The Graham Family Together

A visit to a Nature Reserve in Newcastle with his Brother in Law Mario

Fraser with Mum and Dad at Northumberlandia in Newcastle today. We met up with Fiona for lunch at the  Snowy Owl Pub next to the park.

Fraser arrived from California last Saturday and spent a few days in Langholm before being taken to Newcastle to spend a couple of days with his sister Fiona

Coffee on Monday morning with the Hutton's. This was a regular place to visit when his friend Alistair lived there before they both headed off to University.

Followed by a visit to see Wilma and George in Bentpath

Photo courtesy of Mr. Tootlepedals blog

A visit to the Lower Tarras Nature Reserve at the Ponds

After our lovely week of sunshine in Berwickshire this was a bitterly cold day and Fraser was feeling the cold having just arrived from California.

Mother and Son. Gaye has had a lovely week with Fraser. It has been great having him for a few days and he is very relaxed as he is not working for a few weeks and taking a well earned rest. He heads back to California on Saturday morning.

 

Walking Jenny Nobles Gill

 

It was such a beautiful morning I decided to walk round Jenny Nobles Gill which takes you onto The Tarras Valley Nature Reserve and my favourite walk. Normally I would take about 1.5 hours to do this walk of 4 miles but today I stopped 3 times as it was so beautiful and sat and enjoyed the sounds of the birds singing. My first stop and 10 minute seat was at The Round House.

I notice TVNR has cut a lot of the dead bracken, but no doubt it will come again in the spring

The first of the Longwood Oak trees with many of them over 300 years old

Although the path was quite muddy and waterlogged in places it was not too bad at this part of the walk.

A couple of the very old Oak trees

This one is one of my favourites

And this must be one of the oldest

The sign post for Jenny Nobles Gill

The old railway line and the site of my next 10 minute rest. I recorded 5 native birds on my phone app in a 5 minute spell. None of them were visitors. Robin, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit and a Coal Tit. In a few weeks time I will sit in the same place and should get lots more. My record last spring was 22 birds in a 10 minute spell.

The entrance from the road to Jenny Nobles Gill and the new sign identifying it as TVNR and not Buccleuch Estates. I found a Geocache among the trees near here.

Skippers Bridge from as far down the banking as I dared to go

Border Esk which has been a distillery a garage and now private houses. 

Skippers Bridge from the other side. My last stop was at Langholm Old Bowling Club to see the tremendous work being done by the club to improve the clubhouse. All should be ready for the opening of the green at the end of April. The green is in excellent condition, but I forgot to take a photograph of it.

A most enjoyable 2 hour walk.