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Winter has already come to the Solway. The nights have now drawn in; the weather has a distinct chill feel to it; we have had a few arctic gusts already. There have been several night frosts - so the tree colours have been very good this year. The Scandanavian winter Thrushes have arrived in force...

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...

Saltmarsh and pool. We had been down onto the North Plain wetlands and the hide and had just returned to the lonning entrance - I was casually scanning with the bins towards the scrape and the boundary fence, when we beheld a great sight: a goodly flock of Barnacles were scattered over the marsh....

There was an air of hush in the front lounge. Judith was at the window table, as that week she had taken delivery of two new sets of glasses, thus new horizons for her had been opened up! She can now read the small print in her Canon camera manual and was factoring some new tricks into her camera –...

Huge excitement at Campfield! We believe that we have a return visitor to the marsh and wetland. The Great White Egret seems to have remembered us and was first reported on the saltmarsh on 10th October by Norman Holton, our Cumbria Coastal Reserves Manager - at which point the bush telegraph went into...

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...

Female Marsh Harrier hunting over hide wetland. The high tide series were starting to fall back - but with the gale, today‘s high tide had a really good push on it: white horses - the lot! We decided to tackle the wetlands first. Battling down the Lonning, the willow trees and ashes were...

"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...

We had been to town in the morning - not my idea of a fun day out! But during the drive back along the Solway marshes towards Campfield, our spirits started to lift. The weather was wonderful: sun beating down from a Summer Constable sky - you know the one with the little fluffy clouds; the marshes looked...

Saturday morning, an enjoyable time of the week, a late breakfast had just been consumed and I was into my second cup of Douwe Egberts whilst casually scanning the estuary in front of me with my bins here at Campfield. Suddenly crashing into view came, what could only be described as ‘a regiment...

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...

Raised Moss and Boardwalk, Bowness Common - looking towards Criffel. Strange thing to have to say … there was definitely a feeling of Spring in the air in spite of the fact we were well into the middle of June. Some of the Ash trees in the area hadn’t even attained their leaves! But there...

Across first Meadow Pool. The Lonning towards the hide. Second Meadow Pool. Nosy guest cattle. Pied Wagtail with Cranefly. Reed Bunting on Lonning hedgerow. Sandhills towards the Solway. Sedge Warbler - Black and White sketch. Sedge Warbler in colour. ...

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...

Early June - Summer has officially arrived … monsoons of rain; tornados of wind; flooding that would frighten even Noah; caravans and tents being swept away; agricultural shows being flattened; seaside promenades under three feet of water and lashed by waves. Hello! but we don’t mind, we’re...

This Spring and early Summer have been a real mixed bag - especially this last week! One minute, glorious sunshine and the next torrential rain and bitter winds. One hardly knows what to do! Have turned into a softie really - should have taken it easier on the cupcakes, blue icing and party sized Eton...

. 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...

Not in excess thereof, but merely a sufficiency thereunto! Therefore, let us all join together in gratitude for the celebrities we have received of late: Great White Egret; Little Egret; three Glossy Ibis and ultimately, a wonderful Spoonbill! But as with all celebrity comes the uncertain fickle element...

Impression of the Spoonbill with three of the Mute Swan family Yes, we have been doing rather well lately: a Great White and a Little Egret here for Easter. Birders came from far and wide to see them and get their ticks - and some simply came to see them!. These, of course, were specials, over and above...

The short answer to that is, “Yes” - so don’t expect any more bardic utterances from me! Evening view across the wetlands from the raised bower. Although it is still Spring, here on the Campfield wetlands, today it felt like the middle of June: the wind had dropped and the...

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. ...

Everything is heading north with the vernal equinox and the warm weather too. 12 Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank and a Ruff have descended on the Reserve and can be seen feeding and preening regularly on the now drying-up floodwater on the lefthand -side of North Plain lonning. On the Meadow Pools there...

'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...

Spring has definitely come at Campfield: the March sunlight today glowing on the ‘sands’ of the Solway … and here in front of North Plain on the new outfall creek that has formed this last winter, there was a party of pre-breeding Shelduck, cavorting and disporting themselves - their...