Please have patience, as this is my first attempt at blogging so I'm bound to make mistakes.
About us
We've been maried for 6 years, and live in a northumberland seaside village. Both of us work in newcastle so have a bit of a treck every day to work and back. So to relax......we pack up the car every saturday and sunday morning and drive up the coast to our favourite spots to watch birds and wildlife. Our favourite spots include cresswell, hauxley, druridge, warkworth, boulmer and newton, but we also like to go inland sometimes up through the alnwick moors, rothbury (lee) coquet valley, ewarty shank etc, all well worth a visit.
My husband has been a very keen birdwatcher since he was a knee-high, but I'm just a learner, so I don't know very much about birds yet. My hubby says 'being a woman and the wife... I know everything anyway!! I've taught him well haven't I ?
We were lucky a few weeks ago to find a spot in northumberland where there is a male and female hen-harrier - what a beautiful awesome bird to watch. Won't give the location as they unfortunately are globally persecuted, eventhough a protected bird in the uk, and i would hate to be responsible for any harm coming to them.
The first couple of times we only saw the male -very pale grey (nearly white) with black wingtips, then last weekend we saw the female - brown with a barred tail, both appeared in the same place, but not together. A harrier's face feathers are arranged into a disk. This helps the raptor to listen out for prey as the feathers form a groove, which direct sound waves to the ear opening.
Hope the forecast is right for the weekend - saturday's high up to 11 f/52 c, and, sunday up to 9 c /48 cent sunny but partly cloudy. Winds south southwest 8 - 11 mph.
Goodnight from me...and ...Goodnight from him
14 hours ago
6 comments:
Good luck with the blog, I know how daunting it is thinking "who'll want to read this". I'm now down in Somerset and Dorset, but keep an eye out for news from my home area (keep an eye out for the dippers at the Forrest Burn ford).
Thanks for the support br we really appreciate it. Like you said daunting..scary even, in case people thought i was just dribbling on.. but everyones been really kind..thanks. we read all of the links on bb's blog too including yours. Theres a couple of dippers up in the coquet valley next to the organic farm, is that where you meant, as im not too sure of the name forrest burn? Thanks again br
Hi Seasiders. the Forrest Burn Ford is just below the Lee (poss another Lee on the Coquet?), south of Rothbury (NZ079980). It's the one with the 2 bridges (and the dippers if lucky). Nice walk too across the fields. Not sure what the road is actually called, i've always referred to it as the "fords" road. As a child my parents used to say, "shall we go the Fords way", always exciting driving through the 3 fords to Longfram. A nice run is if travelling from Morpeth, turn left 100m past Heighly Gate, and continue on the minor road all the way to Rothbury. Good mixed wildlife along here as quiet and great views of the Simonsides to be had. Have fun.
oops, sorry meant Longhorsley, not Longfram
Cheers br think we know where you mean, but will check it out sunday as we're at my sisters wedding sat
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