Holywell Pond

Tuesday 11 Feb
Not been to Holywell for some time so headed up this afternoon  one of the first birds noted was a Whitefronted Goose in with the Greylags just off the track, the pond water level high but more wildfowl than previous visits , with about 60 Mallard 15 Tufted , a few Pochard and Gadwall , walked the fields to look for Pinkfeet but only had four well hidden in a potato field till I flushed them as I walked the path also a flock of about 50+ Stock Dove in with about the same Wood Pigeon , the feeders in the Dene saw a party of about 10 LTT come through how I would love to find a Northern one, a Sparrowhawk landed nearby no doubt was going to try his hand at the feeders till it saw me , Dipper on the stream let me get close enough to try a shot or two with the iso pushed right up , these are another of my favourite birds and I watched it for some time as it walked in and then under the water popping out again like a cork !!!

Haydon Bridge -East

Last week I tried something different  it was a trip down the South Tyne from Haydon Bridge to Fourstones in an open canoe another pleasant but changeable day with sunshine and showers sometimes both together  I have not been along this stretch before either in a canoe or walking we got in at Haydon Bridge and off we went this they tell me is a grade 2 river Herons a plenty along the route and some big Salmon leaping completely out of the water I noticed about 4 Dippers pass us presume they where heading for feeder streams as the river was way to deep and fast for them a large flock of Fieldfare crossed ahead of us and about 30 Redwings in a tree on the edge the river follows the rail line for awhile or I should say the railway follows the river surprised at how many houses where on the banks and we saw a couple of man made type jetties probably from some past industry . We pulled up onto a small beach which had steps leading to a house nearby  and the railway adjacent so must have been a halt at some time , lunch was quickly consumed I seem to take more and more each time and still feel hungry , there are some turbulent stretches at times then it settles to a calm but fairly fast current and it seemed like no time we where at the get out point at the bridge to Fourstones , when I say get out point it's not a stable platform or jetty its about 6" of level ground and a steep haul up the bank with the 5 heavy  canoes and across the road about 200yds in total I was wrecked but another good day out with Dipper(s) added to the kayak/canoe list .

Sunshine and showers its actually pouring down here

 Lunch stop the rail line just yards away, Buzzard crossed  lazily over the river

 You can just make out the cottage on the edge

 Very pleasant stretch of river it's always good to go somewhere new

These shots are just with the phone

Blyth Estuary

An extended walk along the banks of the River Blyth as it changes from mud flats to more stony sides obviously the birds change waders and gulls feeding on the mud and waters edge ,Goldeneye & Mergansers moving upstream with the incoming tide  ,Black Headed Gulls dip feeding on whatever comes from the surface water  drain that pours into he centre of the river . In between the two bridges one rail one road is where the mallards are feeding also up to a dozen Moorhens ,this day the water was fairly fast flowing and I was surprised to see a Dipper on the far side well that was it scope set up to watch it feed as it dipped into the water and bobbed back up like a cork the water instantly running off it's back . I tried to follow as it was underwater crossing the flow on a diagonal path as it walked along the river bottom but the trouble with digiscoping is once youv'e lost the target its very hard to pick it up again having to take the camera off to re-aquire the bird ,but luckily it posed in-between its forays . The faint call of a second bird could be heard and I picked it up further upstream as it softly called from its perch on a small rock  ,there flight call is usually much clearer alerting you to there passing , and the song is also faint sometimes barely audible above the sound of the water ,but it must be clear to other Dippers, I spent a good 40 mins watching these two birds which is better than just ticking them off and walking on .

Just a couple of short clips I left the sound on in the hope of picking up the call but its impossible to hear over the traffic and flowing river.

You can see just how fast the river is running , an amazing creature that can virtually walk under water , the ever flicking nictitating membrane crossing the eye as it makes a cleaning sweep ,it seems to work from top to bottom ,also the dipping and fanning of the tail.

As I got back further down the river the tide had pushed in this Common Seal popped up to check me out , I love the way they just sink back  into the depths  !!!

Holywell Dene

24-1-2012

The 24th jan I walked from Seaton Sluice via Holywell Pond and along to the avenue , several Bullfinch along the stream edge  2 parties of Goldfinch and a flock of Tits always worth checking for something else , the hope was for Dipper and or Grey Wagtail as to this date I had not had either , Nutchatch and Treecreeper seen  as I went from one side of the stream to the other it was running fast so there was not much hope of the two birds I was looking for , got to the old rail track so had to go up and over the other side  here there was at least some edge and sure enough a Dipper for 2013 I watched it for awhile till it eventually went further upstream, a quicj#k call at the pond revealed nothing new for the year and even Yellowhammer usually a cert around the fields also evaded me they all seem to have left the area.

Finally found a Dipper this one showing the nictitating membrane 

Today I encountered lots of Funghi these  are all taken with the phone 

 These where just the obvious ones I could easily see probably much more hidden from view

 Particularly liked this one fruiting from the end of the log

 These ones are about 18" across

 and these quivered in the breeze

Old Bottle found in the Dene don't know the full name of manufacture to date it , looks like leaving rubbish is not new !!!

WHY  .......Why would someone call at a cafe/sandwich shop get two cups of tea ask for the lids  to take them out , drive to Holywell Pond walk all the way down to the hide, (I presume) drink the tea replace the lid neatly ........then walk away and leave them for someone else to remove ? Just wait till I get my DNA app  !!

Hareshaw Linn

We had a drive over to Bellingham  for a walk along the banks of Hareshaw Linn its an easy stroll only about 1 3/4 miles , a reasonably sunny day Chiffchaff the first bird heard , Nuthctch, Great , Blue, & Coal Tit in abundance. Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming , and the yaffle of   Green Woodpecker  despite it seeming so close we could locate it, a pair of Grey Wagtails on the actual waterfall and Dipper also seen .
Whilst checking out a Nuthatch a Red Squirell scampered up the tree but eventually settled on the end of a tree limb.

There are six bridges to cross before you get to the waterfall but all are good vantage points to check the stream

 Plenty of Wood Anemones coming through especially where the sun reached

 Also vantage points to look down onto the stream

Most of the bridges are just that , a means to cross over

 But the 6th one is a little differant and just shows what you can do with wood

 Near here is this sort of tree stump which people have hammered in coins it looks quite affective , I have seen  similar in Holywell Dene

Looking back onto the 6th and last bridge , a short walk up hill brings you onto a view of the falls.

 I was trying to capture the Rainbow which is about centre.

In the rock crevices are some great ferns , some I gather are rather rare, the sort that only have Latin names , so I will leave at that !

 Mr or perhaps Mrs Red Squirrel sits out on a limb to eat whatever it recovered from the hole in the branch end

Always see dippers along here from the village to the falls 

Four Roe deer up on the hillside  but soon out of sight on the steep slope 

And a few seconds of the small but enchanting waterfall at Hareshaw well worth a visit.

Saturday 9-4-11 Went up to Cragside to visit the house and grounds stopped at Paperhaugh Bridge on the way up as at this point I still had not seen Sand Martin nor did I here fisherman on both banks all I saw was a Dipper carrying food  to a nearby nest, Thrum Mill the next stop it was near here that one year on a nice warm sunny day a Bat flew back and forth along the river , so close you could see it glance at us as it past, mind that same night it rained very heavily causes local flooding. Another Dipper 2 Grey Wagtails ,  2 Mallard and  a pair of Goosanders . After looking around the house which is well worth a visit , a walk around the grounds or at least some of them ,headed up towards the lake but alas not much around anywhere a few butterflies in sunny spots Peacock & Comma plenty of Chiffs singing but no Willow Warblers or Blackcap, most of the vegetation is Rhododendron  its everywhere 10' feet high in places giving plenty of cover but I suspect little else. Only two Moorhen, a Goldeneye and a Little Grebe on the lake but I think it would be good for Dragonflies later in the year,walked around to the North on to the edge of the woods  here it opens out onto the moors, from here back to the car only had two Jays silent as they lifted from the ground,called at West Hartford on the way home JM pointed out a Green Sandpiper way off in the distance  a few Lesser Black Backs , Herring Gulls and Oystercatchers.

Cragside on the way back to the car park

The Iron Bridge from one of the windows

 Some fantastic art work, Taxidermy etc: this is a light shade I will leave it up to you to I.D.the birds

Gyr Falcon , King Eider which is upside down with its head twisted and I presume a Stoat although it looks a bit big to me.