Walk back to Wolsingham from Harperley

Today I walked 4.5 miles back from Harperley to Wolsingham along the north bank of the Wear.  A sunny day but with a cold sw wind.  Quite a climb from the river up to the woods above Bradley Cottages.
Curlew were active in the fields.

There was a lot of activity in the conifer plantations with large machines taking down trees and loading them into trailers.

Near the river I saw Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Wren. Rooks and Oystercatcher were calling loudly as they flew over the river.

Click here for a recording of river, rooks and oystercatchers. So much for the quiet of the countryside!

Walk from Bradley Burn

Chris and I walked back to Wolsingham from Bradey Burn yesterday along the river banks.  There were lambs in the fields.  We saw Oystercatcher, Sandpiper, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mallard, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit and lots of Chaffinches which were singing loudly.

Link to soundfile here.  Chaffinches calling and river flowing. 

Spring flowers are starting to appear everywhere.  We spotted Wood Anemone,  Celandine,  Coltsfoot and Gorse in flower.  

Egyptian Geese at Low Barns

There are three Egyptian Geese on the main lake at Low Barns Reserve at the moment. I managed to see two of them them today during a break from serving in the visitor centre.

Lovely river walk

I walked this morning from Bradley Burn back to Wolsingham along the north bank of the River Wear.  It was a beautiful crisp morning with little wind and glorious March sunshine.
I saw Pied Wagtail, Jackdaw, Crow, dozens of Wood Pigeons, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bullfinch, Dipper, Buzzard, Goosander, Wren, Tree Creeper,  several drumming Great Spotted Woodpeckers and my first Grey Wagtail of the year sunning itself in the middle of the river. (Not a very sharp shot, but it was handheld at 30x zoom!)

Spring is coming

I walked this morning along the south bank of the River Wear towards Bradley Burn.  It was cold and grey but I found Hawthorn leaves opening in the hedgerows and saw and heard my first two Curlew of the year displaying over the fields.
In the woods I saw a flock of Long-tailed Tits and heard a Song Thrush singing.  A Tree Creeper was scurrying up one of the beech trees near the river.