A top place to stay and I'm not surprised

North Shields on Sunday. Fiddler's Green statue, a memorial to fishermen lost at sea. And on the left is Molten, a quirky gallery and cafe ran by an architect and artist. Offering the very best home made ice cream and cones, with a superb view across the mouth of the Tyne.

When two blue tit's decide to roost in your bird box the same night! I'd had an app notification that a bird had arrived, so checked my camera and it's chaos in there. One must've arrived just after the other, and they do not share roosts!

Fascinating building on North Shields Fish Quay. Interesting chatty architect and now lovely gelato, with tasty home made cones too 👍 youtu.be/zghTv5ucT00?...

Out on the bike in Tynemouth, lost loads of calories 🙂

Well worth a read.

Look up!

Super weather for the equally super Tynemouth Festival street acts. Jugglers, comedy, acrobats, dancey stuff, music and weird characters 🙂 Comperes Garaghty & Thom are probably the best I've seen 🙂👍

Eilean Donan Castle yesterdy. Maybe the ghost of Lt-Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap, (taken at closing time 🙂)

First visit to Dunvegan Castle, Isle of Skye on Thursday, £17 including the gardens. Better than expected and a good choice on a rainy day 👍

Spidean Choire Leith on Liathac yesterday, been on our to do list for far too many years. Quite a day, steep steep ascent and descent. About the limit now for my worn knees, but what a mountain!

Quick half at this iconic refreshment spot. If anyone's got a spare £4.5 million it's up for sale, includes a Fort William pub. Immense scenery and nice beer range. Music is currently quintessential highland, Prince 1999, and a bit too loud 😀

Return to Windy Gyle and managed a twice round. Good ascent training. As usual the first round felt quite decent, I thought my fitness had come back really quickly. Reality hit on the second round plod 😀 #Cheviots #Northumberland

North Berwick Law, great views again even on a hazy day. Plenty gorse, geese and Exmoor ponies out. Bacon, egg & aioli at the amazing Drift cafe after, then a stroll down to the beach before heading home. Another lovely trip here and only 2hrs drive away👍 👍

Sunset over the Forth last night through the van window from North Berwick. Sipping wine and a little Aldi chocolate helps one appreciate these simple things 🙂

Cuteness alert - my male blue tit arriving home after a long day, then turning himself into a fluffy tennis ball within 2 minutes 🐦🙂

Really sad news about Heavy, been reading his blogs for years. Always inspirational and educational, what a life he had. Rest in peace in the mountains you loved Heavy.

Helsinki one year ago today. Fascinating trip and the public bathrooms we visited all played birdsong, which is thoroughly recommended 👍

Ooh 👍

bit.ly/3tgxjGS My garden bird watch results. Tiny garden but it's unlike any previous winter; there's less birds, very few starlings, more pigeons. My regular male sparrow hawk visitor may be mainly responsible.

St Mary's, Whitley Bay on Saturday. Lovely light, lots of lapwing, and 70 seals resting on the protected eastern side 👍

Hiking gear I liked in 2024 www.christownsendoutdoors.com/2024/12/favo...

Christmas Day dip in Cullercoats bay with wonderful people 👍

Really windy at Tynemouth today, with really nice light 👍

Today was the day! Sunset 😎 crept to 15.38! One whole minute later than yesterday, according to my Met Office app. I wonder what exciting things people did with these welcome extra seconds of late light? I spent it typing this post 🙄

Welcome Jen(ny) 🙂 👍

One of these things isn't like the other 🤔 🙂

Had a guest pop round for lunch today. I know he was hungry but my sultana obsessed blackbirds are strictly off the menu. A male sparrowhawk, now a frequent visitor, only when I got really close did he reluctantly fly off.

A very special remote place in the Northumberland hills 👍

@deanread.bsky.social Hi Dean good to see you on here. How's things?

Agree about the northern fells, and often quieter too 👍

@annieeaves.bsky.social welcome, it does seem pleasant here, for now at least 🙂

@northlakesuk.bsky.social eh up 🙂 👍

What happened to rice milk, I'd heard there was a rice harvest issue but it's been many months now 🙄

So we're in Krugers Bar in wonderful County Kerry and my girlfriend Jane orders a Guinness shandy. Apparently no one had ever ordered one there before, look at the expression on the couple on the right. I think we're still barred 🙄

Another from Inch Beach, Ireland in July

Inch Beach on the Dingle peninsula in July. Scenes from Ryan's Daughter were filmed here. A wondrous area, great folk and ultra smooth Guinness. However you get there it's worth the journey.

Sound up, first seconds, my local tawny owl on next doors chimney. I do like owls.

I've been tormented by a mouse in my garden, constantly nicking the bird seed then breaking into my hedgehog feeder and stealing hedgehog food. Tried catching it then borrowed a humane trap. Bingo, caught it. Then another, oh and another, another, another & another. All safely relocated 🙄

Another tip for users of Bluesky, because of the lack of an algorithm for amplifying posts (sheets, tweets, whatever) just liking a post doesn't boost it. If someone posts something you feel needs a bigger voice, repost or quote it.

I now have 10,000 followers here but over 5.9 million at the other place. If you want Me to switch for good I need you to get the word out that I'm here, pathetically desperate for worship (just like in real life), and filled with even more contempt for you here than I was there.

I’m here on the BlueSky app ! I’ll still be posting on Twitter alongside (for now) . . . but it sure does look nicer over here without the bots ! 🦋

@mtnsofscotland.bsky.social ah good to see you here 👍

@paulmitchinson.bsky.social Welcome Paul, this place is filling up nicely 👍

Why not lose yourself in Wagner, you know you want to 🙂

Good evening wonderful people of BlueSky. I'll soon be posting Space Station passes and all sorts of stargazing stuff, for your entertainment and pleasure. Give me a follow and let's explore the universe together.

A beautiful sky when walking off the hill this afternoon. I would have stayed up there longer but there was a chill wind blowing. A slight hint that the mild weather so far this Autumn may soon be replaced with something more seasonal.