Quick View Links • Introduction • Map • Embleton • Embleton Burn • Scrogg Hill and 'The Heughs' • Dunstanburgh H

Quick view Links

Introduction Map Embleton Embleton Burn Scrogg hill and ‘The Heughs’ Dunstanburgh Heughs Craster tourist information Centre and Toilets Craster Harbour The coastal walk Dunstanburgh cliffs

Right Common whitethroat

Grasshopper warbler

A Birdwatching walk around Craster and Dunstanburgh Northumberland www.birdersmarket.com

On this walk we will discover a range of bird-rich habitats set in magnificent countryside with stunning views of Dunstanburgh castle and the Northumberland Coast. You can use this information with a PC, PDA, compatible mobile phone, or simply print off and keep. We recommend the use of a good field guide such as Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East (left) available post free from our online store. This is a 3 - 4 hour circular walk of approximately 5 miles (8 km) which we class as moderate. We recommend the wearing of good footwear and suitable protection from possible rain, as parts of the walk are exposed. For demonstration purposes, we have chosen to start our walk in Embleton, but being circular it may be more convenient for you to start elsewhere.

Preparation

Parking is possible at several sites along this walk. It is free at Embleton and Dunstan Steads, but there is a charge at Craster. Please note that vehicles are not permitted (without access) into Craster itself.

It is possible to obtain food / refreshments from a number of establishments depending on time / day and season, and a list with useful contact numbers is provided below - or you may likeCopyright to takeof The Birder'sa picnic. Market.com. All rights reserved. No reproduction whatsoever without permission.

There are public toilets at the Craster Tourist Information Centre. There are no known problems with mobile phone reception.

Introduction

After an initial walk through typical coastal farmland and small wooded areas, the route passes through stunning SSSI landscapes in the care of both The National Trust and English Heritage. It will also take you to the Arnold Memorial Reserve in Craster (owned and managed by The Northumberland Wildlife Trust). With luck it should be possible to record over 90 species (our record is 114) depending on time and season. The area has all year round bird interest, but like most others - it is probably at it’s most productive in spring / early summer as migrants arrive and the seabird / Tern colonies at Dunstanburgh and the ‘Long Nanny’ respectively, are occupied. However, this area can be a spectacular location when ‘falls’ of migrants (some rare, including Red-breasted flycatcher pictured) are recorded, therefore the return migration period of September - November should not be ruled out. Check out birders market resource section and birding-radio for sightings updates.

Embleton (start your walk here).

Carry on south past the Blue Bell Inn and the Playground on your right before taking the left fork downhill, with spectacular views over open farmland towards Dunstanburgh Castle in the distance (below)

Above : The view towards Dunstanburgh Castle. Look along this road for common hedgerow birds, chaffinch, greenfinch, pheasant, mistle thrush and magpie as well as possible Spotted flycatcher (late May) in theCopyright trees ofaround The Birder's the Market.com. Embleton All Burn.rights reserved. No reproduction whatsoever without permission.

At the bridge that crosses the burn, scan the trees for treecreeper whilst listening for the metallic ‘chick’ or ‘kik’ of great-spotted woodpecker. Other common woodland birds should be present such as great, blue, coal and long-tailed tit , thrushes and possible grey wagtail by the burn. Sparrowhawk may also be present. Keep to the road heading up the hill until a small stand of conifers are visible on your right. Check here for coal tit and sometimes siskin. Follow the road past a series of recently restored holiday homes before turning right to join the Cycle route. This long straight track leads past a large open corrugated barn before crossing two cattle grids.

As you walk south along the cycle track, and with Dunstanburgh castle to your left, listen for skylark high above, yellowhammer should also be present, singing from any available vantage point. The ’set aside’ fields provide food for parties of rook and jackdaw.

Left: The small stand of relic farm buildings ,wartime gun positions and conifers is a favoured site of kestrel.(pictured)

At the Farm, a footpath leads to ‘Scrog Hill’ and ‘The Heughs’ (below).Take this path and turn right to walk alongside ‘The Heughs’ , an area of dense gorse and scrub with whinstone outcrops. The wet areas usually hold common snipe and reed bunting, whilst the gorse is a favoured site of linnet.

Looking towards ‘Scrog hill’ and ‘The Heughs’. These areas are managed by The National Trust.

Scan the area known as ‘The Heughs’ a favoured site for linnet ,whitethroat and willow warbler (spring / summer) with the possibility of scarcer migrants (especially September to November after strong EasterlyCopyright winds). of The The Birder's path Market.com.leads through All rights an reserved. area ofNo blackthornreproduction whatsoever and hawthorn without permission. (garden warbler spring / summer) before joining the Craster road opposite the tourist Information centre.

Above: Craster Tourist Information Centre Telephone +44 (0)1665 576 007 e-mail crastertic@alnwick.gov.uk (only open weekends in Winter) has toilets and there is excellent take away food available fromCopyright a mobile of The Birder's café Market.com. at the rear All rights(further reserved. details No reproduction from www.piperspitch.com whatsoever without permission. ) It is well worth checking the scrub and woodland of the Arnold Memorial reserve. Bullfinch (all year) Whitethroat, lesser whitethroat , blackcap and garden warbler are present in spring / summer and the ex- quarry cliffs (car park) hold breeding fulmar. This area has produced many rare migrants over the years including firecrest , pallas’s and barred warbler Next, walk along the roadside footpath that leads to Craster harbour (scanning the hedgerows and trees for possible migrants.

Bullfinch Pyorrhula pyorrhula are present all year round. Check the Arnold memorial reserve area.

Above: Craster harbour. Craster is a small fishing village that owes it’s name to the Craster family who have lived at the site of Craster Tower Copyrightfor almost of The a Birder'smillennium. Market.com. Houses All rights were reserved. built No inreproduction the late whatsoever 18th century without where permission. the village now stands and it was a thriving fishing village in an era when the north sea brimmed with herring and other fish. A fleet of around twenty fishing boats once filled the harbour that supplied barrels of salt herring to Germany and Russia, along with fresh kippers that were sent to Billingsgate market and it is still possible to buy the famous Craster Kippers today. Check the shingle shore and surrounding area for rock pipit and turnstone. Gulls will also be present and sometimes eider are visible within the harbour walls. Continue north on the coastal footpath towards Dunstanburgh castle checking the shore and grassy areas. The rocky shoreline generally holds oystercatcher, redshank and curlew at all times of the year with occasional small numbers of purple sandpiper in winter. Scan the sea for eider (common) possible divers (usually red-throated) and sea duck such as common scoter. Further out to sea there are usually excellent numbers of passage seabirds such as gannet , terns from Coquet island, the Farnes and the ‘long nanny’ and auks including guillemot, razorbill and shag from the nearby Dunstanburgh cliffs. The grassy areas often have wheatear in spring and summer and stonechat all year round. Continue along to the castle before keeping to the left of the wet marshy area that has breeding mallard, snipe and moorhen. The rocky area that lies to the west of the castle is another regular site for both stonechat and kestrel. The footpath then leads to Embleton bay and the cliffs that lie below the castle. It is possible in late spring / summer to see good numbers of kittiwake, razorbill, shag, guillemot and occasional puffin although the later two species do not breed. This is an excellent place to watch seabirds without the need to take a boat trip to either Coquet Island or the Farnes.

Click here for a sound recording from this seabird colony.

Above: the cliffs at Dunstanburgh hold impressive numbers of breeding seabirds. Left : shag breed here and this is an excellent place to see them without venturing out to the Farne Islands

Wheatear (below) are common in spring and summer

From here a path can be taken that skirts the west side of the golf course or by following the dunes and sands along Embleton bay back to the golf course club house (refreshments here) .The road then leads back to Embleton.

G o Club house lf C o u r s e North Sea Embleton P P P

Dunstan Steads

Burn ton ble Scrogg Hill m E

B1339 The Heughs

Dunstan Craster P

Cullernose point

Birdwatching walks in Northumberland #1 Craster and Embleton www.birdersmarket.com