Seaside Observers

Sunday, 25 October 2009

Blogging problems...

Hope to be able to blog again soon...problems with internet !!!

Sunday, 20 September 2009

Cold day on Holy Island....

Eeejits trying to get over the causeway before the tide was out...theres always one isnt there !!!

Trying to avoid holidyamakers isnt easy on holy island so hubby thought getting onto the island for the tide turning was a good idea so that he could get some uninterupted birding done as most of the times we go there the place is swarming with people sightseeing and of course that frightens off any wildlife you might hope to see. The weather forcast said it was going to be partly cloudy/sunny....was it heck!! it was really cold and cloudy!!....do they ever get it right??
We got there at 12:30 for the tide turning and the tide wasnt due out again until 6pm...so plenty of time to roam the island. Unfortunately there wasnt an awful lot about but we did see one seal who came into the harbour for a bit of a nose then headed off out to sea. Birds we managed to see - merganser - cormorant - herring gullls - black headed gulls - rock pipit - robin - eider - oyster catchers - redshanks - grey plover - curlew.

was that there wasnt as many people out as

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Friday, 18 September 2009

Dolphins off cresswell beach !

As were still on holiday until monday we took the dog for a walk along the prom at home where we live in newbiggin as it was another lovely sunny day and really warm, plus the bays really got lots to see at the minute..we saw herring gulls, black headed gulls, black backed gulls, a few med gulls, manx shearwater and a red throated diver. Then we popped along the road to one of our favourite spots cresswell beach where we saw 2 manx shearwater, black headed gulls, herring gulls, grey heron, goldfinches, twite, and a not too sure black throated diver?....but the most amazing thing ive ever seen there was today...4 dolphins off the beach...

Ive never seen dolphins before apart from in zoo's...it was just awesome!!!

Thursday, 17 September 2009

Devon.....the holiday from hell !!!

Isle of arran from dunmure

Ducklings in september!!

Illfracombe

We had 2 weeks holiday so we booked a caravan and headed off to the devon countryside as weve never been there before and we were really looking forward to 2 weeks off work...great. Took 10 hrours driving..took us an hour just to drive 7 miles trying to get past bristol it was a nightmare!! but never mind.
Arrived at the farm where we'd booked our van but there was no-one there so i rang the owner (she was out and about?) but she said the key was under the mat at bottom of stairs. So after being attacked by 4 manic sheepdogs we went into the caravan...O.M.G !!! this mustve been built in 1900 and blonk! it was disgusting to say the least, damp, dirty and uninhabitable...so needless to say hubby refused to stay...moeny down the drain.
Cutting a long story short we had to pay £90 for a hotel room for the night as hub was knackered after all that driving - room was tiny but hey it was clean and dry...but when we got up next morning to shower to go for brekky the bathroom had flooded overnight! ...anyway we went off for breakfast and it was vile!, swimming in grease..awful..not the best start to the day and another 10 hour drive home.
But when we got home late that night i went onto the internet and booked a short break in ayr in a place weve been to before, so off we went again the next morning...arrived - got our keys, went to settle in only to find the place was filthy it hadnt been cleaned...unbelievable!! so after some too-ing and fro-ing we eventually got settled in.
Down the road a couple of miles theres a lovely little harbour village called dunmure and on a clear day there you can see across to the isle of arran... but it is a really great place for sea watching - gannets, manx shearwater, cormorants and terns. We even saw little mallard ducklings - very unusual for september ???

Monday, 17 August 2009

After work

A deserted cressy beach!!!

Called along to cressy after work and couldnt believe it the beach was deserted!!!!!!
unbelievable...not one person in sight....peace.
Birdlife was pretty quiet too apart from a handful of terns and seagulls off shore, and across the road on the pond a couple of mallards on the edge of the reed beds, 1 grey heron, 20 + black headed gulls and 10 + heron gulls.
Just some photos ive taken in last 6 weeks or so.......

Friday, 14 August 2009

West Midlands Safari Park

Hello

Sorry we've not posted since the end of june but weve seen very little in the last month or so to actually add to the blog, but hopefully this wil change in the next week or so.
We dont know much about moths and insects that most people are blogging about at the moment so its best to leave that to the experts, but we're looking forward to seeing more as the season changes.
This is Stokesay Castle in shropshire near where we were staying on holiday a few weeks ago its a beautiful old building and really worth visiting if your ever in the area. We also visited the west midlands safari park and spent a full day there and still didnt manage to see everything, but the park does give you a voucher to return free of charge for a day so we paid another visit before we came home as there are some fabulous animals in there. I dont agree with wild animals being caged but i suppose its the nearest i will ever get to them so we did enjoy the experience.

Sunday, 28 June 2009

Muggy weather

keilder

herterton house gardens

Well we went out yesterday (saturday) eventhough it was drizzling rain but getting some fresh air seemed like a good idea as we've both had this viral infection thats doing its rounds again! It probably wasnt the best day to go out as the rain hardly let up so we just explored for a few hours around black middens nr bellingham, falstone a really pretty little place and then keilder lake.
The sightseeing boat was out on the lake at keilder so i thought id be brave and try to go on it with hubby (malcolm) and the dog...but im terrified of boats and when i saw how the jetty thing for you to get on the boat was bobbing up and down in the water and wobbling like anything...i bottled it im embarrassed to say :( One day maybe i might try it again!
Sunday morning seemed a little better than yesterday it wasnt raining and the sun was trying to burn through, so packed a lunch etc and headed off up the coast, but decided after passing amble to head inland to see if the weather was any better, but it was really warm everywhere eventhough it was still cloudy. On our travels we passed Herterton house gdns next to hartington hall and decided to have a look around. This is well worth the £3 enterance fee if your ever up that way as theres 5 gardens to walk around or sit in, and it is just amazing that the old couple who own this beautiful property maintain it all themselves and they must be at easily 70 yrs of age! but still treat the obvious hardwork they put in everyday as a labour of love..they're an inspiration. They told us one of their advertsing signs fell down on the rd outside so theyre loosing buisness from passers by, but the council want £1000 to put it back up (disgraceful) but they said they couldnt afford to pay that as they didnt know if theyd live long enough to reap back the £1000 through entry fees!..such a shame theyre a lovely couple and its taken them 33 yrs to get to where they are today.
After leaving the gardens we drove about and ended up near the ranges at otterburn along through wainfordrigg, high carrick and we sat for a while and watched a couple of pairs of plovers at laingshill that must be breeding there and a curlew breeding in the next field. The road ends quite abruptly at laingshill as the m.o.d wont let you go any further on so we had to turn turned around and go back again. Theres a small layby called billsmoorfoot not far along the road next to duns farm/caravan park so we pullled up there to let the dog out, stretch our legs and have a sandwich and 4 army trucks pulled up next to us and out piled a couple of groups of soldiers off to play games in the small wood behind the farm....not the best place for some peace and quiet so needless to say we didnt stay long. Apart from the few plovers and the curlew we saw nr otterburn we didnt get to see many birds except for a pair of greenfinches and a chaffinch next to a railway crossing.
Well we're off to shropshire on the 4th july for a weeks holiday so will be offline, but hope to get out in the evenings after work for an hour or so before we go, weather permitting.