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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...

'Conversation piece' Oh dear! An early hospital appointment, first thing Monday morning! The weather was dull, raining and bitterly cold. Things could only get better . . . and so they did! Coming through Drumburgh at 8 o'clock, a flock of about 1500 Barnacles were just coming in...

Mixed flock of Barnacles and Pinkfeet spread out along the channel of the R. Wampool at Anthorn. Today started off with hazy sunshine after a night of frost – no wind at all! We had to go to Kirkbride, so decided to make a virtue of a necessity, namely searching for swans and geese. In this...

Barnacles flocks in snow at Cardurnock The weathermen had been quite precise with their forecast with snow at low level followed by sleet turning to rain. So on awakening to a world of white, I said to Judith, “I'll get the van ready while you get your camera stuff together. We can look...

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...

Maryland farm on the very edge of the saltmarsh, overlooking the Pool - after a night of snow. The hamlet of Cardurnock - a small farming community that makes its living from grazing sheep and cattle on the wide estuary pastures. These are the little black and white Barnacle Geese that return...

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...

Whoopers on Meadow Pools at dawn - 12th January 2013 The gentle pulsing of the alarm broke into my slumbers, although I have to say, we seldom use an alarm these days – but today would be special! We had pre-planned a very early morning foray onto the Reserve here at North Plain, as we knew...

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...

Barnacles on Campfield Marsh at Scargavel Point - 26 10 12 Barnacles appear to have arrived in force on the Solway this year - total numbers will emerge later - but the noteable feature for us at Campfield is the arrival, 4 days running, of a small flock prospecting the saltmarsh. We are starting...

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...

'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...

Having had a few dull and damp days recently, today dawned bright and sunny. However the incoming tide before lunch brought with it its usual shower. Not deterred, we set off down the Lonning and were gratified to see the sun struggling through. We had a quick look through the screen overlooking the...

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...

… the words of Tom Jones’ song come to mind. The family were up for Christmas from the arid east Midlands. They couldn’t remember the last time it rained down there and were just amazed at the amount of rain and water we had here at Campfield - and were fascinated by the grey...

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...

There had been great excitement in the local birding community here on the Solway, in recent days: a flock of 76 Bean Geese had presented itself on the flooded stubble fields round the lovely town of Silloth and a stimulating informative controversy was surging to and fro amongst the cognoscente, regarding...

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...

Criffel and the Solway after the Storm, 17th October. 15th October A very warm misty morning with a rosy dawn. Small parties Barnacles could be seen and heard flying west most of the morning. Lots of Gulls out on the channel with a single Whooper on the tideline. Small party of Barnacles...

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...