In spite of the high pressure gloom of recent days, the birds keep coming. Now is one of the best times of the year to see flocks of waders and particularly wildfowl here at Campfield and its surrounding Solway area. Wigeon,Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler are notable on the Reserve wetlands. Lapwing, Oystercatchers, Knot, Dunlin, Curlew, Grey and Golden Plover provide a spectacle at high tide on the saltmarsh and mudflats. But the Solway's speciality this month are the thousands of wintering migrant Geese and hundreds of Swans. Barnacle Geese have been with us since October and will remain here well into March or possibly April, but those Pinkfooted Geese which stopped over briefly in November,on their way south east, are now gradually making their way back. In recent days large flocks have been grazing the area and have been regularly seen, along with flocks of Barnacles, flying back and forth round this peninsula on which we are situated. Also good flocks of Whooper Swans have been observed grazing the grassy meadows round the River Wampool, sporting fair numbers of juveniles amongst them. We would recommend to those sharp-eyed amongst you, a visit to Campfield Marsh and its surrounding south Solway area. You could be well rewarded by this wildlife spectacle!
1st February.
The month started off bright and very cold. A number of Shelduck together with large groups of Mallard, Teal and Wigeon floated in on the high tide. As the tide receded Redshank, grey waders and Oystercatchers could be seen moving out onto the flats.
Shelduck, Mallard and Teal on the tide's edge.
2nd February.
Duller today but still very cold with a sharp NW wind blowing. Flocks of grey waders provided some good aerial displays towards the Viaduct corner. Generally small birds were feeding very vigorously as if stocking up for colder weather to come.
This small flock of Long-tailed Tits had been seen flying around the hamlet area.
. . . looking a bit left out!
Male Reed Bunting - good numbers have been observed on the arable fields of the Reserve.
3rd February.
A bright and very cold morning. Ice had been building up on the tideline of a 8.9m hightide. Snow could still be seen across the estuary capping the Scottish hills and also the Lake District fells across the River Wampool.
Shelduck and Wigeon came swimming in with the tide at Scargavel point early afternoon.
Our instinct was to explore the marshes round the peninsula to see what they held and we were not disappointed. At 2.50pm, on the marsh near Anthorn mast entrance (NY 187571) a small flock of about 50 Barnacles were grazing. Amongst them were three leg-ringed individuals which, on returning their details and photos to Larry Griffin, WWT( Larry.Griffin@wwt.org.uk), elicited the following information:
"Green XJZ was ringed 31/7/07 at Nordenskiold, Svalbard as an adult male and was last recorded on the Solway at WWT Caerlaverock on 12/10/09. Green XAJ was ringed 6/8/06 at Ny Aalesund, Svalbard as an adult male and was last recorded on the Solway at WWT Caerlaverock on 22/1/09. Orange AJA was ringed 8/2/99 on the farm next to WWT Caerlaverock as an adult female and was last recorded on the Solway at Anthorn on 17/1/07.
- great to get some sightings from the south side of the Solway. Amazing to see how long it was since these birds were last recorded, mainly because sightings are only really gathered on the north side of the Solway and these birds are likely hefted to the south side of the Solway - So it is extremely good news to hear (and see from your photos) that these 3 birds are alive and well."
Further comment from Larry:" It's a good innings for old #AJA though we have just this winter beaten the barnacle record with one at Southerness which clocks in at 30 years old+ so keep looking!! Amazing thing is, these birds may actually have gone back and forth but not produced any young, as few birds ever do, and those succeeding more than once are rare indeed. Any efforts you can make to look at birds round there will be well appreciated, as I say we do not get round there very often and so you could easily produce some good surprises..."
Green XJZ and orange AJA grazing together.
Green XJZ
Green XAJ
Orange AJA. ------------
3rd February - Continued
Down on the tideline a further 200 Barnacles were dabbling. By this stage, large skeins were flying along the estuary but the disturbance was caused by two heavy transport planes on exercise.
Barnacles on the saltmarsh. Viewed from the road.
Barnacles looking very content.
Further Barnacle group coming up onto the saltmarsh.
Disturbed Barnacles. . .
. . . wheeling around.
Cause of disturbance.
Second plane flying along the Wampool estuary.
4th February. Frosty overnight. Temperatures down to -2 degrees C. A good roost of Oystercatchers with Wigeon and Mallard at high tide. A flock of about 200 Barnacles flew off the Reserve NW out onto the estuary. 6th February. Sunny all day and milder with very little wind but all the water on the Reserve was still frozen. Early afternoon could hear from the hamlet, a large number of geese back over in the direction of the Reserve. A good high tide roost on the estuary of Oystercatchers and Pintail. Had a walk down the Lonning A skein of geese flew over heading SE - they sounded like Pinkfeet. A small flock of Curlew could be seen on the far bank of the 1st Meadow Pool. Later, on returning, a fox was seen chasing them. - unsuccessfully it might be added.
Curlew beyond 1st Meadow Pool.Fox in hunting mode.
Curlew taking off.Fox chasing Curlew.
7th February.
From the Centre Logbook: Heard Curlew, Saw Reed bunting, Family of Long-tailed Tits, Great and Blue Tits, Roe Deer, Lapwing(20), Fieldfare(6+).
8th February.
See also previous Blog: http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/campfieldmarsh/b/campfieldmarsh-blog/archive/2015/02/09/activity-in-the-mist-8th-february.aspx
Further to this Norman Holton had reported this splendid record in the Logbook: "1640 Barnacles, 1545. Pinks,16 Pintail, 490 Wigeon, 830 Teal, 26 Shoveler , 2 Little Egrets,1480 Dunlin, 58 Grey Plover, a male and a female Yellow Hammer and 20 Tree Sparrows"
Joe Murphy and Urisa had also been on the Reserve having also seen the 2-3000 mixed flock of Barnacles and Pinks grazing around the Meadow Pools. A fox had been chasing them they noted.
Thank you Urisa for the following photo records.
View of geese across Meadow Pools.
Geese landing.
Leucistic one landing. Pinks grazing in the foreground.
Barnacles group ( including leucistic one) grazing.
More Barnacles flying in.
Blog to be continued . . .