What did you see on your once-a-day exercise?
Flight of the Breamish Buzzard
unhindered
unfettered
lavish
lofty
spiralling
ascending
peerless
wildlife
Empty Spaces
Empty spaces in the valley
It can’t go unnoticed that the spaces around us are predominantly empty of people at the moment. While it’s somewhat strange, it is heartening to see that the majority of people are heading the UK Government’s stay at home policy.
For my daily exercise yesterday (Saturday 28 March 2020), I walked around the Hedgeley Lakes and back home following the path along the A697. In the seven-and-a-half years that I’ve lived in Powburn, I’ve never seen the A697 without a single vehicle on it on a Saturday: extraordinary times!
More Spring adders
More Spring adders basking
Having seen my first adder of the season on 26 February 2020, they can now be fairly easily seen each day basking in the morning sunshine around the margins of the Branton Lakes.
The Lark Ascending
The lark ascending at Ingram
Cycling out to Ingram yesterday, in the fields between the ‘whirlpool‘ on the River Breamish and the Ingram bridge, I saw my first skylark of the season. It was performing its typical display flight, climbing almost vertically up into the sky, all the time singing its elaborate and highly-distinctive song. Just makes you feel that Spring is on its way!
Bulby’s Wood: Northumberland NP
BULBY’S WOOD is a lovely picnic area in Northumberland National Park on the bank of the River Breamish about 0.5 miles out of Ingram Village in the direction of Linhope Estate [GPS: 55°26’28.337″ N 1°59’20.22″ W]
Adders on the Sunny Side of the Street
Adders on the sunny side near Branton
During the recent heavy snow of the Beast from the East, adders were difficult to find. However, as soon as there was some respite, they could be spotted quite easily once more on the sunny side of the street!
Adder on south-facing woodland margin
The Early Adder (2018)
Early adder at Branton
In 2015, I saw my first basking adder of the new season on 8 March 2015.
In 2016, it was around the same time of the year on 12 March 2016 that the basking adders were back.
Well, this year I caught sight of my first adder basking near the entrance to the Branton Lakes Nature Reserve on 20 February 2018 (between 2-3 weeks earlier than previous years). And here it is: