Fungi and snowdrops

We walked to the sea and back through Hawthorn Dene this afternoon. There were Ear fungi growing on the fallen logs. The Snowdrops are almost coming to their best. They will be a wonderful display in nine or ten days time.

We saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker tapping away in the tops of the beech trees.

Hares, Stoats and Siskins

I walked back home this morning from Easington Village via South Hetton. I saw two hares in a field near South Hetton. A Stoat crossed the road in front of me just outside the village and I saw a mixed flock of Siskin and Goldfinches in the hedges on the old railway track.

Winter walk round by High Haswell

I walked round by Haswell Moor Farm and High Haswell this morning. It was definitely winter with a cold biting wind and frozen puddles. There were still harvested crops from last summer in fields at one side of the path and new winter wheat sprouting on the other. The lack of foliage on the Hawthorn hedges meant that last season's nests were very obvious.

Owls and Redwings

Heard a Tawny Owl calling loudly this morning at 03.15. It was in the large tree just to the south of our bungalow. Click here to hear a recording (including some wind noise I'm afraid).

I went for a walk to South Hetton and back this afternoon. There was a flock of 50+ Redwing in the fields just to the North of Haswell Village and 20+ Yellowhammer in the hedgerows.

First Walk 2009

We had our first walk of 2009 in Hawthorn Dene today. The woods are still very bare and open but the snowdrops are starting to come through and should be magnificent in two or three weeks.