Winter, you've had enough, move on!

Almost mid March and it seems like we are stuck at Valentines Day.

Yesterday I met up with John at Boulmer early doors. That was clearly a mistake, as we just couldn't get motivated. It was dull, breezy and cold in a flat, dull, grey landscape, lit up by 43 blue plastic pheasant feeders across an otherwise barren landscape. No, it was time to move on.

A quick cross country dash to Alnwick Homebase car park, one vehicle was left and we headed off to recce a few sites for when spring really does arrive.

Inspired by last week's disused railway line, our first stop was Rugely just a mile or two west of Alnwick town. There was still some snow lying here and it was even windier than on the coast but we were here now, so we had to make the best of it.

A short walk along the line looked promising for better weather, though it was quiet today. A Treecreeper or two, a pair of Roe Deer and some Badger tracks in the snow were all of note. There might be some plants and insects here later in the year.

Rugely Footbridge

 

Treecreeper

Next stop was an overly optimistic 5 minutes at our known Adder site before heading west to Debdon where at least we might get some shelter in Primrose wood for a walk. On route our first 2 Lesser black backed Gulls of the year in a moorland sheep field, always a good early site for them.

A loop walk through the wood and back by the moor had us scanning for raptors after a Rough legged Buzzard was reported not too far away yesterday. We didnt have such luck, and all that entered the notebook was 2 Ravens, 3 Crossbills, 10+ Siskin ( that prompted some chat about six smart Siskins sat singing in a Sitka Spruce, yep it was that quiet), 3 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel.

A pair of Crossbills high up a larch. They should have a nest by now somewhere.

Debdon Moor.

Its always a nice walk here, but it was only slightly marred by the landowner doing his very best to chop down birch woods, finishing the vegetation clearances done so efficiently by a load of sheep! One day we will find somewhere, where people are trying to improve the biodiversity rather than just doing all they can to kill everything. 

On the right, before and on the left, after.