What have you seen

We are now home after our tour of the Lakes and Scotland. On the whole the warm weather has been fabulous but now it is positively Autumnal. We essentially finished our Tour at Loch Ness where our daughter was involved in the annual Monster The Loch rowing race. The length completed in less than three hours by her 3 other lady rowers and their cox. Some 140 crews set out to complete the course, quite a sight. From there we have taken a leisurely return journey home via Berwick Sea View and North York Moors. 

micky, I think you have misplaced the above post!!😁

Numerous skeins of Pink Footed Geese flying over the Solway today, with Lapwings and a huge flock of Oystercatchers by the tideline. There are still House Martins flying around the site, and I saw a small flock of Fieldfares on the golf course, the first that I have seen this winter.

Oops, I have. Silly me! However, I didn’t see Nessie!😉

Shot up to North Waltham this morning to view a Hoopoe in someone’s front garden.  It’s been there for 3 days and its very calm and viewable. I will upload a photograph later

There have been some large skiens of Pink Footed Geese passing over the site each day that we have been here, by the Firth of Forth. Over last couple of nights I saw lots of frogs, toads and juvenile newts on the paths around the site. Today, at North Berwick we watched both Gannets and Cormorants dive bombing into the sea. While walking I came across what I think is a juvenile Cormorant on the shore unable to take flight. 

North Walsham, not Waltham.  He still there this morning

He’s not looking well, Nellie. We have a juvenile cormorant in the river today which has a distinct white belly. It looks like a magpie of the sea. We also saw a grey seal hauled out on the riverbank about two miles up stream. Others were bobbing about in the water. I think they were waiting for high tide as the depth of water was down to only a few inches in places.

Lovely day at Strumpshaw today.  2 x Chinese water deer, a Hobby, 5 x Marsh Harriers, Great White Eagret, Kingfisher and 2 Bearded tits 

Out walking this afternoon I spotted a Red Squirrel running across the field gate into Mungrisdale Common, and then later a Roe Deer doe in the woods above the club site.

The red squirrels here are burying their food ready for winter there is no Walnuts on the big tree in the next field so they are busy with acorns instead but not as many as last year, still great to see them. Saw 2 Roe Deer in a small olive tree plantation across the road from us.

Saw a Red Kite flying over and had my bins with me then another smaller bird of prey flew across the field and checking my bird book it was a Black Shouldered Kite certainly a lot smaller than the Red Kite but good to see, we did have a few around here last year but the first this year.