We’ve had some incredible encounters with wildlife at close quarters in the last 12-months in northern England and Scotland.
There have been badgers at Rydal; red squirrels and roe deer dancing in the forests at Kidlandlee; blue tits, sparrows and swallows nesting in our own garden; and dolphins and golden eagles on the Isle of Mull.
But last night’s experience went straight to the number one slot. After a tip-off from a pal we headed to the banks of the River Coquet at Holystone, Northumberland around dusk.
As the sun set we watched more than 20 salmon return to their spawning ground in the Northumberland hills. Each 40cm – 50cm fish jumped clean out of the water as it navigated the current across a shallow bank of water.
It could of course been a single fish swimming circuits back and forth but I think even as novice naturalists we would have noticed. The magical 40 minutes was only punctuated by the blue and orange flash of a kingfisher flying back and forth along the river bank.
It was a life affirming experience well worth seeking out. If you dig around the web you’ll find reports of locations where you can watch salmon leaping for yourself around this time of year. The best time of day is dusk particularly after its been raining and the rivers are full.
The photo of the salmon is sourced with thanks from Karen Miller via Flickr and licensed under Creative Commons.
