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Campfield Marsh. Now we come to the 3rd part of the Blog, having dealt with accommodation issues. We can start to describe the main features of the area which is after all what you will be coming to enjoy, be it Spring, Summer or Winter. In the case of birders, winter in the Solway area is of particular...

Anvil Cloud over the Solway estuary. We've definitely passed the Equinox: 12 hours of 'sunlight', 12hours of dark – the jury's still out on the sunlight bit! The equinoctial gales started right on time in the form of the tail-end of Hurricane Nadine which definitely stirred the...

"Summer Solway Estuary and Gulls flying" - a pastel sketch from my studio window. Campfield Marsh Reserve, here on the Solway, is a really nice place to visit at the end of Summer, especially its estuary element. As you may know, inland reserves can be a little quiet at this time of the...

The following images suggest some of the additional things your sharp eyes could see on a visit to the Campfield Marsh Reserve - from mid July to late August. BIRDS House Sparrow in a crevice of the barn wall near the car park . A juvenile Woodpecker possibly using the farm bird feeders...

Skein of Pinks at sunset 1st October Weather is still warm and sunny. Speckled Woods seen mating today and a flock of about 80 Pinks flew in from the across the saltmarsh and headed off in a south-easterly direction. Speckled Woods mating. Female (the larger one) seems to have laid an egg...

September 2011 Photo Diary The evocative 'pink pink' was first heard on the 15th, over the Reserve ... returning skeins of Pinkfeet were subsequently seen during the following days. 1st September Rained early but became very warm as sun came out in the afternoon. The saltmarsh...

18th - 31st AUGUST Looking inland across the 'sands' towards Campfield Marsh 18th August Cold wind from the west today. Wader numbers are starting to build up: predominently Oystercatcher with small numbers of Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin. Whimbrel could be heard calling...

Oh dear! it’s got round to August again. The birds down the Lonning have generally fallen silent, busy raising and feeding their young - but if one walks along quickly and quietly, you can run across small parties of young in the hedges waiting to be fed by their industrious parents: Willow Warblers...

Haymaking has started - end of July 18th July After early rain the sun came out making it very warm and humid, Sunshine and showers continued for the rest of the day. Insects and butterflies were in abundance which was great as it was the start of the 'Big Butterfly Count' for Butterfly...

Photo Diary 15th to 30th June 2011 Bird Seed crop - Phacelia , Oats and Sunflowers 15th June Barn Owl busily hunting along saltmarsh. This is the second Barn Owl of a pair who are hunting along the marsh each evening now. Herons, possibly a family, scouring the shoreline...

A Photo Diary Black Galloways keeping cool on a hot summer's day, in front of Hide . 1st June Two Mute Swans landed briefly on wet meadows but were seen flying off, being chased by Lapwings who were nesting in the vicinity. 3rd June Today was a very warm still cloudless day....

A photo dairy, 14th - 31st May 2011 North Plain Lonning lined with flowering Cow Parsley 14th May Male Woodpecker heard hammering on nest box hole. A Tree Sparrow, currently occupying this box, was hovering round in the vicinity. Shelduck feeding on the tideline in the evening...

Gorse in bloom on Campfield Marsh 1st May A sunny although blustery day, with a helm wind blowing. Nevertheless butterflies and dragonflies could be seen flying in the shelter of the Lonning and the hedgerows were full of birdsong. Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly on poolside vegetation ...

"April Gorse, Campfield Marsh 27th April 2011" - a digital pastel-style painting by John Rogers It's late April and the weather up here on the Solway is like the middle of Summer. Migrants are coming in early, flowers are blooming that shouldn't be and there are dragonflies and moths...

17th September Flocks of gulls have been collecting round field drain outfall on mudflatts in front of the Campfield Marsh Good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies have been flying in the area 18th September A rather bedraggled looking young Wren after recent rain 19th...

Ode to Conservation When you’re up to your axles in black mud, and the gorse thickets seem ten foot tall, it’s hard to remember you’re here for the redshank ... and nobody cares at all! Conservation ain’t all coffee and gift shops. That part of it is really quite small....

1st September Adult fox hunting amongst recently topped rushes along the edge of 1st Meadow Pool. Seen from screen 4th September Common Darter on track Swallows were hawking everywhere today: over the pools, meadows and the 'sands'. Bird of prey glimpsed flying away...

15th August Susan of the West Cumbria RSPB Group carrying out a Dragonfly Survey on the Reserve Susan has been carrying out these Dragonfly Surveys since 2001. She also does a Breeding Bird Survey in the vicinity of Rogersceugh Farm too. Bird seed crop of Oats and Kale is now attracting...

4th August Common Blue Damselfly on track Heron had been hunting for frogs in the dyke Heron taking off near first Pool Small Copper on trackside vegetation Numerous small Tortoiseshell butterflies were flying today 7th August Red Admiral on Willow-herb 8th August...

It was pretty hot; a sort of lethargic day really; had an end-of-summer feel to it – but Up! Up! – let us a voyage take. Why sit we here at ease? … so off to the Reserve we went. First stop, just this side of the 1st Pool. The Sparrowhawk saw us at the same time we saw it - in the...

They call it ‘climate change’. They always have to have a nice neat title for things these days: everything pigeonholed and computerised. It’s an industry now. Universities have whole departments on the subject; people are making careers from it. In the ‘old days’ we...

…sort of a day. It was warm, when the sun came out it was really hot – but across the estuary big black clouds were looming. No wind. So we set out for the Reserve, ready for anything! The Common Hawker was our first encounter as we walked down the track passed the farm. We were buzzed...

We set off in to the Reserve; the day was warm with intermittent sunshine – very little wind. The day would seem to be propitious for flying dragons and so it turned out to be. We had hardly passed through the farm when we were buzzed by a Southern Hawker – the game was on! It flew over us...

In the last week, even with somewhat changeable weather, there has been plenty of activity on the bird front. Waders seem to be assembling on the estuary now, day on day: Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Golden Plover and Oystercatchers in ever increasing numbers. Black-tailed Godwits on estuary...

This week has seen an explosion of young birds: Tree Sparrows, House Sparrows, Blue and Great Tits and Chaffinches, all tended to by their devoted parents. Mallard ducklings, Lapwing and Moorhen chicks are all growing rapidly out on the Reserve. Tree Sparrow fledgling being fed See also: www...