Holy Island

The island safe crossing time was until 22:15 so the idea was that we could have a nice leisurely drive up to holy island and then be able to spend a few hours wandering about, plus it was a nice sunny day too. Suprisingly there wasnt much bird life about that we could see...probably due to the 100s of tourists swamping the island it was really really busy (too busy for us) so we had a late lunch and headed back down the coast to boulmer and parked up on boulmer steel for a few hours, it was so peaceful compared to where we'd just been. Took the dog for a walk along the path up to longhoughton steel but she wasnt too amused by the metal bird sculpture fixed on the wall next to the field gates..she gave it hell. 3 pied wagtails, 1 stonechat, usual culprits on the beach, 12+ eiders, 4 oyster catchers, herring gulls and 1 grey heron. It seemed to be pretty quiet with birds today, or were we just in the wrong places at the wrong times? We go away for a short break next sunday for 5 days (birthday treat) so ive booked us a cottage in melkridge where we've stayed about 2 months ago so it will be a nice break, plus we're off to an engagement party in cottingham, hull the weekend after that, so its a busy 2 weeks.

Where's the sun?

Looked outside this morning expecting to see the sun that was forecast...but no such luck it was overast again, but at least it wasnt raining. Inland seemed the safest bet so we headed for bellingham (not a good idea) there wasnt a parking spot to be had that we could see anyway, so drove straight through and out onto the hexham road. Found a little place called 'stonehaugh' with a really nice picnic area alongside a little stream so we parked up and had lunch. By this time the sun was out to so we sat for a while and watched a few chaffinches, 2 grey wagtails and a pied wagtail flying around the edge of the water. There's some extremely wobbly stepping stones over the stream onto the other side of the grassed area where there are 3 brilliantly carved totem poles...not exactly what you'd expect to see there, but different though.
3 buzzards flying overhead near simonburn. Drove through east woodburn and over the moorland and spotted this deer who didnt seem to be as quick to run off as they normally are. The road came out at monkridge where there were 54 moles hanging out on the fence for everyone to see! I didnt think id ever see anything else that could top the skewered crow from last week...but how wrong can you be!
Next stop was harwood forest where we saw 6 chaffinches, 3 greenfinches, 4 bluetits, 2 great tits, 1 meadow pipit and a willow warbler.
Forecast is sunny again for tomorrow so we might drive up to holy island as its safe to cross all afternoon 12:25 to 22:15

How gross is this....

Had a nice drive up to beaconhill and then to whinneyhill, but this poor dead crow skewered on a branch in the middle of a field sickened us!!
This has to be one of the most awful things ive ever seen.
Is this supposed to be some sort of sick form of scarecrow?....shouldnt be allowed.

Coquet Valley....

wren near the bottom of the wall



Coquet valley was absolutely alive with birds today..weve never seen so many up there in one day as we did today it was really wonderful.
Normally the valley is one of the best places we've found to go and watch dippers, but they were conspicous by their absence today... and im not really suprised, because chaffinches/pipits and wagtails were pouncing on anything that moved. They were literally catching insects off the water and in the air ...just like fly catchers...it was really fascinating to sit and watch. We sat next to the organic farm over the bridge for quite a while as thats where we usually see the dippers, but no, absolutely nothing today. We even drove further up the valley to see if we could see them...but unfortunately no.
Just a little 'by the way' - 'Barrowburn farm' halfway through the valley now has opened a tea-room. Handy to know if your ever up there and fancy a cuppa or sandwich.
10+ wheatear - 25+ pied wagtails - 40+ chaffinches - 35+ pipits - 1 grey heron - 4 mallards - 2 wrens - 1 blue tit - 1 grey wagtail - 4 goldfinches - 1 reed bunting.

Housework can wait until tomorrow

East Ditchburn 2 black lambs...cute



Work indoors can wait until tomorrow as it wasa such a sunny day cant stay in so we drove up to ingram valley because we havent been there in over a year. Apart from a lot of sheep unfortunately there wasnt much wildlife to see mainly because of the high winds. A walk alongside the river showed a pied wagtail and a pipit on the bank, but im afraid the pictures (above) havent come out as clear as i had hoped. Our dog Emm had a great time though with not many people about we could let her have a good run around. We took a lesuirely drive homewards and stopped on the hedgely eastate (old quarry) were theres a large number of breeding black-headed gulls...they make some racket! around the pond were 50+ canada geese, 30+ greylags, 8 tufted ducks and a buzzard circling above. Cant seem to pass boulmer withut having a look around and its a good place for hubby to have forty winks if he's feeling tired up on boulmer steele...the tide was out for a change because it seems to have been in every time we've been there lately..saw 4 sheilducks, mallard, 3 redshanks, 1 heron. Left boulmer for home at 18:20 but on the way out we observed the rare lesser spotted 'boulmer birder' sea watching from his parked car...didnt want to disturb you stewart :)