from Church Point, ahead of an afternoon around Druridge Bay and southeast Northumberland searching for Otters… On a stiff easterly breeze with drizzle, mist, murk and heavy rain showers, spirits could have been dampened but having a car filled with cheerful…

  • Turning tides; Bespoke Northumberland Coast photography 12/10/17

    The Holy Island causeway makes it into the news for too frequently due to overly-optimistic car drivers who think that driving into a tidal estuary is going to turn out well… I collected Tony from Fenham le Moor and we headed to the causeway to watch as the tide fell and the road was uncovered. …