Northumberland Part 1

Northumberland Trip 

Day 1

Set off at 9:15 am to head to Beadnell in Northumberland, our holiday cottage was only 55 yards from the beach.

It was a 5 1/2 hour drive up to Northumberland and we arrived there but the cottage was not open for another hour so we headed 7 miles inland to a historic town called Alnwick,we wanted to go their because of the castle, it was used in the 1st Harry Potter movie for some of the scenes.It started to RAIN!!  We got home, unpacked and I couldn't wait to do what was to be the first of many sea-watches.

Beadnell Bay

Day 2 

After a uncomfortable sleep (just like lying on springs with no sheets!!!)

I woke up extra early to go and do some seawatching and to go onto Beadnell Bay and see the Arctic Tern Colony, which is called Long Nanny, it is also the biggest Mainland colony of Arctic Terns also with 60 pairs of Little Terns. We got loads of Gulls , with c200 Arctic Terns, one Little Tern, 3 Roseate Terns and 12 Sandwich Terns. Later on after we had left we decided to head to National Trust's Cragside, which is a lovely Country House in the pine woods, this is the first house to have electricity by hydropower, as well as the lovely scenery, there was a Hide which sometimes attracts Red Squirrel, but sadly we did not see any, but we saw Nuthatch, Bullfinch, Jackdaw, Wren and Greenfinch. Then in the evening we got our bucket and net and went rock pooling to find thousands of Hermit Crabs, some Shore Crabs and the odd Dabb.

Roseate Terns with Arctic Terns Digiscoped

Little Tern and possibly a juvie as well not too sure though

Nuthatch

Bullfinch

Day 3

This day was amazing as we got to go to Coquet Island, the best place and the only place that these lovely Terns breed in the U.K So we set off for Amble to catch a boat trip out to Coquet and have a cruise around the island, we arrived at Amble and in the harbour Eider were everywhere, they were like the Mallards of the Harbour. They became very tame, when we got on the boat passing Gannets and Puffins flew past, and at first we had no luck until on box 76 (I think) thier was a Roseate Tern sat upon the box. A bit distant until one flew right in front of us, the skipper of the boat said that Sand Eels around the waters of Coquet have had a bumper year and because of this, its been the best year since the 80's for breeding Roseates, we got altogether around 8 Roseate Terns plus a summer plumage Turnstone. On the trip back rafts of Puffins were either side of the boat. So ended up with an amazing day.

Eider Chick in the Harbour

Eider in the Harbour

Coquet Island

Grey Seals

Roseate Tern

Best Roseate Tern pics

Best Roseate Tern pics

I will do another blog on the second part of my holiday including Farnes, and Holy Island!!!