Northumberland in mid-December? (1 Viewer)

We're going to stay near Hexham (about 1/2 hr West of Durham) mid-December.

I know of WWT Washington (though it doesn't sound very good), Farne Island and Holy Island. I'm not sure if any of these will have much to offer in the winter though.

Can anyone suggest the best place to go at that time of year? I'll only be allowed out once for a day, and early mornings for a couple of hours, so I don't want to waste my chance. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

The coast from Holy island down to Seahouses is good at that time of year, try Fenham flats and Budle bay for Geese and waders and Stag rocks will give you a good chance of Slav grebe and Long-tailed duck as well as good numbers of Divers
If you can stretch the couple of hours in the morning a bit try Langdon beck for the Black grouse there should be a few knocking about at that time of year

Thanks Denis. It's good to get advice from a local...I've never heard of some of those places. Neither have I ever seen a Slav Grebe, Long-tailed duck, any divers or black grouse! It could be a good end to the year.

2520years said:

We're going to stay near Hexham (about 1/2 hr West of Durham) mid-December.

I know of WWT Washington (though it doesn't sound very good), Farne Island and Holy Island. I'm not sure if any of these will have much to offer in the winter though.

Can anyone suggest the best place to go at that time of year? I'll only be allowed out once for a day, and early mornings for a couple of hours, so I don't want to waste my chance. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

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If you're going with kids, you could try Washington for their benefit - my son likes the wildfowl collections much better than he likes wild birds, sadly. They do have a wild area but on the occasions when I've been there's never been much there - it's in a very industrial area. If the boat trips go on from Seahouses at that time of year, a trip from there might be another way of combining family fun with a bit of seawatching. I have got very sneaky over the last year at finding things which the rest of them will tolerate which allow me to sneak in a bit of birdwatching too!

I drive up that way regularly en route to Scotland and keep meaning to stop off around Kielder Water - maybe someone else knows what's around there in the winter?

2520years said:

I'm not sure if any of these will have much to offer in the winter though.

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Northumberland is absolute heaven in winter! :t: The coastline alone can produce a lot of good stuff - do want need geese, divers, waders, ducks and small stuff like Snow Buntings, Twite etc? All can be seen on an average day!
If I had only the one day ( that's SO unfair to you!!! ) I would head for the coastline around Druridge Bay upwards towards Holy Island, Budle Bay, Fenham Flats etc.

Washington WWT isn't bad as there are areas where you can see various wild birds in the woodland parts, once you've gotten past the pens of tame birds. I wouldn't 'waste' a precious one day of freedom there though ( sorry WWT ) though if you could wangle an extra day and take the kids there you could sneak in a bit of birding too.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm eagerly taking a note of all the suggestions so I can plan my day. I'm guaranteed to see some 'lifers' anyway. Now, if I could just arrange for some more hours of daylight...

Cheers.

Yo 2520years, have sent you a PM. I'm sure we can point you at some good birding I live near Hexham and do most of my birding in the area.

Stewart