kielder water bird of prey centre

[Trick]

As well as kielder water bird of prey centre, what else should I go and see around kielder water. I'm as amateur a photographer as amateur photographers get, but I have a really keen interest in wildlife, especially within our little islands.

I have a Kyocera Finecam which is a reasonably good 3.2 megapixel device but nothing overly special. Lately since returning home from uni for the summer, I've been out and about around my home town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in north Northumberland looking for wildlife to photograph.

So far I have a good haul of butterflies, bees, grasshoppers and various ducks and the obligatory Tweed Mute Swans. But I can't seem to find mammals of any sort, the Jackdaws and Crows have vanished, no kestrels, herons or sparrowhawks in any noteable amount!

I was just wondering, what is there to see in Northumberland? Where should I go to see them? How should I go about finding them? I'm really not very experienced with the whole field photography thing, my best outting was at Paxton House in their hide shooting Red Squirrels and Pheasants (with a camera).

What I'm really interested in catching are ravens, raptors, Stoats/Weasels, foxes and some rodents would be great to see!

Thanks for any help!

Trick

[life through a lens]

If you haven't already tried them, Northumberland Wildlife Trust could be a good starting point

Apart from that, and not knowing the area, I'd suggest just spending as much time as possible outdoors and wishing for a good blessing of luck !!

Olly

[Tinkerbell]

I seem to recall that Bill Oddie rated Kielder Forest itself for an interesting variety of wildlife. Despite the fact it has pine plantations, they are a suitable habitat for a number of creatures and flowers.

There again, you have a great coastline up there and I've found orchids along the dunes at Alnwick and watched the odd heron at the inlet. The river at Alnwick below the castle has some lovely walks beside it and nearby, where we saw a number of different birds and water plants. And then there's the Grey Seals at Farne Islands. In fact I'd say you have masses of nature to explore and photograph.

So good luck and let us know what you find.

Tink

[Airehead]

How about the Farne Islands?

[jdoherty]

Not in Northumberland but too far from you is Bass Rock. Boat trips evryday. The Scottish seabirds centre is also located in the town.

[Trick]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'd completely forgotten about Kielder, never been you know! I think everyone else in the world has been except me haha! An effort for someone without a car for sure, but I'll see what I can do. As for Alnwick, well not to sound biased but I rate the Tweed over the Aln anyday, if you want a riverside walk come up here to Berwick!
And I could try bass rock, I have family in Edinburgh and I do like Gannets!

Just discovered the other day, we have Common Terns at our beaches now! Never seen them til this summer, they're amazing!

Anyway, again thanks for all the replies, great help! Anyone know if Edinburgh still has a Bird of Prey centre?

Trick

[DL]

I think the only raptor centers still going in Edinburgh at the moment are in the "corporate entertaiment" falconry type of thing. I will ask around.

There was a good one in Kielder, may still be there.

Would not worry about the lack of car its a great part of the country to cycle around and now that they are more geared up for taking a bike on to the train it even better.

[Trick]

Originally Posted by DL

I think the only raptor centers still going in Edinburgh at the moment are in the "corporate entertaiment" falconry type of thing. I will ask around.

There was a good one in Kielder, may still be there.

Would not worry about the lack of car its a great part of the country to cycle around and now that they are more geared up for taking a bike on to the train it even better.

Ah shall have to get myself a bike then! haha!
Can you get the train to Kielder? Didn't know that!
Thankya!

Trick

[DL]

Not quite buy you can take the train as far as somwhere like Alnmouth or Berwick and then it only a very short pedal into the eastern edge Northumbria National Park

[Trick]

Originally Posted by DL

Not quite buy you can take the train as far as somwhere like Alnmouth or Berwick and then it only a very short pedal into the eastern edge Northumbria National Park

I live in Berwick haha! :P
The National Parkland is rather inaccessible for someone without a car/bike. Most of the towns are seperated by about 20 miles minimum. Berwick-Alnwick is about 35 miles and places like Ingram Valley are in the middle of nowhere and beyond to a pedestrian haha!

[DL]

Originally Posted by Trick

I've been out and about around my home town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in north Northumberland looking for wildlife to photograph.

I missed the bit about Berwick

For raptors and Ravens your best bet is getting out the Foulden road towards the border moorland/hills.

Summer is not always the best time to track down mammals but harvest time is here. Anywhere round about where there are combines in grain fields there will be rodents on the move followed by Stoats, Weasels and birds of prey hunting them as well as hares. Fields with hedgerows or drystone walls are your best bet for getting good pictures.

Borrow a bike or beg a lift and get out there

[Trick]

Originally Posted by DL

I missed the bit about Berwick

For raptors and Ravens your best bet is getting out the Foulden road towards the border moorland/hills.

Summer is not always the best time to track down mammals but harvest time is here. Anywhere round about where there are combines in grain fields there will be rodents on the move followed by Stoats, Weasels and birds of prey hunting them as well as hares. Fields with hedgerows or drystone walls are your best bet for getting good pictures.

Borrow a bike or beg a lift and get out there

Thanks for the tip, will keep an eye out for them combines! Thats a funny image, some farmer rolling aong a field with half the caste of Noah's ark trailing behind haha!

Cheers
Trick

[Gaina]

Bolam Lake Country Park is lovely, I used to enjoy going up there.

[cannylad]

Holy island can afford sightings of Stoats, Weasels ,and Foxes, good in autumn for birds if the weather is right. Short Eared owls often hunt over the fields and dunes also Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and Merlin. Ravens can be seen in the Cheviot valleys occasionally but as always luck plays a part.

regards cannylad.

[Trick]

Originally Posted by cannylad

Holy island can afford sightings of Stoats, Weasels ,and Foxes, good in autumn for birds if the weather is right. Short Eared owls often hunt over the fields and dunes also Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and Merlin. Ravens can be seen in the Cheviot valleys occasionally but as always luck plays a part.

regards cannylad.

There are peregrines and merlins on Lindisfarne? seriously? I love raptors, would love to see the rarer ones!

[rlchew]

I have to confess that Northumberland is one of those counties that I travel through each year on the way to the Scottish Highlands although I did visit the Farne Islands once many years ago.

It does seem a very beautiful area though and I am sure worth paying more attention to. Others have offered some useful suggestions in their posts.

Now John has started a thread about future holiday plans .... perhaps I need to break that journey to Scotland.

Richard

[cannylad]

Originally Posted by Trick

There are peregrines and merlins on Lindisfarne? seriously? I love raptors, would love to see the rarer ones!

Yes these birds can be seen usually between August / March as they winter in the area, September / October can have masses of common migrants if the weather conditions are right. Look out for days that has had North-East winds, fog, rain, and you can see Ring ouzels, Redstarts Fieldfares, Redwings in numbers as well as the possibilities of some real rarities, last years highlight was a Chimney Swift.

There are always plenty of Birders around at this time to tell you whats about, and there are always the geese flocks and grebes to keep you occupied if things get quite.

regards canny.