TL:DR – Brief spot of garden birding with friends in Teesdale and some sightseeing.
We spent a lovely couple of days with wonderful friends at their place in Teesdale…unfortunately I’ve been struggling to walk with an ankle injury so the usual long country walks and sightseeing were off the agenda, but we did get to toddle around the fabulous Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle and to sample some local ale at the local pub for local people (and their friends).
Our friends had also arranged a fabulous selection of birds to use their garden bird feeders while we were there: Brambling, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker (M+F), Redpoll, Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch, Jackdaw, Rook (either or both of which repeatedly knocked the feeders on to the lawn), Blackbird, House Sparrow, Starling (mainly in the trees not on the feeders); also Chiff Chaff calling from one of their trees. Didn’t see Tawny Owl on this visit.
The Tees at Barnard Castle was too rough and high within my walking range to catch sight of Dippers or wagtails fishing this time, but there were Mallard ducklings on the foamy banks and a solitary Whooper Swan looking rather out of place below the castle ruins.
