Taking a rest at Housey crag with Cheviot in the background
Young Red grouse scrambling to safety
Today we climbed the second highest peak in the Cheviots. Hedgehope hill is best accessed from the Harthope valley. It is a steep, strenuous climb but well worth it. The views from the summit were excellent today and the top is covered in Bilberry unlike the boggy, drab summit of Cheviot. I chatted to Boulmer birder and JWR on the way into the valley and watched a pair of Green woodpeckers. After seeing a Green Woodpecker at High house wood at Morpeth last week I have seen more this year than I have seen in the last five. Other bird highlights were Wheatear, Whinchat and Cuckoo. Butterflies up here today were Small heath, Small tortoiseshell and 6 Painted ladies. Lots of Latticed heath and Chimney sweeper moths.
At the summit we came across a family party of Red grouse. The female stayed close and the male tried to distract us with a broken wing technique while 9 chicks darted off in different directions. I only managed to photo the two chicks above. On the way over I saw what I thought was a Grey hen at Longframlington common (an old Black grouse site). After a conversation with Stewart I thought twice but amazingly on my way back I saw the bird again this time in flight then landing on a rock. I pulled up and had a good look. I will return here and have a good look around as this is one of these areas that most people just drive past.
3 comments:
"After seeing a Green Woodpecker at High house wood at Morpeth last week I have seen more this year than I have seen in the last five."
Thats very interesting!! Were they very vocal?
Great walk, and the sight of the red grouse chicks (and parent with 'broken wing') must have been amazing.
The beauty about the Cheviot hills is that they are accessible but wild and pretty much empty even on bank holidays.
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