Northumberland pelagics 2011

The 2011 Northumberland Pelagics programme, operated by Northern Experience Wildlfie Tours in association with the Northumberland and Tyneside Bird Club

Friday 22nd July 2011
A 4-hour evening pelagic departing Royal Quays Marina at 18:00. Cost £30 per person. Target species; Storm Petrel, Great Skua, cetaceans

Wednesday 27th July 2011
A 5-hour pelagic to the Farne Deeps on a high-speed RIB, departing Seahouses Harbour, time tbc. Cost £70 per person. Target species; White-beaked Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Minke Whale

Friday 29th July 2011
A 4-hour evening pelagic departing Royal Quays Marina at 18:00. Cost £30 per person. Target species; Storm Petrel, Great Skua, cetaceans

Wednesday 3rd August 2011
A 4-hour evening pelagic departing Royal Quays Marina at 18:00. Cost £30 per person. Target species; Storm Petrel, Great Skua, cetaceans

Thursday 11th August 2011
A 10-hour pelagic to the Farne Deeps departing Royal Quays Marina at 08:00. Cost £70 per person. Target species; White-beaked Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Minke Whale

Saturday 3rd September 2011
An 8-hour day pelagic departing Royal Quays Marina at 09:00. Cost £47.50 per person. Target species; skuas, shearwaters, cetaceans

Saturday 10th September 2011
A 4-hour Whale and Dolphin Cruise departing Seahouses Harbour at 10:00. Cost £35/adult, £20/child. Target species; White-beaked Dolphin, Minke Whale, Harbour Porpoise.

Saturday 17th September 2011
An 8-hour day pelagic departing Royal Quays Marina at 09:00. Cost £47.50 per person. Target species; skuas, shearwaters, cetaceans

Our pelagic trips from Royal Quays take place on the SarahJFK, a 44ft converted lifeboat which is used for sea-angling charters and for the last ten years has been chartered for our pelagic trips. The boat offers an excellent vantage point for observation of wildlife. All of our Royal Quays pelagics are limited to a maximum of 12 participants, allowing all on board a good opportunity to see any birds or cetaceans which are found. Some truly outstanding opportunities for photography occur on our pelagic trips as well, with many birds being attracted very close to the boat.
Our Whale and Dolphin Cruise from Seahouses will be on Glad Tidings V.

Our pelagic trips have proved very successful and they are an excellent way to enjoy our offshore wildlife in the company of other birders who are always willing to help any less experienced participants. More experienced birders may well find that the North Sea is a new frontier for their birding. Pelagic birding is very unpredictable but highlights of our trips on the SarahJFK have included the 1st British North Sea Wilson’s Petrel (2002), Long-tailed Skua (2002), Sabine’s Gull (2005), Harbour Porpoise (2006), Minke Whale (2006 and 2007), Great Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater and Pomarine Skua (2007), excellent views of Sooty Shearwater in each of the last nine years and several very close encounters with White-beaked Dolphins, most recently on our Farne Deeps trip in September 2010.
Participants should bring their own food and drink and warm/waterproof clothing.
To reserve a place on any of these trips, please contact Martin Kitching martin@newtltd.co.uk or (O167O) 827465 and send a deposit of £10 per person per trip (cheque payable to ‘Northern Experience Wildlife Tours Ltd’, non-refundable if you cancel at a later date) to NEWT Ltd, 18 Frances Ville, Scotland Gate, Northumberland, NE62 5ST. Alternatively, you can book online. The balance of payment is due 2 weeks before sailing.

NEWT Whale and Dolphin Cruise

No, not a cruise in search of newts, whales and dolphins (how esoteric would that be?) but a Whale, Dolphin and Birdwatching Cruise from Seahouses at 10:00 tomorrow (Saturday 12th September). Organised by Northern Experience Wildlife Tours in association with Billy Shiel MBE, we will sail into the offshore waters of North Northumberland in search of cetaceans and seabirds.

Places are selling well, but there are still some remaining (£30/adult, £20/child) so call Martin on 01670 827465 to book your place.

With Minke Whale, White-beaked Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise all real possibilities it's one not to miss.

Weather will be glorious, winds will be light, and things are looking promising...

More WBDs

Another Andy Tait/Northern Experience video clip from 2005

White-beaked Dolphins

Mid-July is always a time when expectations for the forthcoming cetacean season are growing. With a pod of 20-30 dolphins off Sunderland and Tynemouth last Friday, which seem very likely to have been White-beaked, I thought I'd post a video clip from Andy Tait/Northern Experience, from a pelagic I organised in 2005, showing how close they sometimes get to our boat. We counted at least 15 animals on this trip, including one juvenile. Enjoy.

Welcome to Northeast Cetaceans

I've created this blog to allow observers to share cetacean sightings around the coast of northeast England. Anyone who wants to be an author of this blog is invited to contact me and I'll add you to the list so you can post your own sightings. As well as up to date info, we'll be posting images and video from some of the cetacean and birdwatching pelagics we've enjoyed over the last 11 years.