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Campfield Marsh is quite a spectacle in May with its covering of Sea Pinks - not to mention the Gorse and May blossom along the fringes. Back to farm and estuary - we continue along the coastal road round the Cardurnock Peninsula. Within a few hundred yards of North Plain farm we arrive at the lay...

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...

Campfield Marsh - early April. 6th April 2013 Sunny all day with a light SW wind. Early morning there were 14 Shelduck with two Mallard pairs out on the mudflats. A small group of Redshank came in with the tide. On the Meadow Pools, Wigeon and Teal were gathering and seemingly pairing up. The two...

Tantalising view of geese across the flooded meadows. We had been aware for a few days that there was goose activity back over on the Reserve and local prominent birders, after much hard work, had estimated that there were in excess of 10.000 Pinkfeet on the Solway. So, in the middle of the afternoon...

Today was the last day of the high tide series here on the Solway and we seem to have escaped any serious flooding. The weather people had been forecasting high winds, rain and lots of floods coupled with the high Spring tides. All in all, we had the perfect storm in the making - but it just didn't...

Snow on the Scottish Hills viewed from Campfield Marsh - 22 1 13 The depth of winter this year at Campfield has been decidedly undramatic, whilst the rest of the country, if TV is to be believed, has suffered under continents of snow and ice, blocked roads, closed schools and more sledging than you...

New Year's Day was crisp and sunny. Here are a few of the birds which put in an appearance today. Early morning now frequent visitors to the saltmarsh. Oystercatchers had been giving aerial displays as the tide came in at noon. The small Barnacle flock had stayed to graze. A pair...

" Flighting by Moonlight - the Solway Estuary" oil painting by John Rogers A Happy Christmas to you all! We hadn't put our noses outside for days – with constant rain, a bitter easterly wind and the difficult task of sending Christmas cards. This year we had illustrated and...

It might be that in some cases young people may have difficulty in finding a cause or espousing an intent in life that will give them direction for the year's ahead. In my own case, I was spared the quandary. Having just entered secondary school, I was laid low with septic tonsillitis, which involved...

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...

Pastoral scene The final instalment of the rush cutting has recently occurred as there has been some drying out of the meadows and, quite amazingly, considering the atrocious summer weather we have had, the meadows have never looked better. Many of the rushes are cut right back allowing for the winter...

Campfield Marsh at high tide. 11 4 12 Spring is a restless time: weather pulling all kinds of tricks; counting the cost of last winter; assessing the possibilities of the coming Summer; old visitors still lingering on; new arrivals coming unexpectedly - and that’s just the birds … you...

'Doing the Campfield walk, Hey!' The Great White Egret arrived at Campfield on 1 st November 2011, just in time for the Guy Fawkes celebrations. We began to wonder how long this rare vagrant would stay - and lo and behold, miracle of miracles, it spent Christmas with us. People travelled from...

Whoopers taking off from the hide wetlands. Since Christmas here on the Solway, and by implication, our very own Campfield Marsh, the weather has been very wet and windy. But, surprisingly, in the last few days it has been calm and windless - really rather pleasant. There has been a high tide...

Early snowdrops at the Lonning entrance. Splendid day: clear frosty sunshine with very little wind - only a slight breeze from the east. The Solway was flat calm at high tide. We walked down the lonning onto Campfield Marsh Reserve early afternoon. The Meadow Pools held 21 Whoopers with plenty...

3 rd January, 2012 - Barnacles at Campfield ‘Hide Fever’ by John Rogers “I must go down to the hide again, to the lonely hide and the sky. For I’ve left my gloves and Collins there, and I only hope they’re dry.” No, seriously folks, I’d decided...

15th - 23rd November 2011 15th November Cold light easterly wind with misty sunshine. As the tide came in a group of 13 Shoveler crossed the channel in front of the hamlet. A flock of Dunlin landed on the sandbar on the other side. A Reed Bunting showed up on the marsh edge hawthorn bushes and...

Two Woodcock - part of a large number visiting Campfield during the cold spell at the beginning of the year. The gregarious and colourful Wigeon that make the winter reserve so pleasurable. Whoopers, our glorious winter visitors. One of the Lonning’s Sedge Warblers declares his...

You want water? Come on down! The Solway’s lovely - we’ve plenty here! It was coming sideways; from above and from below - Water World eat you heart out! All this, as I was contemplating the scene from my front window. The Solway was raging in. Yes, a high tide series - at least a force...

A photo diary - 25th October to 31st October 2011 25th October At 11.30 am, about high tide, there was a movement of Barnacles going east in small flocks. One flock came over the hamlet and seemed to be heading towards the Reserve wetlands. The high tide line held Wigeon, Mallard and Curlew. There...

Barnacles are a speciality of the Solway. This group were on the Cardurnock pastures. Oystercatchers battling with the tail-end of Hurricane Katia. A typical Solway farm here on Campfield Marsh Summer Solway and Criffel from Campfield Marsh. Barnacles on the saltings of the R...

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...

Shelduck on the Estuary - a digital painting by John Rogers February this year on the Solway anyway, has been notable for its lack of weather. In our case, this usually means wind - in this case the exception being two or three days at the beginning of the month. There seems to have been endless...

Icy Solway Estuary during the Big Freeze by John Rogers 14th December After a short thaw, snow and freezing conditions returned On an icy cold dawn three Longtailed Tits came into feed on nut hanger. 15th December Wigeon flying in onto icy pools on farm Buzzard watching from...