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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...

Crow on the lookout from the garden. Our house, as you may have gathered, is within the precincts of the Reserve, so we always consider that a bird seen in the garden is automatically a bird for the reserve – and we view it accordingly. We also feed the birds in the garden intensively, as indeed...

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...

Not a great deal happening from the hide at midday. Birds were generally quiet: a few Larks, Herons, Crows and spiralling Sparrowhawk. Then from the far Moss, a grey bird appeared coming straight towards the hide. We initially took it to be a Heron but it soon resolved itself to be a Hen Harrier...

. Not much fear of that. We’re back into winter gear: Wellington boots; padded jackets … the whole kahuna! A fine warm March: temperatures up in the 20’s; water levels falling by the minute; talk of hosepipe bans and compulsory metering! I remember a severe drought a few years...

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...

Winter is back again - view across Meadow Pools towards Skiddaw 2nd April Great White Egret is still on the Reserve. Here seen fishing early morning on Saltmarsh Pool. Pink-footed geese are still on the estuary. These were seen on farm pastures near the Reserve's boundary fence. ...

'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...

We spent one and a half hours mid-afternoon watching the spectacle of several thousand Barnacle Geese grazing the meadows in front of the hide on Campfield Marsh RSPB Reserve and what a sight it was! On this icy day with a galeforce westerly wind blowing, the flock were spread out over the grassland...

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...

PHOTODIARY - end of November 2011 Winter evening after a stormy day, Solway Estuary 24th November. A midday high tide with a strong gusty wind. At 11.30pm flocks of Oystercatcher, Teal, Wigeon, Mallard and Shoveler with 15 Pintail started to fly west along the, by now, flooding marsh. At...

An early November Photo Diary Area round Saltmarsh Pool where the Great White Egret has installed itself 1st November A beautiful sunny windless day with first record of Great White Egret seen on the Reserve at Saltmarsh Pool. 2nd November Cool and breezy. 10.45 - 12.00 am, Great White...

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...

"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...

4th November Wetlands are now upto winter levels and good flocks of wildfowl are to be seen Four Greylags could be seen grazing and preening in the wet meadows in front of the hide 7th November There had recently been an influx of tits with this one Willow Tit amongst them, seen on...

View across Saltmarsh Pool towards Criffel from Maryland Lay-by 3rd October Common Newt in puddle after rain, on Lonning track Flies and bees are attracted to the abundant nectar of the Ivy flowers, growing in the lonning hedge. 4th October Fly Agaric, poisonous mushroom, growing...