SOLWAY: Crane frustration 25 July 2008.

Woken by a strong south-easterly wind, I thought that a quick dash down to the point at Southerness was in order this morning. Visibility was OK and I spent a very pleasant 90 minutes seawatching from the car with the rather scatty ramblings of Sarah Kennedy on Radio 2 for company. The main feature was a considerable movement of Manx Shearwaters (170+ east) with other "noteworthy" birds being a single Arctic Skua passing by then bothering gulls over the rocks near the lighthouse, a single drake Scaup, 2 Kittiwakes and a Whimbrel. A distant skua appearing bulky was possibly a Pom', but remained a "Pom / Arctic" in the notebook.
Wogan on Radio 2 signalled breakfast time.

With the wind dropping we drove to Mersehead RSPB. Very pleasant walk but like so many of my visits here quality birding was sadly lacking with only Stonechat and Sparrowhawk troubling the notes.

Another birding masterclass. Watching a Greenfinch at Mersehead. Note the telescope at a comfortable height making the binoculars drag through the sand dunes and the camouflage shirt - Captain Fieldcraft strikes again!

Brow Well near Caerlaverock.

Seeing nothing is generally an accepted part of birding in July so spirits were still pretty high come lunchtime given decent haul from the previous day. The afternoon's schedule had been carefully constructed to include some Inner Solway sites in search of that elusive trans-Atlantic wader that was no doubt hanging around. So after lunch we set off around the Nith and we just about made it across the bridge in Dumfries when the mobile starts bleeping. Mrs B who is now like a coiled spring, reads: "Common Crane again this morning at Caerlaverock from Avenue hide".

Brilliant. Quick turn about turn and down the Nith to the reserve. Sounds good, then those little dipping demons start nagging away. Key words in the message "this morning" (it's now 2.10 pm). That Red-breasted Goose feeling was starting to kick in but we strolled into the reserve centre full of hope.

Presenting our membership cards I calmly asked if the crane was still about.

"Ppppffff" was the rather unexpected reply from the gent behind the desk as he made a sound like a flatulent horse and shrugging his shoulders.

Hopes rose as the nice lady by his side explained "Yes, it's still here - I saw it this morning!".

"Oh good" (subtext "Oh sh#t, she said THIS MORNING!).

Never mind, we scurried down to the Avenue tower hide and sure enough in the Lochar field was ....................................... a tractor!

We spent the rest of the afternoon scanning from the tower hide without any luck. In desperation we drove down to Brow Well (as visited by Robert Burns and part of the Solway Heritage Trail), but no Crane. A couple of Barnacle Geese out on the mud were unexpected and a Kingfisher in the creek was only our second D&G record this year. Now what happened to that crane I wonder?