Written by Kevin O'Hara, conservation officer at Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Where do they all go in winter? - Part 1

Recently I felt the first twangs of winter; the 'first frost' gripped my garden, the chickens came skidding out of their ark, and I had to break the ice on their drinking water. I really like those first days, when we still have some daylight left to enjoy the wonderful colours and smells. I take the camera and binoculars with me when I walk the dogs, keeping an eye out for winter thrushes or other visitors. The clocks have altered and we start the long haul of winter - not until February will some real light return to the sky, and warmth to the sun.

It is during these months that we wonder where, exactly, many of our resident wildlife species go to survive the coldest and wettest days of winter, especially those that are more delicate and less mobile.

In March 1849, fisherman at Cullercoats found floating in the sea a fish of "uncommon length and of silvery and dazzling brightness".

It was later identified as one of the rare Gymmetrus species, 12ft 5in long, 13in in depth and three inches thick, with a crest of 14in in height.

The fish caught at Cullercoats in 1849

In 1846, other fishermen had caught off Alnmouth the first specimen in British waters of Trichiuvus Lepturus (the Blade Fish), 13ft 9in long.

Former North East teacher Paul Wright - now working in London - has returned to the region to visit relatives and was delighted to come across a baby seal as he walked on the beach at Druridge Bay yesterday.

Fishermen in Newbiggin were telling a whale of a story in May 1959.

This is the story of a battle at sea with a 40-foot whale which tangled up in the nets of the coble Green Pastures and had to be killed by rifle fire.

Mathew Stanton, 39, and 19-year-old Henry Rowe, both of Newbiggin, were quietly fishing for salmon a few hundred yards offshore in Druridge Bay when a whale larger than their 30ft boat charged into their nets.

Spectacular photos shared by members of our Northumberland group on the Flickr photo-sharing website. Click on a photo to see the caption and to view it in a larger size.

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A shocking double tragedy occurred, which was the first of its kind in the district of Ashington, in the early hours of Sunday, January 2, 1921, at Ellington. The victims were 51-year-old Edward Gardner Taylor and his 31-year-old wife Beatrice.

Taylor was a soldier when he met Beatrice, who was eventually to become his second wife. After leaving the Army he rejoined soon after the beginning of the First World War, and became a sergeant's instructor.

Ellington in 1900. This is how the area would have looked at the time of the murder, surrounded by fields and farming.

They came to Ellington to begin a new life together with Taylor's son from his previous marriage and two daughters, Norah and Lilian. Taylor, who was addicted to drink, soon got a job at nearby Ellington Colliery as a rolleywayman, underground. Jealousy and drink was a problem with the relationship and many heated arguments occurred.

Peter Arris of Ashington took this picture at the south end of Druridge Bay, showing the anti-tank blocks still in place from World War Two.

Send your photos to northumberland@ncjmedia.co.uk to see them on this site.

With the death of Philip Joisce, of Northwoods Works, Stobswood, near Morpeth, in March 1979, the North East lost one of its most talented, inventive and original minds.

He was well-known to a wide circle of local farmers, businessmen and fellow engineers for his expertise with all kinds of machinery.

King Edward IV School, Morpeth

Born in 1911 in Hartford Road, Bedlington, and educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Morpeth, from 1924-26, he gained his Higher National Certificate in electrical engineering at Rutherford College, Newcastle.

Lesley Robson shared this picture in our Northumberland Communities Flickr group.

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Andy Browne photographed this welcome spring scene of lambs basking in the sunshine on Sunday.

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