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.

Rothbury Circular 2/4/11

Last Saturday I went up to Rothbury  for a wal over Blaeberry Hill  around Addycombethen over towards Debdon. Walked along the river looking for Sand martin still not seen one but it was a rather cold dull start to the day , Red legged Partridge right on the edge of Town its a stiff climb up and over Blaeberry Hill no chance of  much in the strong wind had up to 8 Chiffs singing, two Wheatears on the top and later Siskin and a single Crossbill over , 2 Buzzard came down low but to far for the camera stopped by Debdon stream a Grey wagtail dropped in just as I poured the coffee out and nearby a Robin feeding young , by mid afternoon it was getting much warmer but too late for me it was time to go.

A temporary bridge is being erected in Rothbury so they must be going to do some serious work on the old stone bridge .bat boxes erected along the river.

Red Legged much commoner than they used to be but this a first for the year.

View towards Simmonside  fro the edge of Rothbury

 Looking over to the north/north east

The climb over Blaeberry Hill still looks a bit bleak

 there must be a Geological term for this huge boulder with all the folds

hand holding for close focus does not work this a little blurred and overexposed in the strong wind

 The track around and down towards Debdon on the left

 A nice little picnic spot

looking back over to the hill 

North Tyne Sunday 5th June

Spent Sunday up the North Tyne valley, before and during the rain , birds encountered included Blackcap, garden warbler,Spotted Flycatcher,Garden Warbler, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo,Buzzard, Common Sandpiper to name a few ,but no Wood Warbler which was the bird hoped for. Rather dull and dismal for most of the day so no bird Photos ,hence the flowers some of which i still have to check out,Bugle
Woodruff




Ramsons
Violet
Sanicle
Herb Paris



The left over level crossing gates from a disused railway
Several of these boxes presume some sort of Squirrel monitoring device.

Sabine session.......................................

Went up to North Shields fish quay late Sunday for the Juvenile Sabines Gull , not lingering someway off in the middle of the river but right along the edge of the quay , giving stunning views as it plied back and forth ,what a little star.
Monday and as the Sabines was still around I went back to try and get some shots in the better light , it was on show again along the edge of the quay , till it suddenly went up river and disappeared to turn up on the south side , from where it went over towards the haven , which is where I caught up with it again , bathing and then preening on the rocks till it again , left and returned to the quay, despite it showing well it had given some the runaround, but most caught up with it , disappearing again it still left one or two frustrated,also nearby 2 Grey Wagtails , a few Goldcrests in sycamores on the hillside along with a Willow Warbler, Purple Sandpipers on the rocks, huge number of gulls feeding on the discarded fish as they sorted the catch, they don't have to do anything other than drop down from the shed roofs and stuff themselves .Larus sabini