It's not a chicken!

[Back Blip from my Northumberland holiday]

We decided to have an easier day today and we went down the coast to Howick Hall. Before we got there we stopped off and had an amble along the coast path to Cullernose Point and then back down to the Bathing House at Howick. A very pleasant hour or so, although the weather was a little murky.

After a picnic lunch we went into Howick Hall Gardens for a look round. It is a fabulous place with woodland, bog gardens, formal gardens and various other themed areas.

While we were walking along one of the woodland paths up ahead I saw some movement at the side of the path and it looked a bit red/rusty coloured. We stopped dead and wondered whether we had spotted a Red Squirrel, so we gradually crept closer until the movement decided to stand up and walk strut out on to the path. It was a chicken!!!!

We then went and had a lovely scone in the tea room(Howick Hall was home to Earl Grey of the tea blend fame).

We then went for another walk around the gardens, and we went across a bridge to a gate, and then decided to retrace our steps, so when we turned around I noticed some movement in a tree very close to the bridge. This WAS a Red squirrel. I was travelling light with a small camera so I took a picture and crept closer and took another picture, and then moved again, and so on until I was less than 6ft from this little guy who was happily posing for my pictures. We then decided to leave him to his foraging.

This is only the second time I have seen a Red in the 'wild' wild that has not been at a feeding station. It was brilliant. 

Best seen in large