Yaffle.

On holiday today. Didn't do much other than potter around, really. I was returning home from the shops and as I left the car a Green Woodpecker called, clear and ringing, from the copse next to our garden. I spent the next ten minutes looking into the leafless trees but there was no sign. I had just about given up, when it called again, this time much further away over the back field. I soon picked it up, very distantly, sat right at the top of one of the hedgerow trees, gazing around. After a while it flew towards the Heugh where I just managed to see it doing a 'wallcreeper' up the rock face before moving out of sight.

To all of you who live south of Yorkshire, Green Woodies must be quite mundane, but in Northumberland they are relatively scarce, so casual sightings like this one are always appreciated.

About 60 Kittiwakes have returned to the cliffs along the coast path this weekend and they can be heard calling even from the garden.

A wander to the pond with Bunty was very springlike, with small birds in song all over. Two pairs of Bullfinches looked immaculate as they nipped the buds from some willows, a Marsh Tit flew along the ditches and the Heronry is at full volume. 53 Curlews stopped off in the back field for a while yesterday.

OFFH List 103