It's time to explain that slow moderation over the last week has been because I have been on holiday.
Located right on the Scottish border, it has been a glorious week of walks, thinking and reading, plus birdwatching. Blogging apart, very little work has been done, although a colleague did point out that blogging three times a day was not his idea of a holiday.
This morning it's time to pack and go home. I am ignoring the events of the day. After all, we all knew Boris Johnson was a liar, anyway.
So, I leave you with this willow warbler. It may not be the best photo of all time, but they do not pose very often, and this one was near Kielder Water yesterday:
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Did you see the ospreys in real life? Most nests have chicks in them now. Some have three chicks.
No, but we did not try to
Mind you, we did see hen harrier….
You must have brought thegood weather up with you! Good to see hen harriers – wish we did here in Allendale, not that far south of where I expect you are, but we live almost surrounded by grouse shooting moors – hen harriers and game keepers don’t mix, whatever they like to tell you…
The henahhries were at Geltsdale, near Carlisle
Grew up near Geltsdale – one of our favourite walks!
I loved it
Great site
Very good birding
Interesting industrial archeology too
I tell you, you did very well to get that shot.
Nice to know that you are having a break.
Geltsdale – not too far from us and a reserve my wife knows well (she’s the keen birdy person!). Unforunately, it has grouse moors next to it – the reared hen harrier chicks never seem to survive long as they obviously have to travel outside the reserve boundaries. Maybe things will change in the future…
Saw a great female…
I am a member of Chris Packham’s Wild Justice so know the issue…
Seeing hen harriers is a wonderful sight – I have only seen them on mainland Orkney – no grouse shooting. Sounds like you’ve made the most of your time.
Whinchat and lesser redpoll were also new for me
But the spot at Kielder was warbler heaven
Cake and coffee were better in Scotland though
Lots of things are better in Scotland!
You know how to upset people who live in the north east, then!
Northumberland coast is brilliant for birds, normally. Bird flu is not our fault.
Neither is the fact that the Tees freeport has managed to kill off much of the sealife on the coast.
Coquet Island and the Farne Islands have thousands of puffins but not allowed to see them this year, or last. Coquet Island also has the biggest colony of roseate terns, but this year the RSPB are trying to restore the colonies and not having live cameras on there this year.
I think that the Durham Dales and the Northumberland estates are similar as far as grouse moors are concerned. A lot owned by the Strathmores, which is Bowes-Lyon land. In fact many of the castles were built as hunting and shooting lodges. The Bowes money came from owning all the coal mining land in the area.
It looks much better now that the pit heads have disappeared. But the grouse moors were there even when the pits were open.
I value both – but never got near the Northumberland coast this trip
Agreed re the grouse moors – they are a great argument for land taxation
The estate local to us, just up the hill, (26000 acres) is owned by a billionaire hedge fund owner – I’d love to see a land tax!
🙂
Just been reminded that it’s Ken Loach’s birthday, 87.
There’s a really good documentary about Kes and Barry Hines, with Greg Davies.
I see quite a few kestrels and buzzards round here when walking up the track, an old railway line for the coal trains. However, the main bird in the area is the red kite. In fact one of the local bus services is named the red kite line.
They are so successful now
Plenty of red kites away from the grouse moors but we’ve never seen one here in the middle of the North Pennines where we have estates east and west of us – no prizes for guessing why.
I saw one during the trip – and not over moorland
Can’t compete with your bird adventures. Tried annual solstice pilgrimage – cross Essex , with bivvy bag overnight. St Peters Way is supposed to be a pilgrimage route – industrial farming doing its best to eliminate it. Crops obsuring everything – cant see your feet, stiles and signs overgrown by hedgreows, deliberate miss-signage.
Industrial farming goes to enormous lengths to eliminate public rights of way. Caroline Lucas has been a champion of the right to roam, which we should have.
Just returned from three weeks on a Scottish island enjoying the right to roam (responsibly) and experiencing a place where the community and the wildlife are prioritised. A wonderful time which we feel privileged to have experienced but depressing that it is so rare.
Andrew, I’d actually be quite glad if the hedgerows were able to obscure signs. Here they are slashed so heavily that they are gradually disappearing!