Yesterday, a run out north west proved that inland ,winter Northumbs can be very quiet.
Killingworth lake held 10 displaying Goldeneye and 2 smart drake Gooseander and a few Little Grebes. Buzzard seen on wires along the A1 near Morpeth. Then off up to Rayburn Lake ,where a solitary Whooper Swan was the only noteworthy bird.
Out across the fell at Wingates towards Simonside, one of my favourite county routes saw for me , once more, the horror that comes in the form of the dreaded wind turbines that are now being erected to destroy the splendid views to the Simonside and Cheviot hills. Here, hundreds of recently planted saplings have been dug up to accommodate the turbines,and many signs put up by locals adorn posts and trees protesting ,in vain at the forthcoming installation of the giant windmills.
On over Simonside ,and a few Red Grouse provided a year tick in the otherwise quiet hills/forest. The minor roads around Gt Tosson are now only passable with care ,due to dozens of large, crumbling potholes. Jumping in the roadside grasses was a nice ,mostly white Stoat, his coat now showing patches of brown ,right on cue ,as the snow melts away. Caistron ,and around 300 Grey Lags grazed the fields, Heron ,Buzzard and a Kestrel were added to the notebook.Over Billsmoor,where snow piled high at the roadside by the plough but had largely melted on the moors. 3 Fallow Deer grazed but little in the way of birdlife.
In and around Elsdon, yet more protesting posters for another imminent wind turbine installation near the Gibbet. A lunch halt at the Gibbet, then down to Harwood village ,where a Brambling noted , as last year , near the garden feeders with 20+ Chaffinches ,several Coal Tits ,Blue and Greats. A Red Squirrel also appeared at the feeders. Some Goldeneye on Bolam Lake rounded off a quiet day for the notebook.
AS Jack