# Birding in Northumberland: sites, seasons and what's flying now Northumberland has the Farne Islands, the only roseate terns in the UK and a goose that commutes from Svalbard to Holy Island. It also has a North Sea wind that goes straight through a fleece. Here's where to go and when, from a North East family with two small kids and one pair of binoculars. Updated Wednesday 30 September 2026. Section overview: https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding.html Pages in this section: Overview https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding.html; Where to go https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding/sites.html; The birds https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding/birds.html; Farne Islands https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding/farne-islands.html ## The short answer Birdwatching in Northumberland is at its best on the coast. The Farne Islands, reached by boat from Seahouses, hold around 43,000 pairs of puffins plus Arctic terns, guillemots, razorbills, shags and eiders from May to July, with landings on Inner Farne from April to September, and around 3,000 grey seal pups are born there each autumn. Coquet Island, seen from Puffin Cruises boats out of Amble, is the only place in the UK where roseate terns breed. In winter Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve is the only regular British wintering site for light-bellied brent geese, and the Druridge Bay reserves (Hauxley, East Chevington, Druridge Pools and Cresswell Pond) are good all year. Inland, ospreys have nested at Kielder since 2009 and are watched on a live nest camera at Tower Knowe from April to mid August. Birdwatching in Northumberland does the thing most birding places only promise. You get on a small boat at Seahouses, it smells of diesel and chips, and not long after there are puffins everywhere; the National Trust counts around 43,000 pairs on the Farnes. Down the coast at Amble a one hour boat goes round Coquet Island, the only place in the UK where roseate terns breed. In winter the light-bellied brent geese fly in from Svalbard to Holy Island, their only regular wintering site in Britain, and inland there are ospreys at Kielder and curlews bubbling over the Cheviots. Now the honest bit. The puffins are a May to July thing and most have left by the start of August, so an August puffin trip is mostly a boat trip. You can't land on Coquet at all, Staple Island is currently closed to visitors, and Inner Farne landings stop at the end of September. Seal pups come in late autumn, when it's boats only and the North Sea gets the final say. And Holy Island is cut off by the tide twice a day, so the council's crossing times matter more than the bird list. A boat in a swell after a sausage roll is its own kind of wildlife experience. So, this page. The month strip says what's about now. The site finder has all 35 places on a map, filters for area, habitat and bird, and sorts by distance from where you're stood. The species gallery has 63 birds with a tick box each, and the ticks stay on your phone. Check the boat before the Farnes and the crossing times before Holy Island. ## Month by month ### January: Brent geese, sea ducks and rocky-shore waders Midwinter, and the north coast is full: brent geese from Svalbard on the Lindisfarne flats with the wigeon, sea ducks off Holy Island, purple sandpipers on the rocks at high tide. Crossing times first, then a hat. Look for: Pale-bellied brent goose, Wigeon, Bar-tailed godwit, Long-tailed duck, Common scoter, Purple sandpiper, Turnstone, Red-throated diver. Best sites: lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island, budle-bay, bamburgh-harkess-rocks, farne-islands. ### February: Goshawks display, swans on the loughs Goshawks display over the Kielder skyline on still, bright mornings, swans and geese sit on the loughs by the Wall, and a cold snap is bittern weather at East Chevington. Mud everywhere. Look for: Goshawk, Crossbill, Whooper swan, Greylag goose, Pink-footed goose, Bittern, Pale-bellied brent goose, Wigeon. Best sites: kielder-water-forest-park, grindon-lough, greenlee-lough-wall-crags, east-chevington, lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island. ### March: Oystercatchers inland, puffins back by the end of the month Oystercatchers turn up in the Cheviot valleys, curlews start calling on the hill, pink-feet head north over Druridge Bay, and by the end of the month the puffins are back. Ospreys in late March or early April. Look for: Oystercatcher, Curlew, Pink-footed goose, Osprey, Puffin, Goshawk, Lapwing, Kittiwake. Best sites: college-valley, east-chevington, druridge-pools-druridge-bay, kielder-water-forest-park, farne-islands. ### April: Inner Farne reopens, curlews bubble in the Cheviots Inner Farne landings start, and they're cheaper than in summer. The osprey watch opens at Tower Knowe, ring ouzels and redstarts arrive, and the black grouse lek at dawn (leave them be). Look for: Puffin, Osprey, Curlew, Ring ouzel, Redstart, Black grouse, Marsh harrier, Sandwich tern. Best sites: farne-islands, kielder-water-forest-park, harthope-valley, college-valley, hareshaw-linn, east-chevington. ### May: The seabird season starts properly Peak month, no argument: terns back at the Long Nanny and on Inner Farne, roseates on Coquet, pied flycatchers in the old woods, avocets nesting at Cresswell. Pack the soft hats. Look for: Puffin, Arctic tern, Roseate tern, Guillemot, Eider, Pied flycatcher, Avocet, Little tern. Best sites: farne-islands, coquet-island, beadnell-bay-long-nanny, allen-banks-staward-gorge, cresswell-pond. ### June: Pufflings, fish deliveries and full tern colonies Puffins flying in with beaks full of fish, tern colonies at full volume, osprey chicks on the Kielder camera. Book the boats early; everybody wants June. Look for: Puffin, Arctic tern, Roseate tern, Sandwich tern, Common tern, Kittiwake, Shag, Osprey. Best sites: farne-islands, coquet-island, beadnell-bay-long-nanny, kielder-water-forest-park. ### July: Last call for puffins Last call for puffins, because by the end of the month most have gone. The Long Nanny's still busy, and the Berwick swans are a free stop on the way home. Look for: Puffin, Arctic tern, Roseate tern, Little tern, Guillemot, Razorbill, Avocet, Mute swan. Best sites: farne-islands, coquet-island, beadnell-bay-long-nanny, cresswell-pond, tweed-estuary-berwick. ### August: Quiet islands, returning waders, purple moors The islands go quiet, the waders come back, the moors go purple and the ospreys leave Kielder. Grindon Lough starts its best spell. Look for: Turnstone, Bar-tailed godwit, Sanderling, Osprey, Red grouse, Golden plover, Gannet, Sandwich tern. Best sites: lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island, kielder-water-forest-park, grindon-lough, simonside, farne-islands. ### September: Last landings, first geese Last month for Inner Farne landings. Wigeon and pink-footed geese arrive, godwits and golden plovers gather on the Lindisfarne flats, and gannets still pass offshore. Look for: Wigeon, Pink-footed goose, Bar-tailed godwit, Golden plover, Gannet, Greylag goose, Turnstone, Sanderling. Best sites: lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island, budle-bay, grindon-lough, east-chevington, cresswell-pond. ### October: Seal pups, swans and the brent geese Seal pups from late October, boat only. Whooper swans in, pink-feet pouring south over Druridge Bay, brent geese back on Lindisfarne, bearded tits pinging at East Chevington. Look for: Pale-bellied brent goose, Pink-footed goose, Whooper swan, Wigeon, Bearded tit, Short-eared owl, Golden plover, Merlin. Best sites: farne-islands, lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island, budle-bay, east-chevington, grindon-lough. ### November: Seal pup season and sea ducks The middle of seal pup season, sea ducks and divers off the coast, purple sandpipers back on the rocks, and in a waxwing winter the supermarket car park is suddenly the best birding in town. Look for: Pale-bellied brent goose, Long-tailed duck, Common scoter, Red-throated diver, Purple sandpiper, Waxwing, Snow bunting, Barn owl. Best sites: farne-islands, lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island, bamburgh-harkess-rocks, beadnell-bay-long-nanny, east-chevington. ### December: Winter wildfowl and the last seal pups Short days, full coast: brent geese and wigeon on Lindisfarne, swans on the loughs and the Tweed, and a long shot at a bittern. Crossing times, tide, forecast, in that order. Look for: Pale-bellied brent goose, Wigeon, Whooper swan, Mute swan, Bittern, Purple sandpiper, Turnstone, Goosander. Best sites: lindisfarne-nnr-holy-island, grindon-lough, tweed-estuary-berwick, east-chevington, farne-islands. ## Where to go (https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding/sites.html) ### Farne Islands (boats from Seahouses) (Seahouses) Star species: Puffin, Arctic tern, Eider, Shag, Guillemot, Razorbill. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov. The big one. Around 200,000 seabirds nest here from May to July, about 43,000 pairs of them puffins, and on Inner Farne the boardwalk runs straight through the tern colony, which is where you find out what the soft hat was for. Tip: Buy the National Trust landing ticket at the trailer on the harbour before you sail, book the boat ahead in summer, and have a plan B, because landings are cancelled when the sea is up. Access: Boat trips only, from Seahouses harbour: Billy Shiel's, Golden Gate and Serenity. Landings on Inner Farne from April to September; book the boat ahead; Parking: Pay and display in Seahouses (not National Trust). Council Station Yard car park: 1 hour free, 2 hours £5.50, 3 hours £7, all day £10.50, charges 8am to 6pm. Car parks fill quickly; Hides: None; the Inner Farne boardwalk takes you through the colony; Toilets: Limited toilets on Inner Farne; public toilets next to the main car park in Seahouses; Cafe: None on the islands; picnic benches near the lighthouse on Inner Farne; Dogs: No dogs on the islands, including assistance dogs; some boat operators let dogs wait on board; Step-free: Inner Farne has a boardwalk, but boarding and landing involve steps and jetties; ask the boat company about access; Cost: Boat fare plus the National Trust landing fee. 2026: May to July adult £17, child (5 to 17) £8.50, family £42.50; April, August and September adult £13, child £6.50, family £32.50. Members land free; Best time: May to July for puffins and terns; autumn for grey seal pups; Tides: Not tide dependent, but sailings and landings depend on the weather and sea state Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/farne-islands ### Coquet Island (by boat from Amble) (Amble) Star species: Roseate tern, Puffin, Sandwich tern, Arctic tern, Common tern, Eider. Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug. The UK's only breeding roseate terns, plus thousands of puffins and three other kinds of tern, on an RSPB island that nobody lands on. You go round it in an hour on the Puffin Cruises boat from Amble. Tip: Ring Puffin Cruises to book (07752 861914), bring binoculars for everyone because the boat keeps its distance from the island, and go between mid May and July. Access: No landing. One-hour cruises round the island from the dock steps at Amble harbour, late spring and summer, weather permitting; Parking: In Amble (charges not checked); Hides: None; Step-free: No; boarding is from the dock steps; Cost: Boat fare; prices are not published online, so ask when you book; Best time: Mid May to July for puffins and terns; roseate terns mid May to early September; Tides: Sailings depend on the weather and sea state Official page: https://www.puffincruises.co.uk/ ### Lindisfarne NNR and Holy Island (Holy Island) Star species: Pale-bellied brent goose, Wigeon, Bar-tailed godwit, Grey plover, Whooper swan, Short-eared owl. Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Winter is the point: light-bellied brent geese from Svalbard, wigeon, grey plovers and godwits on the flats, and in autumn an easterly can drop migrants into the hedges along the Straight Lonnen. The tide runs the whole day. Tip: Check the council's safe crossing times before anything else and plan round them. The Paul Greenwood hide on the Lough is open at all times, and check boots and the dog for pirri-pirri bur before you leave. Access: By the tidal causeway from Beal, only within the council's published safe crossing times. The walking route over the sands is for daylight, with local knowledge, never on a rising tide; Parking: Chare Ends car park on the island (council): 3 hours £7, 4 hours £8, 5 hours £9, 24 hours £10.50, charges 8am to 6pm; Green Lane car park is free for Blue Badge holders; Hides: The Paul Greenwood memorial hide overlooks the Lough; Cafe: In Holy Island village; Step-free: Not published; expect sand, grass and dune paths away from the village; Cost: Free (parking charges apply); Best time: October to March for geese, wildfowl and waders; September and October for migrants after easterly winds; Tides: The causeway floods twice a day. Use only the council's safe crossing times (holyislandcrossingtimes.northumberland.gov.uk), allow 30 minutes extra in high winds, and never drive into water Official page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/northumberlands-national-nature-reserves/northumberlands-national-nature-reserves ### Budle Bay (Bamburgh) Star species: Shelduck, Curlew, Little egret, Redshank, Merlin, Peregrine. Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A mile-wide tidal bay you can bird from the car: shelduck, curlew, redshank and little egret on the mud, and merlins and peregrines hunting over it in winter. Good for anyone who has had enough of walking. Tip: Watch from the white railings along the Bamburgh to Waren Mill road rather than going down onto the shore, and come nearer high tide for sea duck, grebes and divers. Access: Roadside viewing along the Bamburgh to Waren Mill road; Parking: Roadside pull-ins along the road; Hides: None; the car works as one; Step-free: Yes, from the roadside or the car; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for wildfowl and raptors; waders all year; Tides: Birds are far out at low tide; high tide brings sea duck, grebes and divers closer Official page: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/northumberlands-national-nature-reserves/northumberlands-national-nature-reserves ### Bamburgh and Harkess Rocks (Stag Rocks) (Bamburgh) Star species: Purple sandpiper, Long-tailed duck, Red-throated diver, Slavonian grebe, Eider, Common scoter. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. The rocks by the lighthouse with the white stag painted on them are the best spot in the county for purple sandpipers, and in winter you seawatch across to the Farnes with the castle at your back. Tip: Walk down The Wynding past the houses (the golf club car park is private), come between January and March, and hold small hands on the wet rocks; big waves wash right over. Access: Along The Wynding from Bamburgh village towards the golf club; the rocks are by the lighthouse; Parking: Roadside on The Wynding past the houses, or the council's Bamburgh village car park (3 hours £7, all day £10.50, 8am to 6pm). The golf club car park is private; Hides: None; Toilets: In Bamburgh village; Cafe: In Bamburgh village; Step-free: Partly: you can scan the sea from the roadside, but the rocks are uneven and slippery; Cost: Free (parking charges in the village); Best time: January to March for purple sandpipers, sea duck, divers and grebes; Tides: Waves can break over the promontory in heavy weather; keep well back in a big sea Official page: https://www.northumberlandcoast-nl.org.uk/visit/wildlife-watching ### Seahouses harbour (Seahouses) Star species: Eider, Purple sandpiper, Goldeneye, Glaucous gull. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr. Ten minutes with the binoculars before the Farne boat: eiders close in, purple sandpipers and turnstones on the rocks and walls, and sometimes goldeneye in winter. Tip: Winter is best for the harbour birds and the boats are quiet. Station Yard is the council car park with the first hour free, and the toilets are by the main car park. Access: In the village; the Farne Islands boats leave from the harbour; Parking: Council Station Yard car park: 1 hour free, 2 hours £5.50, 3 hours £7, all day £10.50, charges 8am to 6pm. Limited parking on the harbour; Hides: None; Toilets: Public toilets next to the main car park; Cafe: Plenty in the village; Step-free: Harbourside viewing from the quay; Cost: Free (parking charges apply); Best time: October to April for eiders, purple sandpipers and the chance of a white-winged gull; Tides: Not critical for the harbour birds Official page: https://www.northumberlandcoast-nl.org.uk/visit/wildlife-watching ### Beadnell Bay and the Long Nanny tern colony (Beadnell) Star species: Arctic tern, Little tern, Ringed plover, Eider, Snow bunting, Twite. Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Around 2,000 Arctic terns and a few very rare little terns nesting on the open beach, guarded day and night by National Trust rangers from May to July. In winter the dunes and burn mouth get snow buntings and twite. Tip: It's about a mile's walk from Beadnell or High Newton. Head for the rangers' hut and viewing platform, and keep dogs on a short lead near the ropes from May to July. Access: Walk about a mile along the beach and dunes from Beadnell or High Newton-by-the-Sea to the footbridge over the Long Nanny burn; Parking: Council car parks at Beadnell (1 hour free, 3 hours £7, all day £9.50) and Newton Steads (1 hour £3.30, all day £9.50); free council car park at High Newton; Hides: No hide; a National Trust rangers' hut and small viewing platform in the breeding season; Dogs: On short leads near the Long Nanny in the breeding season (May to July); Step-free: No; sand and dune paths; Cost: Free (parking charges apply); Best time: May to July for the tern colony; November to February for snow buntings, twite and raptors; Tides: The colony is on the upper beach; keep to the signed route and off roped areas at every state of the tide Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/embleton-and-newton-links ### Low Newton and Newton Pool (Low Newton-by-the-Sea) Star species: Avocet, Marsh harrier, Water rail, Little grebe, Purple sandpiper, Yellow-browed warbler. Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. A small National Trust pool behind the dunes with a hide, avocets and marsh harriers breeding according to the bird club, and a habit of attracting rarities far beyond its size. Tip: An all-ability path runs from the village to the hide, which has a ramp. Pair it with the Long Nanny terns in June, and check the rocks for purple sandpipers in winter. Access: Short walk from Low Newton-by-the-Sea to the pool and hide; Parking: Council car parks at Low Newton (1 hour £3.30, 2 hours £5.50, all day £9.50, 8am to 6pm) and High Newton (free); Hides: National Trust hide overlooking Newton Pool, with a ramp; Dogs: Allowed on the National Trust links; short leads near nesting birds in May to July; Step-free: All-ability path to the hide, which has a ramp; Cost: Free (parking charges apply); Best time: April and May for breeding birds and warblers; September to February for migrants, wildfowl and sea duck; Tides: Not needed for the pool Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/embleton-and-newton-links ### Craster, the Arnold Reserve and Dunstanburgh (Craster) Star species: Kittiwake, Fulmar, Wryneck, Barred warbler, Red-breasted flycatcher, Blackcap. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct. A tiny quarry wood beside the Craster car park that catches tired migrants in spring and autumn, then the cliffs at Dunstanburgh with the county's biggest mainland kittiwake colony. Tip: The car park takes coins and the phone signal for PayByPhone is weak, so bring change. Come after easterly winds for migrants, and May to July for the kittiwakes, about 1.3 miles along the coast path. Access: Next to the main car park at the entrance to Craster, through the opening by the tourist information building; kissing gates at the southern end; open all the time; Parking: Council car park in Craster: 1 hour £3.30, 2 hours £5.50, 3 hours £7, all day £9.50, 8am to 6pm; Hides: None; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: The route through the reserve from the car park is level and well surfaced; the southern kissing gates are harder; Cost: Free (parking charges apply); Best time: May, September and October for migrants; May to July for the Dunstanburgh kittiwakes; Tides: Not needed Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/arnold-memorial ### Boulmer (Boulmer) Star species: Purple sandpiper, Curlew sandpiper, Little stint, Twite, Short-eared owl, Grey plover. Best months: Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A tiny fishing village whose seaweedy shore pulls in waders all autumn and winter, with purple sandpipers, twite and short-eared owls, and a greater sand plover in July 2024, just to show off. Tip: The council's Beach View car park is 1 pound for two hours, the best deal on this coast. Come on a rising tide, then check the rough grass north of the village. Access: Minor road north from the Alnmouth roundabout, then right at the first T-junction; Parking: Council Beach View car park: 2 hours £1, 3 hours £1.50, all day £3, charges 8am to 6pm; Hides: None; Cafe: The Fishing Boat Inn; Step-free: Views over the bay from the village and car park; the shore is rocky; Cost: Free (parking charges apply); Best time: August to October for passage waders; winter for purple sandpipers, twite and gull roosts; Tides: Come on a rising tide for waders Official page: https://www.thedippersnest.co.uk/boulmer_birdwatching ### The Aln estuary at Alnmouth (Alnmouth) Star species: Snow bunting, Twite, Shorelark, Kingfisher, Stonechat, Barn owl. Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. The estuary behind Alnmouth and the Buston Links dunes: an autumn and winter spot for snow buntings, twite, stonechats and the odd kingfisher, and easy to lose a whole morning in. Tip: Low tide is best, especially at Buston Links. Scan from the bridge over the Aln and check the pools for a kingfisher, then reward everyone at a village cafe. Access: The bridge over the Aln on the road into Alnmouth; Buston Links dunes on the south side down a rough track off the A1068; Parking: Cricket club car park in Alnmouth; rough track parking at Buston Links; Hides: None; Cafe: Pubs, restaurants and a tea room in Alnmouth; Step-free: Views from the bridge; dune paths are sandy; Cost: Free; Best time: Autumn and winter; Tides: Low tide is best, particularly at Buston Links Official page: https://www.thedippersnest.co.uk/aln-estuary ### The Coquet estuary at Warkworth (Warkworth) Star species: Little egret, Snow bunting, Stonechat, Jack snipe, Eider, Shelduck. Best months: Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Below the castle the Coquet runs out past a tidal channel called the Gut, with little egrets in late summer, stonechats in the dunes and snow buntings on the beach in winter. Tip: Use the Beach Road car park for the Gut and the dunes. If the bairns are flagging, the castle is right there (English Heritage, paid entry). Access: Beach Road from Warkworth to the beach and the Gut; the Braid picnic area on the Amble bank; Parking: Car park on Beach Road, Warkworth (charges not checked); paid parking at the castle; Hides: None; Cafe: In Warkworth village; Step-free: Not published; dune and grass paths; Cost: Free; Best time: Late summer for little egrets; autumn for migrants; winter for snow buntings, divers and sea duck; Tides: The Gut is tidal; waders feed on the mud when it is exposed Official page: https://www.northumberlandcoast-nl.org.uk/visit/wildlife-watching ### Amble harbour and the Braid (Amble) Star species: Eider, Little egret, Shelduck, Grey heron, Cormorant. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. Where the Coquet Island boat goes from, with eiders in the harbour and the Braid picnic area looking over mud with herons, shelduck and, in late summer, little egrets. Tip: Look round the harbour for eiders while you wait for the Coquet boat, and NWT Hauxley is only a few minutes down the coast if you want more. Access: Amble harbour on the south bank of the Coquet; the Braid picnic area by the estuary; Parking: Town car parks in Amble (charges not checked); Hides: None; Cafe: In Amble; Step-free: Harbourside viewing; surfaces not checked; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for divers, grebes and sea duck; late summer for little egrets; May to August for the island boats; Tides: Waders use the mudflats off the Braid when they are exposed Official page: https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Coquet_Island_and_Amble ### NWT Hauxley (Low Hauxley) Star species: Tree sparrow, Red squirrel, Otter, Reed bunting, Shoveler, Lapwing. Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. The easiest reserve on the coast with kids: six hides, a cafe, proper toilets, tree sparrows and reed buntings, and a real chance of red squirrels and otters. Around 140 bird species a year. Tip: The car park locks at 5.30pm and there's a small parking charge. No dogs except assistance dogs, so if the dog's coming, go to East Chevington or Druridge Pools instead. Access: Near Low Hauxley, south of Amble off the A1068; centre and reserve open daily 9am to 5.30pm; Parking: On site; small charge. Car park locked at 5.30pm; Hides: Six hides, including a members-only hide; two accessible hides; Toilets: Yes, including accessible toilets and baby changing; Cafe: The Lookout Cafe, daily 10am to 4.30pm (hot food until 3.30pm); Dogs: No dogs except guide and assistance dogs; Step-free: Yes, a 1 km accessible route to two accessible hides; Cost: Free entry, donations welcome; small parking charge; Best time: All year; spring and autumn for passage birds; Tides: Not needed for the reserve Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/hauxley ### Druridge Pools and Druridge Bay (Cresswell) Star species: Wigeon, Teal, Little egret, Snipe, Redshank, Otter. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Seven miles of sand with a chain of old opencast wetlands behind it. Druridge Pools has wigeon and teal in winter, snipe and little egrets, and otters if you're lucky. Tip: Park by the National Trust site next door and use the level-access hide, then go to Druridge Bay Country Park for the toilets, the cafe and the lake path. Access: Minor road through Druridge Links, 3 km north of Cresswell; open all the time; Parking: Roadside at the adjacent National Trust site. Druridge Bay Country Park (NE61 5BX): first hour free, up to 2 hours £3, over 2 hours £5, Blue Badge free; Hides: Two hides (one level access, one up four steps) and a viewing platform up three broad steps; Toilets: At Druridge Bay Country Park, 9am to 5pm daily; Cafe: At Druridge Bay Country Park; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: Partly: level grass paths and one level-access hide, but paths can be wet and muddy; Cost: Free; Best time: Spring and autumn for passage birds; winter for wigeon and teal; Tides: Not needed; the pools are freshwater Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/druridge-pools ### East Chevington (Red Row) Star species: Marsh harrier, Bearded tit, Bittern, Short-eared owl, Pink-footed goose, Whooper swan. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. The big reedbed reserve behind Druridge Bay: marsh harriers since 2009, bearded tits, wintering bitterns, owls over the grassland and pink-foot skeins going over in spring and autumn. Tip: Paths are level and wide with a boardwalk, so buggies are fine. The toilets and cafe are at Druridge Bay Country Park, and in winter give it time for the owls. Access: Unclassified road opposite the Red Row turning, or the coast path from Druridge Bay Country Park; open all the time; Parking: On site, or at Druridge Bay Country Park (charges apply there); Hides: Several public hides; the locked education hide by the entrance is not open to the public; Toilets: At Druridge Bay Country Park; Cafe: At Druridge Bay Country Park; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: Yes: level, well surfaced paths at least 1 m wide, and a wide boardwalk to a viewing platform; Cost: Free; Best time: Spring for marsh harriers and warblers; October to March for bittern, owls, geese and swans; Tides: Not needed Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/east-chevington ### Cresswell Pond (Cresswell) Star species: Avocet, Pink-footed goose, Greylag goose, Wigeon, Tree sparrow, Barn owl. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct. A brackish lagoon behind the dunes where avocets have nested since 2011, with geese and ducks on the water, tree sparrows and barn owls round the edges and waders dropping in on passage. Tip: Park at the north end, walk 500 metres south along the road to the Blakemoor Farm track, and string it together with Druridge Pools and East Chevington in one morning. Access: Farm track to Blakemoor Farm, about 1 km north of Cresswell; a wide latch gate with two stone steps; open all the time; Parking: Car park at the north end of the reserve on the coast side of the road, then a 500 m walk south along the road; Hides: One hide, reached by a boardwalk ramp with a handrail; Dogs: On a lead; Step-free: Mostly: level path 50 to 120 cm wide and a ramp to the hide, but a 500 m road walk from the car park; Cost: Free; Best time: Spring and autumn passage; avocets from spring into summer; Tides: Not needed Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/cresswell-pond ### Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and Church Point (Newbiggin-by-the-Sea) Star species: Mediterranean gull, Purple sandpiper, Arctic skua, Great skua, Manx shearwater, Little auk. Best months: Apr, May, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov. A proper patch birder's town. Church Point is one of the best seawatching spots in the county, Mediterranean gulls and purple sandpipers are regulars, and skuas and shearwaters go past in autumn. Tip: Park free at Church Point and seawatch in an onshore wind, dressed for it. The promenade is flat for buggies, with toilets and a cafe at the Maritime Centre. Access: Church Point is at the north end of the bay; the promenade runs along the front; Parking: Church Point car park (council, free); on-street parking in the main street; Hides: None; Toilets: At the Maritime Centre and behind the town council offices off the main street; Cafe: Newbiggin Maritime Centre; Step-free: Yes: the promenade is flat with no gradients, and wheelchairs can reach the beach by the lifeboat ramp at the north end; Cost: Free; Best time: August to October for seawatching and migrants; April and May for spring migrants; winter for divers and purple sandpipers; Tides: Not critical for seawatching Official page: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/parks/country-parks-visitor-centres-coastal-sites/newbiggin-bay-and-promenade ### The Tweed estuary at Berwick (Berwick-upon-Tweed) Star species: Mute swan, Goldeneye, Goosander, Red-breasted merganser, Red-throated diver, Great northern diver. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Hundreds of mute swans right in the town, peaking at around 800 according to Destination Tweed, with goldeneye, goosanders and divers in winter. Tip: Walk the north bank at low tide for waders, then go out to the north pier and Little Beach for divers and sea duck. A telescope helps. Access: Riverside paths along the north bank from the town; the north pier and Little Beach at the river mouth; Spittal Point on the south side; Parking: Town car parks in Berwick (charges apply); Hides: None; Cafe: In Berwick; Step-free: Town riverside paths; surfaces not checked; Cost: Free; Best time: October to March for wildfowl, divers and waders; Tides: Low tide for waders on the estuary; the harbour and pier for divers and sea duck Official page: http://northnorthumberlandbirdclub.co.uk/index.php/birdwatching-localities-in-northumberland/ ### Kielder Water and Forest Park (and the Kielder ospreys) (Kielder) Star species: Osprey, Red squirrel, Crossbill, Goshawk, Siskin, Merlin. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. The North East's osprey headquarters since 2009, with the Tower Knowe nest camera, crossbills, siskins and goshawks in the conifers, and red squirrels all round. Tip: Osprey Watch at Tower Knowe runs on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, 11am to 4pm, April to mid August. It's a long drive from anywhere, so take food. Access: Tower Knowe visitor centre at the east end of the lake (NE48 1BX); Kielder Castle (NE48 1ER) and the Bakethin reserve (NE48 1HF) at the north end; Parking: Forestry England car parks: up to 1 hour £2.50, all day £6.50; Forest Drive toll (May to December) £5; members free; Hides: Osprey Watch cabin with a live nest camera and scopes at Tower Knowe; accessible Bakethin hide run by Northumberland Wildlife Trust; Toilets: At Tower Knowe (April to October) and Kielder Waterside; Cafe: Tower Knowe cafe at weekends, 11am to 5pm; Kielder Castle cafe closed at the time of writing; Dogs: Allowed in the forest park; check any local restrictions; Step-free: Tower Knowe has disabled access; Bakethin has easy access walks to an accessible hide; Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply; Best time: April to mid August for ospreys; red squirrels all year Official page: https://www.forestryengland.uk/kielder-water-and-forest-park ### Wallington (red squirrels) (Cambo) Star species: Red squirrel, Otter. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov. A National Trust estate with a feeder hide in West Wood that is one of the regular red squirrel spots, though the Trust is honest that sightings dropped after Storm Arwen. Tip: It's a paid property with parking included, so make a day of it. Sit still in the hide and give the squirrels time; spring and autumn are best. Access: Cambo, near Morpeth; estate and woods open 10am to 5pm at the time of writing; Parking: Free for members; included in the admission price for everyone else; Hides: Wildlife hide in West Wood, with feeders; Toilets: Yes, including an adapted toilet; Cafe: Yes, 10am to 5pm; Dogs: Allowed; Step-free: Partly: steep slopes, loose gravel and uneven woodland paths; mobility scooters bookable 48 hours ahead; Cost: 2026 admission (30 March to 1 November): adult £22, child (5 to 17) £11, family £55, without Gift Aid; National Trust members free; Best time: Spring and autumn for red squirrels Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/wallington ### Harthope Valley (Wooler) Star species: Dipper, Ring ouzel, Whinchat, Common sandpiper, Merlin, Curlew. Best months: Apr, May, Jun. A single road up beside the Harthope Burn under the Cheviot, with dippers on the rocks, ring ouzels, whinchats and common sandpipers, and curlews calling in April and May. Tip: Park before the Carey Burn bridge, as the National Park asks, walk up beside the burn for the dippers, and watch where you put your feet on warm days (adders). Access: Single-track road from Wooler (via Cheviot Street) up the valley to Langleeford; Parking: Free roadside parking before the Carey Burn bridge, and off-road spots near Langleeford; Hides: None; Step-free: No; grassy banks and rough paths; Cost: Free; Best time: April and May Official page: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/discover-explore/places-to-visit/the-cheviots/harthope-valley/ ### College Valley (Kirknewton) Star species: Curlew, Merlin, Peregrine, Barn owl, Red grouse, Raven. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul. A private Cheviot valley kept quiet by a car permit system, with merlins, peregrines, ravens, barn owls in the nest boxes and around 150 feral goats, which the kids will rate above any bird. Tip: Park free at Hethpool and walk or cycle, because you can't drive beyond it without a permit. Dogs on leads at all times. Access: Hethpool, up the College Valley near Kirknewton; no vehicles beyond Hethpool without a permit; Parking: Free car park at Hethpool; Hides: None; Dogs: On leads at all times; Step-free: No; estate roads and hill paths; Cost: Free; Best time: March to July for breeding birds; goats all year Official page: https://www.college-valley.co.uk/about-us/visiting-the-college-valley/ ### Grindon Lough (Haydon Bridge) Star species: Whooper swan, Greenland white-fronted goose, Bean goose, Pink-footed goose, Wigeon, Golden plover. Best months: Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A small lough by the Stanegate that you watch from the car: whooper swans and wild geese in winter, bean and Greenland white-fronted among them, and waders in late summer. Tip: There's no access onto the reserve. Pull in on the Stanegate west of Newbrough, bring a telescope, and come in winter or in August and September. Access: View from the Stanegate road, 5 km north west of Haydon Bridge; no access onto the reserve; Parking: Roadside along the Stanegate, west of Newbrough; Hides: None; Dogs: On leads; Step-free: Yes, viewing from the roadside or the car; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for swans and geese; August and September for waders Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/grindon-lough ### Greenlee Lough and the Wall crags (Once Brewed) Star species: Whooper swan, Pink-footed goose, Greylag goose, Wigeon, Teal, Peregrine. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun. The biggest of the loughs north of Hadrian's Wall, with a long boardwalk to a hide, winter swans and geese, and peregrines breeding on the Whin Sill crags just to the south. Tip: It's a proper walk over tussocky, marshy ground from Gibbs Hill or Steel Rigg: wellies, a flask and a telescope. Access: Permissive path south from the public footpath, or the public footpath from the east off the Pennine Way; boardwalk from the north across the reedbed; Parking: Small permissive car park at Gibbs Hill (NY 748 692), or Steel Rigg National Park car park (NY 752 676); Hides: One hide, reached by a long boardwalk; Dogs: On leads; Step-free: No; tussocky, marshy ground; Cost: Free; Best time: October to March for wildfowl; spring into June for peregrines on the crags Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/greenlee-lough ### Allen Banks and Staward Gorge (Bardon Mill) Star species: Pied flycatcher, Redstart, Wood warbler, Dipper, Red squirrel, Otter. Best months: Apr, May, Jun. A deep wooded gorge on the River Allen with more than 70 bird species; April and May bring pied flycatchers, redstarts and, with luck, a wood warbler singing over the dippers and grey wagtails. Tip: Parking has toilets but there's no cafe, and the paths are steep and uneven, so it's a back-carrier walk rather than a buggy one. Go in April or May. Access: Near Ridley Hall, Bardon Mill; open dawn to dusk; Parking: £3 for 4 hours, £5 all day (JustPark app); National Trust members free; 3.3 m height limit; Hides: None; Toilets: Yes, including accessible toilets; Cafe: None; Dogs: On leads; Step-free: No; mostly steep and uneven paths; Cost: Free entry; parking charges for non-members; Best time: April and May for woodland migrants in song Official page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/allen-banks-and-staward-gorge ### Bolam Lake (Belsay) Star species: Red squirrel, Nuthatch, Great spotted woodpecker, Smew, Brambling, Jay. Best months: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May. A Georgian lake in a country park with a feeding station and hide by the car park for red squirrels, nuthatches and woodpeckers, and sawbills on the water in winter. Tip: The mile of path round the lake is fully accessible. The first hour of parking is free, and the cafe is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays. Access: Signposted off the A696 from Belsay, about 9 miles west of Morpeth; Parking: Three car parks, 9.30am to sunset: first hour free, up to 2 hours £3, over 2 hours £5; Blue Badge free; Hides: Bird hide at the car park feeding station (built 2019); Toilets: At Boathouse Wood car park, 9.30am to 5pm; accessible toilet with a RADAR key; Cafe: Next to Boathouse Wood car park; Wednesday to Sunday (closed Monday and Tuesday); Dogs: Welcome, kept under control; Step-free: Yes: fully accessible path of about 1 mile round the lakeshore; Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply; Best time: Winter for sawbills and thrush flocks; April and May for song; red squirrels all year Official page: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/parks/country-parks-visitor-centres-coastal-sites/bolam-lake-country-park ### Plessey Woods Country Park (Bedlington) Star species: Kingfisher, Dipper, Red squirrel, Great spotted woodpecker, Nuthatch, Treecreeper. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Woods and meadows along the River Blyth, with kingfishers and dippers on the river and woodpeckers, nuthatches and treecreepers in the trees. Tip: Find a quiet spot by the river and wait for the kingfisher. The visitor centre and cafe are closed on Mondays, and the riverside paths get steep. Access: Shields Road, Plessey, near Bedlington; about five miles south of Morpeth; Parking: First hour free, up to 2 hours £3, over 2 hours £5; Blue Badge free; Hides: None; Toilets: Public and disabled toilets at the visitor centre, open in daylight hours; Cafe: Visitor centre cafe: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 3pm (October to March) or 4pm (April to September); weekends 10am to 3.30pm or 4pm; closed Mondays; Dogs: Welcome; be considerate of wildlife and livestock; Step-free: Partly: surfaced paths from the visitor centre to the river, but steep gradients along the riverside; Cost: Free entry; parking charges apply; Best time: Spring for song; winter for goosanders and thrush flocks; kingfishers and dippers all year Official page: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/parks/country-parks-visitor-centres-coastal-sites/plessey-woods-country-park-visitor-centre ### Hareshaw Linn (Bellingham) Star species: Dipper, Redstart, Great spotted woodpecker, Red squirrel. Best months: Apr, May, Jun. A woodland walk from Bellingham over six bridges to a nine metre waterfall, with dippers on the burn, redstarts in May, woodpeckers and red squirrels. Tip: Counting the six bridges keeps small walkers going. The National Park car park has 26 spaces, and May is the month for redstarts. Access: From Bellingham main street take the Otterburn/Redesmouth road and turn left immediately after crossing the stream (about 70 m); Parking: Hareshaw Linn National Park car park: 26 spaces, including 2 disabled and 4 EV charging; Hides: None; Cafe: In Bellingham; Step-free: No; woodland path with six bridges; Cost: Free; Best time: April to June for woodland birds; spring and autumn for red squirrels Official page: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/discover-explore/places-to-visit/north-tyne-redesdale/hareshaw-linn/ ### Thrunton Woods (Rothbury) Star species: Crossbill, Goshawk, Woodcock, Red squirrel, Buzzard, Jay. Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May. Conifer forest under Thrunton Crag, with crossbills busiest in January and February, goshawks displaying in March and woodcock out at dusk. Tip: Free parking but no toilets. The Crag Top Walk is about a mile and gets you up high for a scan over the trees for raptors in March. Access: Signposted from the A697 Newcastle to Coldstream road; open 24 hours; Parking: Free; no accessible spaces; Hides: None; Toilets: None; Cafe: None; picnic area; Dogs: Allowed; assistance dogs welcome; Step-free: No; Cost: Free; Best time: January and February for crossbills; March for displaying raptors; spring for song Official page: https://www.forestryengland.uk/thrunton-wood ### Simonside Hills (Rothbury) Star species: Red squirrel, Curlew. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Aug. The sandstone ridge above Rothbury with the best heather in Northumberland, purple in August, red squirrels in the pines below and curlews nesting on the open moor. Tip: Dogs must be on a lead on the open moor from 1 March to 31 July. Parking is free, and August is the time for the heather. Access: Forestry England car park near Rothbury (NE65 7NW); open 24 hours. The summit moorland tracks are for walkers only; Parking: Free; no accessible spaces; Hides: None; Dogs: Allowed; on a lead on Open Access moorland from 1 March to 31 July; Step-free: No; Cost: Free; Best time: Spring for nesting moorland birds; August for heather Official page: https://www.forestryengland.uk/simonside ### Ford Moss (Ford) Star species: Red grouse, Woodcock, Snipe, Meadow pipit. Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug. A lowland raised bog near Ford with red grouse, snipe, woodcock and meadow pipits, adders and large heath butterflies, and an old colliery chimney standing over the lot. Tip: Park on the verge off the B6353 and walk the kilometre in. Keep children close and on the paths, because the bog has deep pools. Access: Main entrance off the B6353, 2 km east of Ford, signposted, then 1 km south; open all the time; Parking: Limited grass verge parking at the main entrance; Hides: None; Dogs: On leads; Step-free: No; boggy, uneven paths with two small boardwalks; Cost: Free; Best time: Late spring and summer for breeding birds, reptiles and large heath butterflies Official page: https://www.nwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/ford-moss ### Whittle Dene reservoirs (Harlow Hill) Star species: Yellow wagtail, Great crested grebe, Common tern, Osprey, Tufted duck, Common sandpiper. Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun. Victorian reservoirs by the Military Road, perhaps the county's most reliable site for yellow wagtails, with great crested grebes, common terns on rafts and an osprey passing most years. Tip: The reservoirs are private, so watch from roads and footpaths. Park on the B6309 towards Stocksfield, never on the Military Road, which is fast and dangerous. Access: View from public roads and footpaths only; the reservoirs are private; Parking: Safe parking on the B6309 south towards Stocksfield; do not park on the B6318 Military Road; Hides: No public hide confirmed (The Dipper's Nest mentions a hide on the northern reservoir); Step-free: Roadside viewing only; Cost: Free; Best time: April to June Official page: https://www.thedippersnest.co.uk/whittle-dene ### Derwent Reservoir (Northumberland side) (Blanchland) Star species: Osprey, Barn owl, Little ringed plover, Common sandpiper, Curlew, Lapwing. Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun. A big reservoir on the Durham border with winter wildfowl, breeding little ringed plovers and common sandpipers, barn owls near the hide and ospreys in summer. Tip: For the hide, use the lay-by on the minor road north off the B6306 between Blanchland and Edmundbyers. There's no public transport. Access: Minor road north off the B6306 Blanchland to Edmundbyers road for the hide; other access points round the reservoir; Parking: Lay-by near the hide; more parking off the B6306 near Edmundbyers; Hides: One hide on the north west side, plus a birdwatching platform; Step-free: Mixed: paved and unpaved roads, wide paths and narrow trails; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for wildfowl; spring and early summer for breeding waders Official page: https://www.birdingplaces.eu/en/birdingplaces/united-kingdom/derwent-reservoir ### Queen Elizabeth II Country Park (Ashington) Star species: . Best months: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A lake and young woodland in Ashington on what was once one of the biggest colliery spoil heaps in Europe. The council doesn't list its birds, so treat it as a gentle walk with the water birds as a bonus. Tip: Tarmac and grass paths on the eastern side make it easy going, and dogs are welcome. Winter is the time for wildfowl on the lake. Access: North edge of Ashington between the A197 and the A189; main car park reached from the A189; open all year; Parking: Main car park off the A189 (charges not stated); Hides: None; Dogs: Welcome; Step-free: Tarmac and cut grass paths on the eastern side; accessible fishing platforms; Cost: Free; Best time: Winter for wildfowl on the lake Official page: https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/parks/country-parks-visitor-centres-coastal-sites/queen-elizabeth-ii-country-park ## The species (https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding/birds.html) - **Puffin** (Fratercula arctica), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Take a boat from Seahouses round the Farnes, or land on Inner Farne between April and September (the National Trust landing fee is on top of the boat fare), or do the one hour Puffin Cruises trip round Coquet Island from Amble, where nobody lands. They are back from the end of March, settle to nest from mid April and have mostly gone by the start of August. - **Arctic tern** (Sterna paradisaea), summer visitor, easy chance, months May, Jun, Jul: On Inner Farne they nest right beside the boardwalk and will dive at your head, so wear a soft hat (the National Trust says not a hard hat or cycle helmet, which can damage their beaks) and keep moving. On the mainland around 2,000 nest at the Long Nanny between Beadnell and High Newton, watched from the rangers' viewing platform from May to July. - **Roseate tern** (Sterna dougallii), summer visitor, lucky chance, months May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Coquet Island has the only breeding roseate terns in the UK and it is closed to the public, so take the Puffin Cruises boat from Amble between late May and July and scan the nest terraces with binoculars for a very white tern with long tail streamers. Picking one out among the Sandwich and common terns takes patience; the RSPB's island cameras show them close up in the breeding season. - **Sandwich tern** (Thalasseus sandvicensis), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: The big pale tern with a shaggy black crest and a black bill with a yellow tip, and the loudest, most grating call on the boat. Both Coquet Island and the Farnes hold large colonies, seen from the Amble and Seahouses boats from late April. - **Common tern** (Sterna hirundo), summer visitor, fair chance, months May, Jun, Jul, Aug: On Coquet Island, seen from the Amble boats, on the Farnes, and inland on the nesting rafts at the Whittle Dene reservoirs. Telling one from an Arctic tern is the classic test: the common tern's red bill has a dark tip and its legs are a bit longer. - **Little tern** (Sternula albifrons), summer visitor, lucky chance, months May, Jun, Jul: A handful of pairs nest among the Arctic terns at the Long Nanny, fenced off and guarded by National Trust rangers who camp there 24 hours a day from May to July. Watch from the viewing platform and keep dogs on a short lead near the roped area. - **Kittiwake** (Rissa tridactyla), summer visitor, easy chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: The small gull with ink-dipped wingtips and a call that says its own name, nesting on the Farnes cliffs and seen from the Seahouses boats in spring and summer. On the mainland, The Dipper's Nest says the cliffs at Castle Point by Dunstanburgh hold the county's largest mainland colony, over 500 pairs, a walk along the coast path from Craster. - **Guillemot** (Uria aalge), summer visitor, easy chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Packed shoulder to shoulder on the Farnes ledges from April to July; the round the islands boat trips go close under them. Chocolate brown and white with a thin pointed bill. - **Razorbill** (Alca torda), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Look among the guillemots on the Farnes for the blacker bird with a deep, blunt bill crossed by a white line; a few also use the cliffs by Dunstanburgh. On Coquet Island two razorbill chicks fledged for the first time in 2025. - **Shag** (Gulosus aristotelis), resident, easy chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul: On the Farnes shags nest in the open on the rocks, often close to where the boats go past, glossy green in spring with a forward curling crest. Smaller and slimmer than a cormorant, with a steep forehead. - **Fulmar** (Fulmarus glacialis), summer visitor, fair chance, months Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Stiff-winged and gull-like, gliding along cliff faces rather than flapping; look for the tube on top of the bill. The cliffs at Castle Point by Dunstanburgh are the easy mainland place, and they pass the rocks at Bamburgh. - **Gannet** (Morus bassanus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct: There is no colony in Northumberland, so these are birds passing offshore and fishing. Seawatch from Church Point at Newbiggin or the rocks at Bamburgh, or scan from a Farnes boat, for big white birds with black wingtips that fold up and plunge straight in. - **Red-throated diver** (Gavia stellata), winter visitor, fair chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: A slim grey and white bird sitting low on the sea in winter, diving for long spells. Scan calm water off Bamburgh, Budle Bay near high tide and Berwick harbour from October to March; a telescope helps. - **Eider** (Somateria mollissima), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: The cuddy duck, Northumberland's own, on the sea along the whole coast all year. Males are white and black with a green wash on the neck and make a soft crooning call; females are brown and sit tight on nests on the Farnes and Coquet in early summer. Give rafts on the water at least 50 metres. - **Pale-bellied brent goose** (Branta bernicla hrota), winter visitor, easy chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Small dark geese with pale bellies feeding on the Lindisfarne mudflats from autumn to early spring. Watch from the shore, never walk out towards feeding flocks, and check the council's crossing times before you drive over to Holy Island. - **Pink-footed goose** (Anser brachyrhynchus), winter visitor, easy chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr: Listen for the high yapping before you see the skeins. Northumberland Wildlife Trust says large flocks pass over East Chevington in spring and autumn; they commute between roosts and feeding fields at dawn and dusk, so watch the sky then. - **Greylag goose** (Anser anser), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: The big grey goose with an orange bill, on the lakes and loughs all year and in bigger numbers in winter. Cresswell Pond, East Chevington and Grindon Lough are reliable. - **Whooper swan** (Cygnus cygnus), winter visitor, fair chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Wild swans with a wedge of yellow on the bill, on the loughs near Hadrian's Wall in winter and overhead at East Chevington. Grindon Lough can be watched from the roadside along the Stanegate west of Newbrough without leaving the car. - **Mute swan** (Cygnus olor), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: The Tweed estuary at Berwick holds one of the biggest mute swan flocks in Britain, easy to watch from the riverside paths along the north bank in the town. Numbers build when the flock gathers to moult. - **Wigeon** (Mareca penelope), winter visitor, easy chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Winter ducks that graze in tight flocks on the mudflats and wet grass; males have a chestnut head with a cream stripe. Listen for the whistling call before you see them. - **Long-tailed duck** (Clangula hyemalis), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: A small, busy sea duck that dives constantly, on the sea off Bamburgh and around Holy Island in winter. You will want a telescope and a calm day; look beyond the eider and scoter rafts. - **Common scoter** (Melanitta nigra), winter visitor, fair chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr: Black sea ducks in bobbing rafts offshore, or long straggling lines flying low along the coast. Rafts winter in the shallow water around Holy Island and off Bamburgh; scan from the shore with a telescope. - **Red-breasted merganser** (Mergus serrator), winter visitor, fair chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: A slim diving duck with a spiky crest and a thin red bill, fishing in the Tweed estuary at Berwick and the Lindisfarne channels in winter. One of the birds Lindisfarne Special Protection Area is designated for. - **Purple sandpiper** (Calidris maritima), winter visitor, fair chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr: Dumpy grey waders with orange-yellow legs on wave-washed rocks and seaweed, easiest at high tide. BirdGuides' pick is the rocks by the lighthouse at Bamburgh, where there can be more than 100; Seahouses harbour, Boulmer and Newbiggin get them too. Do not flush roosting flocks. - **Turnstone** (Arenaria interpres), winter visitor, easy chance, months Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May: Tortoiseshell waders flipping seaweed and stones along the tideline and around harbours, often not bothered by people at all. From late summer to spring on almost any rocky or seaweedy bit of shore. - **Bar-tailed godwit** (Limosa lapponica), winter visitor, easy chance, months Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr: Long-billed, long-legged waders feeding on the Lindisfarne and Budle mudflats, pushed closer by the rising tide. Watch from the shore; do not walk out onto the flats. - **Curlew** (Numenius arquata), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: In spring and early summer the bubbling song drifts over the Cheviot valleys, where they nest on the ground, so keep to paths and keep dogs on leads. From autumn they move down to the estuaries and coast. - **Golden plover** (Pluvialis apricaria), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Gold-spangled plovers on high moorland in spring and summer; in autumn and winter look for tight flocks at Grindon Lough and on the Lindisfarne flats that wheel and flash white underneath. - **Lapwing** (Vanellus vanellus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Tumbling display flights over wet fields in spring, big loose flocks in winter. Hauxley and Druridge Pools are the easy places, and they breed at Derwent Reservoir. - **Oystercatcher** (Haematopus ostralegus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Loud black and white waders with carrot bills, on Budle Bay, the Tweed estuary and most of the coast. In spring some move inland to nest in the Cheviot valleys and round Derwent Reservoir. - **Redshank** (Tringa totanus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: The nervy brown wader with red legs that yelps and flies off first; on every estuary and saltmarsh edge, especially around high tide. - **Sanderling** (Calidris alba), winter visitor, easy chance, months Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May: Small pale waders running up and down the edge of the waves like wind-up toys, from late summer to spring. Try the Holy Island beaches and the rocks and sand at Bamburgh. - **Ringed plover** (Charadrius hiaticula), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: A small plover with an orange bill and a black neck ring, nesting on open beaches in summer, which is why parts of the Long Nanny are roped off; they also breed round Derwent Reservoir. Stay outside the ropes and keep dogs close. - **Avocet** (Recurvirostra avosetta), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Black and white with an upturned bill, sweeping side to side in the shallow water of Cresswell Pond from the hide in spring and summer. - **Osprey** (Pandion haliaetus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug: Watch the 4K nest camera and scopes at the Tower Knowe osprey watch at Kielder (Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday, 11am to 4pm, April to mid August) or take a Wild Intrigue osprey cruise on the Osprey ferry from Kielder Waterside. Do not go looking for nests in the forest. Ospreys also turn up at Derwent Reservoir in summer and pass through Whittle Dene and East Chevington. - **Goshawk** (Accipiter gentilis), resident, lucky chance, months Feb, Mar, Apr: A big, powerful hawk of the conifer forests. Your best chance is a still, sunny morning in late winter or early spring, scanning over the trees from an open viewpoint at Kielder or from Thrunton Crag, where The Dipper's Nest says they display in March. Never go looking for nests. - **Merlin** (Falco columbarius), resident, lucky chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: A small, fast falcon that dashes low over the heather in the Cheviots and at Kielder in summer; in winter it hunts small birds over Budle Bay and Lindisfarne. Usually a brief view as it shoots past. - **Peregrine** (Falco peregrinus), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: They breed on the Whin Sill crags by Hadrian's Wall and in the Cheviot valleys; in winter watch for sudden panics among the waders at Budle Bay and Lindisfarne, which often mean one is hunting. - **Hen harrier** (Circus cyaneus), resident, lucky chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Northumberland's nests are on open ground within Forestry England's forests and are watched over by the Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership, so there is no public site and you should never go looking. A pale grey male or a brown ringtail female quartering rough ground in spring and summer is a bonus, not something to plan a day around. - **Marsh harrier** (Circus aeruginosus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep: Watch over the reedbeds at East Chevington from the hides or the boardwalk viewing platform for a big brown harrier gliding low with its wings held in a shallow V, from spring to early autumn; the bird club lists them breeding at Newton Pool too. - **Barn owl** (Tyto alba), resident, lucky chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: A pale shape quartering rough grassland at dusk, and in winter often in daylight, at East Chevington, Cresswell Pond and round the nest boxes near the Derwent Reservoir hide. Watch from a hide or the car and never approach a nest; barn owls have the strongest legal protection. - **Short-eared owl** (Asio flammeus), resident, lucky chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Hunts by day over dunes, rough grassland and marsh in winter, flying low with long wings and deep, floppy beats: East Chevington, Holy Island, Boulmer and the Long Nanny dunes. Late afternoon on a calm day is best. - **Black grouse** (Lyrurus tetrix), resident, lucky chance, months Apr, May: Only a few remain in the National Park, in Redesdale, along Hadrian's Wall and in the Cheviots. Males display at dawn at traditional lek sites in April and May, but please do not go looking for leks; disturbance matters with so few birds. If you see one, the National Park wants to know. - **Red grouse** (Lagopus lagopus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Heather moorland all year: the College Valley estate reports a healthy population, and Northumberland Wildlife Trust lists them at Ford Moss. You usually hear one first, rocketing up from your feet with a go-back, go-back call; males have a bright red wattle over the eye. - **Ring ouzel** (Turdus torquatus), summer visitor, lucky chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: The mountain blackbird, with a white crescent on the chest, in the Harthope Valley under the Cheviot in spring and summer. Listen for its loud, piping song from the rocky slopes, and don't linger near a singing bird in the nesting season. - **Snow bunting** (Plectrophenax nivalis), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Small winter flocks that flicker white in flight, feeding along strandlines and dune edges from November to February: the dunes and burn mouth at the Long Nanny, the Aln estuary at Alnmouth and the beach east of the Coquet estuary at Warkworth. They move around, so check the sightings pages first. - **Twite** (Linaria flavirostris), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: A small brown finch with a yellow bill in winter, feeding on seeds on saltmarsh and dune edges. The Dipper's Nest lists winter twite at Boulmer and the Aln estuary, and the Long Nanny dunes get them too, but flocks are small and irregular, so treat one as a bonus. - **Raven** (Corvus corax), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Listen for a deep, echoing croak over the Cheviot crags in the College Valley, or over the ridges round Grindon Lough, and watch for the tumbling display flights in late winter. - **Dipper** (Cinclus cinclus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: A dumpy brown bird with a white bib, bobbing on rocks in fast water and walking straight in under the surface. Walk slowly along the burn and check every mid-stream boulder. - **Grey wagtail** (Motacilla cinerea), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Yellow underneath (it is the grey wagtail, the naming is a mystery) with a very long tail, flicking along the edges of fast rivers and burns. - **Kingfisher** (Alcedo atthis), resident, lucky chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Usually a blue streak low over the water and a high whistle. Find a quiet spot by the River Blyth in Plessey Woods, or check the pools on the Aln estuary at Alnmouth, and wait. - **Goosander** (Mergus merganser), resident, fair chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: A long, low diving duck on the bigger rivers; the male is white with a dark green head, the female grey with a shaggy ginger crest. In winter try the Tweed estuary at Berwick or the River Blyth at Plessey Woods. - **Pied flycatcher** (Ficedula hypoleuca), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun: Black and white males singing from the canopy at Allen Banks and in the Harthope Valley in May. Go early on a calm morning while the leaves are still thin. - **Redstart** (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), summer visitor, fair chance, months Apr, May, Jun, Jul: Watch for a flash of orange-red tail that shivers constantly, in old woodland from late April. Males have a black face and orange chest. - **Wood warbler** (Phylloscopus sibilatrix), summer visitor, lucky chance, months Apr, May, Jun: A yellow and green warbler whose song sounds like a coin spinning on a plate. The Dipper's Nest names Allen Banks, where it sings in April and May alongside pied flycatchers and redstarts, but it has declined so steeply that you should not count on one. - **Crossbill** (Loxia curvirostra), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Listen for hard chip-chip calls as a flock passes over the spruce tops, then find them hanging off cones. Visit Northumberland names Kielder as the place. - **Siskin** (Spinus spinus), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Small streaky yellow-green finches in the conifers and at woodland feeders, often in chattering flocks in winter. - **Tawny owl** (Strix aluco), resident, fair chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov, Dec: Heard far more than seen: the female's ke-wick and the male's hoo-hoo at dusk from any mature wood, loudest in autumn and late winter when they set up territories. - **Great spotted woodpecker** (Dendrocopos major), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Listen for drumming in late winter and spring and a sharp tchik call all year. The feeding station and hide by the car park at Bolam Lake is the easiest view, often with red squirrels and nuthatches too. - **Nuthatch** (Sitta europaea), resident, easy chance, months Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec: Blue-grey above, peachy below, with a black bandit stripe, and loud. The feeding station by the car park at Bolam Lake brings them in close, and they are in the woods along the Blyth at Plessey all year. - **Bittern** (Botaurus stellaris), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar: Northumberland Wildlife Trust says bitterns overwinter at East Chevington. Sit in a hide overlooking the reed edge on a cold, still day and watch for a brown bird creeping out or flying low over the reeds. It can take hours. - **Bearded tit** (Panurus biarmicus), resident, lucky chance, months Sep, Oct, Nov: Listen for a pinging call in the reedbeds at East Chevington and watch for small tawny long-tailed birds whirring across the reed tops, easiest on calm autumn days. - **Waxwing** (Bombycilla garrulus), winter visitor, lucky chance, months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb: Some winters bring flocks from Scandinavia that strip rowan and hawthorn berries in supermarket car parks and on housing estates; other winters bring almost none. When they come, they are tame and noisy, and the sightings pages light up. ## Spectacles of the year - **Puffins and seabirds on the Farne Islands** (Late March to early August; best May to July): Around 200,000 seabirds nest on the Farnes between May and July, about 43,000 pairs of them puffins. Land on Inner Farne and the terns nest by the boardwalk while the puffins whirr past your ears. - **Roseate terns and puffins round Coquet Island** (May to July): Nobody lands on Coquet, and nowhere else in the UK has breeding roseate terns: 144 pairs in 2025. An hour round it from Amble gets you puffins, four kinds of tern and seals. - **Grey seal pups on the Farnes** (Late October to January, by boat only): Around 3,000 pups a year, white and blinking on the rocks from late October to January. Boats only, when the sea allows, and it's properly cold out there. - **Light-bellied brent geese on Lindisfarne** (Autumn and winter): Geese from Svalbard on the Holy Island mudflats, their only regular wintering site in Britain. Watch from the shore, and read the crossing times before you read the bird book. - **Arctic terns at the Long Nanny** (May to July): Around 2,000 Arctic terns and a few very rare little terns on a beach between Beadnell and High Newton, guarded round the clock by National Trust rangers from May to July. - **Ospreys at Kielder** (Late March or early April to late summer; osprey watch April to mid August): Back on their own since 2009, about 130 young raised since. The Tower Knowe camera and scopes do the hard work from April to mid August. - **Mute swans on the Tweed at Berwick** (All year; biggest numbers when the flock gathers to moult): Up to around 800 swans on the estuary, the second largest swan colony in Britain according to Destination Tweed. Free, in town, and nobody needs a boat. - **Geese, harriers and bitterns at East Chevington** (Spring and autumn for geese overhead; spring and summer for marsh harriers; winter for bittern): Pink-foot skeins overhead in spring and autumn, marsh harriers over the reeds in summer (breeding here since 2009), bitterns in winter if you're patient. ## The Farne Islands and Coquet Island (https://bairnsandbeaches.co.uk/birding/farne-islands.html) The Farnes are the big one. A scatter of low rocky islands off Seahouses, owned by the National Trust, with around 200,000 seabirds nesting on them between May and July, about 43,000 pairs of them puffins. Add Arctic and Sandwich terns, guillemots, razorbills, shags and eiders, and a grey seal colony that produces around 3,000 pups every autumn. St Cuthbert lived out here as a hermit and in 676 brought in protection for the eiders, which is why round here the eider is still the cuddy duck. Everything goes from Seahouses harbour. Three companies run the boats (Billy Shiel's, Golden Gate and Serenity), and there are three kinds of trip: round the islands cruises, which sail all year when the weather allows; puffin cruises without landing, April to July; and landing trips to Inner Farne, April to September. Landing is a separate National Trust ticket from the Trust's trailer on the harbour: in 2026 it was 17 pounds an adult and 8.50 pounds a child (5 to 17) in May, June and July, and 13 pounds and 6.50 pounds in April, August and September, on top of the boat fare. National Trust members land free, which is where the card finally earns its keep. Staple Island is currently closed to the public. Book the boat ahead and allow time to park, because the car parks are pay and display, not National Trust, and they fill up. On Inner Farne you walk a boardwalk through the colony and the Arctic terns nest right beside it. They will dive at your head. This is not a figure of speech. The National Trust asks for a soft hat (not a hard hat or a cycle helmet, which can damage their beaks), no reaching over the ropes, and keep moving. There's St Cuthbert's Chapel with its 17th century wood carvings, limited toilets, and no dogs at all, assistance dogs included, though some boats let dogs stay on board. Billy Shiel's landing trip gives you about an hour ashore in two and a half to three hours. Coquet Island is the other one, just off Amble, and you can't land on it at all. It's an RSPB sanctuary and the only place in the UK where roseate terns breed: 144 pairs in 2025, the third highest total recorded there. The same summer it had 18,704 pairs of puffins, a record 2,282 Sandwich tern nests, and common terns climbing back after bird flu (536 pairs, against 1,875 before the outbreak). Wardens have lived out there in the breeding season since 1970, in the lighthouse these days. You see it from Puffin Cruises at Amble harbour: one hour round the island, 20 pounds an adult, 15 pounds a child and under threes free at the time of checking, booking essential by phone, and the tide and the sea decide the sailings. The RSPB's island cameras are the only way you'll see a roseate tern properly close. What you actually see, month by month. Late March and April: the puffins are back from the end of March and settle to nest from mid April, Inner Farne landings start in April at the cheaper price, and it is cold on the water. May to July is the main event: everything is nesting, the terns are back, and in June the puffins fly in with beaks full of fish for their chicks. The National Trust says that by the end of July the season closes and most seabirds, puffins included, begin to leave. August and September are quieter. Landings carry on at the off-peak price and the shags, eiders and seals are still about, but the puffin crowds have gone, so don't book August for puffins. Inner Farne landings stop at the end of September. From late October to January it's seal pup season, boats only, with the white-coated pups on the rocks; Billy Shiel's Grey Seal Cruise takes about an hour and a half and runs all year when the weather allows. Grey seals are round Coquet all year too, and Puffin Cruises runs seal watching trips. Honest tips for families. With under sixes I'd do the one hour Coquet trip or a Farnes puffin cruise rather than a three hour landing trip; small legs and a boat only get along for so long. The landing trip is brilliant with kids who can cope with being dive-bombed, so talk about the terns beforehand and bring soft hats. The sea decides everything: boats are cancelled in rough weather, so have a plan B and keep the booking details handy. It is colder on the water than on the quay, even in July. Toilets on Inner Farne are limited, some boats have them on board, and the public toilets in Seahouses are next to the main car park. One last thing. Seals are easy to spook. From a boat that's the skipper's job; on land, watch from clifftops or dunes, keep dogs on leads and well back, and never walk onto a beach with seals on it. If a seal or pup looks injured or in trouble, keep people and dogs away and ring British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546. ## Questions people ask **When is the best time to see puffins in Northumberland?** May to July. They're back around the Farnes and Coquet from the end of March and settle to nest from mid April, and the National Trust says most have gone by the end of July. Take a boat from Seahouses (landing on Inner Farne from April to September) or the one hour Puffin Cruises trip round Coquet from Amble. **Can you land on the Farne Islands and how much does it cost?** Yes, on Inner Farne, April to September. The National Trust landing fee is on top of the boat: in 2026 it was 17 pounds an adult and 8.50 pounds a child (5 to 17) in May to July, and 13 pounds and 6.50 pounds in April, August and September, with members free. Staple Island is currently closed, and no dogs on the islands. **When can you see seal pups on the Farne Islands?** Late October to January. Around 3,000 grey seal pups are born on the Farnes each autumn, according to the National Trust. Nobody lands in winter, so it's seal cruises from Seahouses, when the sea lets them sail. **Do you need to book Farne Islands boat trips?** The National Trust recommends booking the boat ahead, and in summer I would. Three operators sail from Seahouses (Billy Shiel's, Golden Gate and Serenity), the landing ticket comes from the Trust's trailer on the harbour, and the pay and display car parks fill up. **Can you land on Coquet Island?** No. It's an RSPB sanctuary with no public access because it holds the UK's only breeding roseate terns (144 pairs in 2025). See it from Puffin Cruises boats out of Amble harbour, or on the RSPB's live cameras in the breeding season. **Where can I see the brent geese on Holy Island?** On the Lindisfarne mudflats around Holy Island and Budle Bay in autumn and winter; Natural England says it's the only regular wintering site in Britain for the light-bellied brent geese from Svalbard. Watch from the shore, never walk out after them, and check the council's crossing times before you drive over. **Is it safe to walk across to Holy Island?** Only with care and the right timing. The council's safe crossing times are for the causeway road; walkers on the Pilgrims' Way should go in daylight with someone who knows the route, never set off on a rising tide, and aim to finish before the midpoint of the safe period. If anyone's in trouble, ring 999 and ask for the Coastguard. **Are there ospreys in Northumberland?** Yes, at Kielder, where they came back on their own in 2009 and about 130 young have left the forest since. They're back in late March or early April, and the Tower Knowe osprey watch has a live nest camera and scopes on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from April to mid August. **Where are the best nature reserves around Druridge Bay?** Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Hauxley (hides, cafe, toilets), East Chevington (reedbeds with marsh harriers, bearded tits and wintering bitterns), Druridge Pools (wetland hides) and Cresswell Pond (a lagoon where avocets have nested since 2011). East Chevington's toilets and cafe are at Druridge Bay Country Park next door. **Why is the eider called the cuddy duck?** After St Cuthbert, who lived as a hermit on Inner Farne and in 676 brought in protection for the eiders and other seabirds, thought to be among the earliest bird protection laws anywhere. They still nest on the Farnes and Coquet and live along this coast all year.