Howick Hall

Howick Hall is just a few miles from Alnwick and is the ancestral home of the Earls Grey - of 'tea' fame and the monument in Newcastle.

The grounds are well worth a visit at many different times of the year as it is a truy seasonal site.  And, at the moment, it is Snowdrop season. Along with about 500 others it seemed, by the length of the queues in the tea shop, we took advantage of what appeared to be the only sunny Sunday in February.

There are many different Snowdrops, including a 'double' variety and the scarce yellow-topped flower (Galanthus navalis sansersii).

There was plenty of other colour too; rhododendrons and azaleas; crocuses...

And bright yellow provided by Mahonia, Coltsfoot and Winter Aconites...

And it was even sunny enough to bring out bees - including this Honey Bee...

After tea and cake we took the short ride down to Howick Haven.  There are lovely views of Dunstanburgh Castle as you look north...

We saw Stonechats, pretending to by flycatchers, and Linnets; Oystercatchers and Eiders and three distant juvenile Red-throated Divers - all caught in the lovely golden light of the setting sun.

Stonechat

Woodpeckers

 

The Great Spotted Woodpecker is the woodpecker you are most likely to see in the UK.  It is probably easiest to find by visiting established woodland feeding stations (in the North East, at Washington WWT for example) but it is reasonably common in most of our woodlands.
Much harder to find are the other two UK species - the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (only the size of a Starling) and the Green Woodpecker.  You are VERY unlikely to find the Lesser Spot in the North East (though some are rumoured to exist in deepest, darkest Durham) and the Green is pretty elusive too.

You can distnguish the sexes on the Great Spot by the red on the back of the neck - this one is a male...

I only have very poor photos of a Green; but at least you can see the colour...

The rest of the photos here are from trips we have taken to Hungary. where we have seen Lesser Spotted, Midde Spotted (yes - half way between Lesser and Greater), Syrian, White-backed and Black Woodpeckers.  The 'spotted' ones need  a bit of care in identifying - though the Lesser is really small of course.  The White-backed and Black aren't too bad - the clue is in the name! The Black is by far the biggest of this group.

 

White-backed Woodpecker at its nest hole

Another White-backed

Syrian Woodpecker

Syrian Woodpecker

Black Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Apart from seeing these birds, you are also likely to HEAR them - and it is their drumming you will hear.

There is a good explanation of woodpecker drumming here:

The woodland drummers | The Wildlife Trusts

Their flight is quite distinctive too - if you see a bird flying with clear undulating and dipping flight it could well be a woodpecker.