Harthope Valley 16-5-2010

Sunday was a planned visit to Harthope valley the drive up in the rain did not bode well, it was overcast as we pulled up at Carey bridge ,but Cuckoo calling was the first bird heard another Garden Warbler singing but not showing, several Oystercatchers around a couple of pied wags on the stream, and a Buzzard low over the field ,lots of evidence of some very high levels of water with trees uprooted and areas swept away.

A walk along Harthope Burn to the small waterfall ,some serious erosion along here ,another two Cuckoos, and two Spotted Flycatchers at Langleeford , no sign of any Tree pipit for me counted 7 Whinchats singing , but all distant, Wheatears and Stonechats , WW, Chiffs, Meadow Pipits, Song and Mistle Thrush common & several Red Grouse on the hillsides Common Sandpiper on the stream ,it stayed overcast for most of the time but the sun came out late afternoon , but still no Adders yet. I went off on my own to look for Ring Ouzel leaving the camera behind as I seem to carry it everywhere and not use it, well I was just about to turn back after only seeing , Wheatear , Stonechat, and Willow Warbler, when a stunning Male Ring Ouzel landed about 30 feet away , facing away from me tail cocked showing every detail, it turned as if to look at me and say, "you should have brought your camera " which was just what was going through my mind ( lugged it for two weeks in Turkey over many ,many miles ) it took off and landed near a Female that was either carrying nesting material or food , both showed very well , got back to the car but as it was warm set off to look for an Adder....................but did not add it to the list. This area is a fantastic place to visit and if petrol was cheaper I would be there often !!!!!!!!!!!!!

First time ,Iv'e had Cuckoo call, seen and photographed in one day, always a cracking year tick, they always look out of proportion with those long wings and tail

again the long wings

Whinchats in numbers today but still keeping distant

St Mary's, Beehive, & Holywell

Mid morning message of two Lapland Buntings St Mary's ,so thats where I ended up , but no sign of them and little else there 10 Pinkfeet in a field to the west, no waders on the shore in the rising tide nothing in the willows etc: which was to be expected I suppose, Greenshank over ,flock of about 20 Goldfinch and a flock of about 15+ Linnets, only about 40 Golden Plover on the rocks.
Went to Holywell via the Beehive flash it used to pull in so much a couple of years ago, Greenshank here , and several Golden Plover dropped in briefly before they all took off, harried by Crows.
Holywell ,by now the clouds had gathered and the forecast rain fell, a huge number of Wood Pigeons her today, I estimated 2500-3000, birds ,one main flock over towards the obelisk and a large amount in the woods to the north of the pond , quite a few down at the shore of the far end mostly juveniles, Greenshank here also I suspect the same bird as before making only one and not three about, 200+ Black-headed''s easily the most numerous gull with only a few Common in with them and no Meds, a roost of gulls building up in the field to the west of the hide as in previous years

Harthope Valley 23-8-09

What you looking at !!!!

Sunday the 23rd saw me in the Harthope Valley in was a bit dull as we drove down into the valley ,Buzzard over followed by a second they both just hung in the wind over the crest of a hill hovering now and then before drifting off, Red Grouse just at the roadside ,I should have had the camera beside me ,I have often seen Red Squirrel along the wall just as you come over the hill, but not for the past few visits, several Stonchats, a mass of Swallows & House Martins which came down onto the path Beside Langleeford house , as did about 15 Goldfinch and a few Meadow Pipits , it was dull and grey for most of the morning ,till the rain came and then it was just miserable ,we waited in the car to see if it would brighten up , but no .
I was amazed at the amount of erosion from the July rain the run off must have been imense, the bridge pillar pushed over by large boulders and the shear force of the water, with large chunks of the bank gone and sand well up to the road at some points.
Just beyond Langleeford it looks fairly normal although the stream bed has been scoured

Looking back down the valley on a dull August day

Large area washed out by the force of water

Tree roots undermined

The bridge pillar pushed away by the force of boulders & water

Looking downstream, I presume the round boulders move easily with the force of water ,