Spring is in the air and much of Gibside's birdlife is busy preparing for the coming nesting season.  Look and listen for woodpeckers drumming on dead trees and branches as you ramble around Gibside's woodlands.  They do this to attract a mate and advertise their presence and have favourite drumming spots around their territory boundaries.  If you here one you can be sure it is a great spotted woodpecker as green woodpeckers don't drum but rely instead on a 'laughing' call and lesser spotted woodpeckers are uncommon so rarely seen.

Cherryburn Nature Scape

After the Wednesday group had made a start the previous day it was time for the Thursday group to turn their hand to building the Cherryburn Nature Scape. Rob the Ranger at Cherryburn had come up with the design and we were helping him build it.

Along with some other jobs that needed doing around the site, the team were soon getting stuck in.

The day soon ended and we had managed to get everything done. Lots of fun was had by the team building the play scape, I just hope the children enjoy playing on it as much.