Superb
bird watching  |
Whitelee Farm in Northumberland boosts eight hectares of woodland. There
are great opportunities for bird watching at the farm and wild walks on the moors
surrounding it. | | Farm
and moor - natural habitats provide a wealth of wildlife. |
Located
in the north west corner of Northumberland near the Scottish border, the landscape
around Whitelee Farm has remained virtually untouched since the Iron Age. As
a result the farm and its surroundings are rich in nature. Birds
and Badgers  Birds
that are seen regularly on the farm include Herons, Chaffinch, Merlin, Sparrow
Hawks, Buzzards, and nesting Kestrel.
The farm also has nesting Barn Owls,
Foxes and Badgers. The Badgers can be seen in early spring after coming
out of partial hibernation around February. Whitelee Farm has holiday cottages
where people can view the wildlife 'live' on TV. Three Naturewatch CCTV
cameras have been installed, with the support of the Northumberland National Park
Authority, to carry live pictures from inside a Barn Owl nest box and from a feeding
station. Infra red lights allow visitors to watch the birds and animals
that come and go by day and by night. The camera inside the Barn Owl nest
box provides a fascinating view of the adult birds rearing their family. The
owls' eggs are laid at the end of April, and hatch four weeks later. The
chicks are fed on the nest for four-six weeks before going out of the box onto
a platform. Finally the young owls leave the farm to establish their own
territories around October. Whitelee Moor  Nearby
Whitelee Moor nature reserve is run by Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
It
provides excellent opportunities to watch moorland birds including Golden Plover,
Merlin, Whin Chat and Stonechat. Visiting birds also include Black Grouse,
Skylark, Curlew, and Ring Ouzel. Try watching the birds from the farmer
stowls which are peppered across the landscape. Originally designed for
weather protection in harsh winters, these stone built structures make great natural
bird hides. Higher on the moor look out for blanket bogs formed after the
Ice Age. The areas around them are covered with cotton grass, a type of
sedge with impressive seed heads in spring. Photo
credits  All
photographs of Whitelee Farm and Whitelee Moor are copyright and courtesy of John
and Jill Wilson at Whitelee Farm.
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