Northumberland 14th-16th November 2014

Having been in Northumberland so recently and it being an area we love, we had a real sense of anticipation when we set off on our journey northwards. Meeting up with good mates John and Karen is always fun, the meal tasks are shared and the food is without exception really tasty. A mutual love of fine wines does not go amiss in this season when the days are short either...the biggest advantage? Four pairs of eyes to spot the plentiful wildlife in this quiet and beautiful area!

 

Our first day of spotting was Friday after we all arrived safely the previous afternoon and evening, weather forecasts had been studied and analysed. The day would, without question, be wet, very wet at times.

 

This is where previous experience in an area can be vital, there is not much fun to be had in wandering around getting steadily wetter all day.

 

Hauxley Nature Reserve is a splendid place, plenty of hides and no great distance between them either, ideal for a day when dry spells looked very unlikely.

 

We had not been settled in our first hide long when exclamations of "Otter!" almost simultaneously from Karen and Josie drew all our eyes as we watched this young otter through the rain.

 

 

Spotting wildlife was difficult as the rain got heavier...we did find a snipe a little distantly..

 

A little grebe came close to the hide...

 

 And a curlew flew in...

 

 

A duck provided some identification difficulties but a good friend confirmed this as a common scoter.

 





 

 

Changing hides when the intensity of the rain lessened allowed us to not get too wet as we visited all the hides on the reserve. Bird feeders often attract brown rats which feed on the spillage or even gnaw their way into the feeders with their great agility and strong teeth. These seemed to be eating the rain soaked seeds which had fallen into the puddles...

 

 

Maybe not everyones or even anyones favourite but they are part of the world of nature and in a wild setting not without a certain charm.

 

Almost without warning the rain cleared and we walked the short distance to the beach...

 

The sun was beginning to set out to the west...

 

I watched a kestrel hunting in the dim light, I saw it drop on prey and fly away. Hurrying ahead a treasured sighting awaited as we all gathered together again.

 

In the soft evening light the kestrel was enjoying its supper...

 

 

A splendid day...

 

Saturday's planned visit was to Holy Island and we started out on the shoreline...oystercatchers are fairly reliable sightings...

 

Lovely little turnstones fluttered and wandered in amongst the rocks and seaweed.

 

and a lovely male eider came in close...

 

 



Black tailed godwits were in evidence...

 

...and an odd golden plover...

 

A curlew took off...

 

Later we took a walk around the lonnens (lanes) occasionally rare birds turn up here but we managed only a reed bunting...

 

The four pairs of eyes came in handy again as while some of us were watching a distant buzzard through binoculars Karen spotted roe deer feeding at the end of a field...

 

Another good day and a grand evening to follow it too, I think!

 

Sunday was departure day but the forecast was good and we drove the short distance to Druridge Bay to enjoy another wander before the journey home.

 

The sight over the surf was spectacular and gorgeous...

 

Delightful sanderlings flew, landed and did their comical marching on the shoreline...

 

 

 

They feed on small insects and creatures which can be found as the tide ebbs.

 

Leaving the shore we walked on a track back to the cars, a wren did a lovely levitation trick...

 

And glowered as if demanding a round of applause!

 

A group of small birds landed which Karen, John and I were examining to find...

 

A reed bunting...and to follow a chaffinch...

 

Josie had been scanning some distant trees and a telescope view confirmed her suggestion of a barn owl, brilliant work and another confirmation of the benefit of multiple pairs of eyes. The photograph is not great but it was taken at an estimated 400 metres+...

 

We all watched it preen for quite a long time before the time for some lunch called...

 

One last shot and just a shame this stonechat was slightly into the sun...

 

The world of wildlife continues to delight us, the challenges it provides are welcome if sometimes difficult.

 

Time spent with good friends is always treasured and each and every one of us contributed and enjoyed a brilliant few days for the third year in a row. Thanks to all, I take the photographs but so much more goes into the trip.

 

Many thanks to all who read, if you do feel like adding a comment don't forget that they come to me first for moderating...

31st Aug-2Sept 2013, More research and a Leighton Moss trip

The research began early on Saturday and the camera and binoculars were packed and I was out before 6.00am. A quiet entry into the owl site was successfully achieved and I settled in to a good but not close vantage point for the little owls, a couple of unmistakeable views through the binocs before the sun was anywhere near high enough for photographs were early rewards, made my way silently through the fields hoping to see the tawnies.

The sky just before sunrise, tranquil and peaceful.

There was no sign of the tawny owls on this occasion and as I was now not too far from the canal I took the opportunity for a walk along the towpath.

My ever friendly heron looked surprised to see me so early!

Mist rose from the canal as the warmth of the sun arrived...

...and the water took on the beautiful soft colours and tranquillity of a late summer sunrise.

Back in the fields the early birds were out looking for food...a juvenile mistle thrush and a blackbird.

Another attempt at watching the little owls was somewhat ruined as a herd of unruly young bullocks took an interest in me, they were no threat and just being playful but they seemed to be taking it turns to come and inspect me so there was little chance of being un-noticed!

Time for home and an appointment in town beckoned, there would be time for another walk later in the day.

In early afternoon I ventured up towards the top of our local hills, pleasant wandering through lanes and fields, with the occasional challenge of the ancient squeeze stiles.

There was not much subject matter for my camera but the weather was warm and going was easy, nice to relax and just enjoy the exercise and fresh air sometimes.

Descending down a lovely lane I found a speckled wood butterfly..

I dropped down to the canal just in time to see a lovely fluffy duckling...

I had a good look for kingfishers but my luck seems to out with those at the moment, the grey heron however seems to look for me!

With the number of mallards in the area a number of crossbreeds occur, the lighter colours of this one are quite striking...

The swans have been quite successful with five of their cygnets surviving, this one came ultra close to investigate me!

Not a spectacular day but still a very enjoyable one.

Sunday was spent on necessary jobs at home, to be honest the weather was a little dull and would have done little to entice me out anyway.

A work related visit to Lancashire on Monday took me quite close to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve, a quicker than expected conclusion to business left me with a couple of hours to spare...an easy decision to make!

And what a surprise when my first photo opportunity was a heron!

A quick wander round some of the hides brought me a bonus as I found a red deer grazing in an adjacent field.

A chat to a fellow visitor disclosed that there were some good sightings down at the tidal ponds and we both headed off down there.

A curlew sandpiper and a spotted redshank, both relatively difficult birds to see so a real bonus to photograph them together..

There was a ruff...

A curlew sandpiper came in close...

And the black tailed godwits fed steadily...

Well worthwhile the short diversion and another great visit here.

The migration of autumn is almost upon us, birds will leave and others will arrive, I hope to continue getting out and photographing what I can.

Many thanks to all who read, support and readership continues to grow steadily.

Don't forget comments come to me for approval first, I really appreciate the comments too!

10-17th August, A family week in Norfolk

A summary of a week in Hempstead, near Holt, Norfolk, with our daughter and her partner and our three adorable grand-daughters. We planned with some care, a location with activities to suit us all and a large enough property so that we each had enough room to escape for some peace and quiet when needed, it turned out to be perfect and even the weather was kind!

A tiring drive down on busy roads was dealt with and the holiday began in earnest on Sunday morning, we headed to nearby Cley Next The Sea and a renowned nature reserve. Even at a time of year when sightings can be difficult the day passed quickly and we had plenty to see.

A black tailed godwit...

A beautiful peacock butterfly....

A green sandpiper...

We kept getting glimpses of marsh harriers, unfortunately too far away for photographs most of the time until this one settled in a shrub...

We also had a sighting of a rare red necked phalarope, a gorgeous little wader which stayed well away from the camera.

Lovely warm weather and a couple of showers in the evening did nothing to spoil a great first day.

Monday and Holkham for us, all that is needed for a great day out with beaches, scrubland and woods to walk through. A lovely hall set in splendid grounds also offers lots of other attraction for families of all ages, highly recommended!

We walked along the edge of the woods, plenty of butterflies and other things to entertain us...and to test my sparse knowledge and ID guide later!

A slightly battered gatekeeper...

A speckled wood....

A female ruddy darter...

A comma...

and a painted lady....

Rumours of barn owls near our home for the week meant I had to try at least one early start to see if I could locate them.

Out before 6.00am the next day I maintained a patient vigil from field edges for the next couple of hours, my only reward...a swallow before it began its flights for the day.

Oh and legs that looked as if I had been walking through razor wire, the shorts were not a good choice for bramble lined paths...ouch!

We chose a boat trip to Blakeney Point to see the seals that congregate there.

The longer nosed grey in the water...

And the common seals in moult on the beach...

We were also lucky enough to see sandwich terns hunting and diving like arrows into the tidal waters...

Another short walk at Cley brought us a sighting of a young reed bunting...

With family bbq's and games of cricket on the lawn back at our property the evenings were lively and fun.

On Wednesday we had a family sized boat booked for a few hours of cruising down on the Broads, departing from Wroxham was not too nerve shredding and the sedate pace was soon settled into.

With the girls to entertain and be helped as we all took turns at steering, I didn't get too many opportunities for wildlife photographs. When we moored for lunch however I found a quiet spot and an Egyptian goose near, formerly escapees they are now firmly established in the area..

Great crested grebes are numerous as were my attempts at getting photographs of them, this is one of the few to survive the editing!

A laughing cormorant was on hand to welcome us back from a great day on the waters as we successfully navigated back to Wroxham..

RSPB Titchwell was the chosen destination for Thursday and Friday, noted for water voles which we have never seen.

Prominent early on were black tailed godwits...

Avocets sweeping the shallow water for feed with their upturned bills...

A ruff....

Lapwings had been nearly every day, this was the best photograph I got of one...

Occasionally we saw goldfinch...

Spoonbills were present and seen but only at long distance, little egrets came much nearer though..

Spending time by the pond most noted for water voles we were visited by a splendid southern hawker...

And eventually as a reward for patience and persistence, or maybe just luck, a sweet little water vole appeared...

Apart from the small drama of a power cut back at the house which meant a hasty drive for a takeaway meal, the last day was as good as the others...a superb holiday and a safe drive home for us all. We brought back lots of photographs, these are a small sample and I hope you enjoy them.

Above all we brought back lots of brilliant memories and we will return to Norfolk.

Many thanks to all who read, don't forget if you do feel like adding a comment, they come to me first for approval.