Far from the Madding Crowd

One of the great things about Northumberland are those hidden gems that you can enjoy without seeing another soul, even during the current holidays and fine weather.

Let's start with Hawsen Burn, Harthope...............

Minotaur beetle Typhaeus typhoeus - a dung beetle of heaths, moorlands and mountains, especially in the north and west of the British Isles. Here seen enjoying Sheep dung.

Red Grouse

Meadow Pipit

Brown Silver-line

Wheatears were singing. Buzzard, Kestrel & Sparrowhawk overhead.

Today I went to Beacon Hill. The approach road gave me my first Whitethroat and Cuckoo for the year. In the wood......

Pheasant

Redstart (female)

Redstart (male)

No Pied Flycatcher or Wood Warbler yet and no sight or sound of Mr Whippy.

Kielder Ospreys

I spent a couple of hours at Kielder this afternoon and none of the three Osprey eggs have hatched.  There should be chicks in the next couple of days I'm told. A bowl of soup at Kielder Castle gave the best views of the birds on the nest via the excellent CCTV they have beamed from the nest.

A two mile walk around the Bakethin was an afternoon well spent in the pleasant sunshine.

Carrion Crow mobs a Common Buzzard

Female Siskin

Tree Pipit

Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata)

Feeds on Bracken