Trip reports

Sunday Morning Outing: Upper Teesdale

Sunday, 15 June 2008

A mistle thrush harassed a kestrel as the first cars were arriving, then dipper, grey wagtail and buzzard went on the list before we moved out of the car park.

In the quarry area plant life was our main interest, with several orchid species, including twayblade and marsh orchid, and lots of flowering butterwort.

Further on among the prolific and very beautiful meadow wildflowers, we saw several specimens of butterfly orchid, just coming into full flower, and fragrant orchids. We were grateful for the help of two passing botanists!

Back in the car park the midge population had reached epic proportions, and continued to make their presence felt throughout the day.

In the woods, by the swing bridge over the Tees, a nuthatch and great spotted woodpeckers, along with tits and chaffinches, were using a peanut feeder cunningly hidden among low branches.

On the way upstream there were many grey wagtails and sandpipers and great views of a pair of redstarts and spotted flycatchers along with curlews, lapwings with young, willow warblers, blackcap, meadow pipits, long tailed tits and dipper in the river.

We walked through the junipers as far as High Force and admired the view and fed the very confiding robin and chaffinches.

On the way back the redstarts again perched obligingly on fence posts very close by, redpolls flew over and a treecreeper completed our list as we left the woods.

A very pleasant outing, many thanks to everyone for their company and sharp eyes.

(And two members on the way home detoured in hopes of the red kites, originally from Gateshead and now breeding near Barnard Castle, and were duly rewarded.)

Thanks to Lesley Curwen for this report. Ed.