Day One Saturday 13th June
We started of by leaving London at 10-15 our first stop was for brunch after witch we then decided as we were doing well on time we would have a look at Welbeck Raptor Watchpoint to see if we could find Honey Buzzard but with no luck but we did have a very light common Buzzard, On the lake we had Great Crested Grebe, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Tufted Duck. We then headed for the Pennines with a stop at Wetherby Services for coffee and a cake then on to Moor House-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve for Black Grouse where we arrived at 17-00 we found 5 black cocks, after this we booked into our hotel. Then we took the road to Cow Green Reservoir across Widdybank Fell 
where we had a lone Red grouse on the way to the Car Park other birds seen included Oystercatcher, Common Snipe (drumming), Redshank, Golden plover, Lapwing, Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Skylark, Mallard, Swallow , House Martin, Blackbird, It was nice to see all these birds on there breeding grounds, We then took a short walk from the car park where had more Meadow pipits and a Wheatear, Then as we left the car park we had a family of Red Grouse 2 adults plus 5 young On the way back down we had Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush and more swallows and House martin, Willow Warbler, and a hare, we did have a glimpse of what might have been a Ring Ouzel but could not relocate it, we then returned to have another look at the black grouse where we now had 9 Black Cocks. Then it was on to our hotel 
for our evening meal and what a meal it was washed down with a few pints, after witch my mate went for a short walk while I was sorting out some of our route for tomorrow, I then joined him and he said he had found a Common Sandpiper on the river we relocated it sitting on a rock in the middle of the river, so ending a good days birding
Day Two Sunday 14th June
We were woken up at 10 to 5 this morning by a Cuckoo calling witch we found sitting on top of a tree, my mate went for a pre breakfast walk, while I finished sorting out the route for today, He had Spotted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, and the Cuckoo being mobbed by Meadow Pipits, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Pheasant, Song Thrush. I then went for a pre breakfast walk and saw all the above plus I had a Male Merlin being mobbed by Lapwings. After Breakfast we then set of for Coquet Island on the Northumberland coast
our target bird being Roseate Tern, on route we had 2 Common Buzzards, Raven, Rook, Magpie...On reaching the coast we found the tide was out so we could not take the boat out to the Island, (you can only get to go round the Island you are not allowed to go on the Island) we then went to a watch point to view the Island where we had Roseate Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin, Shag, Cormorant, Eider. Black Headed Gull, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, and Grey Seals. We now decided to start heading South and our next stop was going to be a new site for both of us in North Yorkshire, Wykeham Forest Raptor Watchpoint for Honey Buzzard we arrived at about 15-30 after a slow drive we got caught up in slow moving traffic (witch at one point the police where trying to control we think they mad matters worse). We walked out to the viewing point and got talking to some one who said they had seen Honey Buzzard about 2 hours earlier plus Goshawk, we spent the next hour and a half with only 2 Common Buzzards, then when most people had gone at about 17-10 we had a Honey Buzzard come up over the trees we watched it for about 10 minutes other birds seen or heard in the forest where Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Crossbill, Garden Warbler, Yellow Hammer, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw. We now set of looking for a B&B for the night witch we found a few miles down the road, my mate went for a short stroll to stretch his legs after all the days driving and he had Lesser Whitethroat, Red Legged partridge, and a selection of common birds. We then found a pub for our evening meal, after witch we had a walk along the lane near the B&B where we had Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Greenfinch, Yellow Hammer, Red Legged Partridge, Wren, Robin, Dunnock, and a good find Tree Sparrow, we also had Stock dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit and Linnet. We then decided to drive through the lanes to see if we could find the Barn Owl we had been told about but with no luck, we ended up back near the Raptor Watchpoint to see if we could find Nightjar but again no luck now as the midges where getting to us it was back to the B&B so ending another good days birding.
Day 3 Monday 15th June
Today we awoke to rain so it was a quick re think on what to do as we had planned to go back to Wykham Forest for the morning, Instead we started to head south by the time we had got to York the weather had changed and it was now sunny and dry, So we decided to go to site we new for Montague’s Harrier after a short while we had the male quartering one of the fields we went to another spot to see if we could find any more Montague’s Harriers but no luck, but we did find a Turtle Dove sitting on the wires. But there was a storm brewing on our way to The raptor Watchpoint at Swanton Novers in Norfolk, we had a stout cross the road in front of us, we arrived at about 15-00 Hrs planning to stay for a couple of hours no sign of any raptors, birds seen Skylark, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, but at 16-30 the rain started again so we stated to head for home looking for some where to eat the first little Chef was not serving food because of the rain (boy did it rain) we finely found one that had just re opened after it was closed because of the rain then as we where leaving we heard that the rain in Norfolk was causing problems as some of the roads where closed because of flooding from then till we got back to London it was fine with a couple of light showers
So ended a very enjoyably but (mad) 3 days Birding
Was Hoping to put a short video up but I am having problems with uploading at the moment seem to have lost all my videos on my blog
