SOLWAY: 23 - 26 October 2008.

"Sensing something was behind me made my hares stand on end" - Mrs B had many witty captions for this pic.

Green-winged Teal Recipe: Squeeze two Bushells into tiny hide and mix with telescopes and tripods until dusk.

23 October 2008.

Gale force SW winds plus rain made climbing out of bed a bit of a struggle and the point was a little quiet, at least offshore. A Great Northern Diver sitting offshore was a nice surprise but there was little moving apart from a Bonxie and several Kittiwakes. Visibility was pretty poor by the time I decided to start looking through the waders and it was nice to see my first 2 Purple Sandpipers of the autumn. In the dire weather we decided on a quick trip to Caerlaverock where there was very little on a rain-lashed reserve and we failed to find anything in the 98 Golden Plovers apart from 3 Black-tailed Godwits.

Red Squirrel, Loch Ken 24 October 2008.

24 October 2008.

An early visit to the point at Southerness produced little apart from 5000+ Barnacle Geese on the sands and 40+ Golden Plovers. We decided on a trip out to the Ken - Dee Marshes for a change today but in truth it was a little on the quiet side.

Plenty of action at the feeders with Red Squirrels as close as you like. Willow Tits easily seen in the tit flock and a few Redwings and Fieldfares in the hedgerows. As usual we encountered a few Red Kites in the area.



Very little on the water apart from 4 Whooper Swans so we moved on calling in at Auchenreoch Loch (nothing of note) and Miton Loch where there was a single Whooper Swan and a female Scaup.

Redwing, Ken - Dee Marshes, 24 October 2008.

At 4.30ish the news of a Green-winged Teal at Caerlaverock broke so we headed through Dumfries and along the Nith reaching the Wetlands Trust just before closing time and seeing Barn Owl on the way. Thanks to the warden at Caerlaverock for letting us in at the eleventh hour and also latest sighting info because we managed to locate the bird quickly on the Folly Pond as the afternoon drew to a close.

Drake Green-winged Teal, Caerlaverock WWT 24 October 2008.

We ended our day in the "Silver & Gold Hide" where the Barnacles were showing well before heading back to Southerness for a fish supper.

25 October 2008.

Chucked it down! Did a bit of "dude stuff" around Gretna before stopping in at Annan where we birded from the car in the rain. The fields just inland from Seafield Bay held a large flock of waders though, mostly Golden Plovers (500+), 30+ Black-tailed Godwits, c. 120 Redshanks, 35+ Curlews, 20+ Oycs, a couple of Grey Plovers and best of all a Curlew Sandpiper.

26 October 2008.

Last look around Southerness from our caravan this season as the site closes this week. A late Swallow heading west along the shore, 100 Golden Plovers overhead and huge flocks of Barnacle Geese seen in beautiful morning sunshine. This didn't last long though and as we headed back towards Dumfries the rain set in once again easing as we reached Annan Waterfoot. Female Scaup, 85 Wigeon, 200+ Redshank and 11 Ringed Plovers at high tide here and then a real hooley of a squall set in. Seafield wasn't as productive as yesterday but there were still huge numbers of waders in the fields including 300+ Lapwings, 100+ Curlews, 30+ Redshanks, 95 Black-tailed Godwits but just 10 Golden Plovers. A single Tufted Duck with 4 Scaup in the bay were the only birds on the Solway there.

Last port of call for the trip was inland at Castle Loch near Lochmaben. Nice to have a large raft of ducks to work on at last with 200+ Tufties but I could only find a drake Aythya hybrid (probably the same as last winter's). Otherwise single drake Pochard, 25+ Goldeneye, 8+ Goosander and 6 Teal were the only birds of note out on the water with a pair of squabbling Peregrines overhead and a noisy Kingfisher along the bank.

SOLWAY: Southerness area 22 October 2008.

A nice start at the point with 4000+ Barnacle Geese on the sands, a respectable 24 Grey Plover, 150 Bar-tailed Godwits, 300+ Knot, 450+ Oycs, 8 Ringed Plovers and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers offshore. Then a harsh call from the caravan site revealed a male Ring Ouzel heading straight at me! A weak goose call overhead sounded odd in with the Barnies and a dark grey goose with black bars on the belly was so low I could see the orange beak: Greenland Whitefront. This mad five minutes was completed with parties of 6, then 8 Fieldafares falling out of the sky. Several Twite on the way back to the 'van for breakfast rounded off the morning nicely.

Mrs B and I opted for a walk along Gillfoot Bay and the inland through Arbigland to Carsethorn with the intention of returning by bus.

There was a little bit of overhead passage as we walked along the beach (Meadow Pipits, Siskin and Redpoll sp.) but the walk produced very little really.

Inland from Gillfoot Bay near Southerness Point, October 2008.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Arbigland 22 October 2008.

Criffel from Gillfoot Bay, October 2008.

We waited patiently for the tit flocks to pass by en route to Carsethorn but failed once again in our quest for Yellow-browed Warbler, with Bullfinches and Goldcrests keeping us amused briefly. The "resident" Whimbrels were present at Carsethorn shore once again where there was a raft of 120 Scaup in the channels.

An afternoon visit to Mersehead was better than expected with a cracking male Hen Harrier and spectacular flights of wild geese including 500 or so Pink-feet as well as the expected thousands of Barnacles. A couple of wildfowlers (with dogs) using the car park at the RSPB reserve here to access the shore seemed a little bit of a contradiction to bird conservation theme here though.

A Short-eared Owl had been reported the previous evening at Carsethorn so we headed out to the Drumburn viewpoint to watch over the Nith saltings at dusk. No luck but a couple of Little Egrets made the trip worthwhile. A piece of rough grassland had caught Mrs B's eye as a promising site for birds of prey at South Carse so we headed down there. Suddenly the Short-eared Owl appeared quartering the field, at one time crossing the road virtually over the car. We even managed 'scope views of the SEO perched on a fence post before the light faded. A well-deserved D&G tick!

SOLWAY: Gretna Football Club R.I.P.

We've got a bit of a thing about Gretna. We married there and those few magic days are responsible for our affinity with Dumfries & Galloway. But it can't be said that we've been good for Gretna. A couple of years ago we thought it would be nice to drive up one Saturday and take in a footy game. Gretna FC were climbing high at the time on a fantastic run in the league with promotion to the top flight SPL in their sights. We bought tickets for the local derby against Queen of the South, they lost, crept over the finishing line to get promoted and then went bust! The Bushell curse had struck.......

Anyway, back to birding. Not too much to report on the way up to the Solway on 21st October but I spent loads of time searching through Golden Plovers between Gretna and Annan (probably 1500+) without much joy. Mrs B has captured the moment above and that's not my handbag to my left I promise. Nice day though with the most notable birds being a Greenshank and a couple of Whooper Swans at Redkirk Point, Kingfisher at Browhouses and 30+ Black-tailed Godwits at Seafield Bay, Annan.

By the time we reached Newbie the wind had really picked up to a very strong westerly but only 10 Scaup and a couple of immature Kittiwakes were on show.

SOLWAY: 17th - 19th October 2008.

Oh come on now, turn around!

I drove up to the Inner Solway on 17th stopping as usual on the shore at Lochmaben Stone and Redkirk Point. More birds there than ever this morning, shame many were just a little too far off. Plenty of Barnacles commuting from Rockliffe on the English side, 200+ Pink-feet (soon departing for their feeding ground to the east), several hundred Golden Plover, a good flock of 120+ Dunlin plus the usual Lapwing and single Little Grebe. A few Knot were out on the salt marsh but quality was provided by a pair of Ruff, single Curlew Sandpiper and a juv' Little Stint.

Mersehead RSPB, Dumfries & Galloway, October 2008.

Moving west Browhouses turned up little of note as the tide came in and a busy flock of Long-tailed Tits were accompanied by a couple of Goldcrests. I'm checking these for Yellow-browed Warblers - one day .......

The wader roost at Newbie was very disappointing with just a single Dunlin in with the 35 Ringed Plovers. Still a few Swallows around here, 2 Scaup flew east and 35+ Wigeon between Barnkirk Point and Annan.

Beach at Mersehead: Should have Snow Bunt's shouldn't it? It didn't.

18th October started wet and blustery so I opted for a drive down to Southerness Point and a bit of birding from the shelter of the car. Usual suspects at the point, but impressive numbers nevertheless: 500+ Oystercatchers, 300 Knot, 50+ Bar-tailed Godwits plus single Grey Plover and Whimbrel. Nothing on the move overhead but a few Rock Pipits flitting around near the lighthouse. Just inland I found a nice adult Med' Gull in a field with BHG's, so there are two Med's around as last weekend's bird was a first winter. Couldn't see if this one had a ring as like all the other gulls, it hankered down sheltering from the rain. At around 10 AM the rain stopped and the sun came out as I was checking Barnies just inland from the point. As if by magic 15 Redwings shot over. They must've been waiting for a spot of decent weather to move on.

Red Admiral, Mersehead RSPB 18 October 2008.

With clearer skies I decided that a walk was in order and headed to Mersehead. At least I can usually rely on a good walk uninterrupted by birds here! Not so. The expected large flocks of Barnies were pretty flighty but at least 30 Redwings were in the bushes on the way down to the beach. Stonechat, Goldfinch, Linnets and Yellowhammers kept me on my toes in hope of something better until I reached the beach. My dreams turned to Snow Bunting here but again no joy. Red Admirals were taking the last of the morning's sun, Water Rails squealed from the reeds and a male Merlin dashed over the wetland. I even managed the customary Hen Harrier dip as well. Two Common Redpolls in with Reed Buntings, Yellowhammers and Linnets in the track-side hedgerows were nice. Bit larger than Lessers, whiter, more obvious wing bars and a whitish patch at the top of the rump with little streaks all noted. They both flew off to the south after showing well for 10 minutes or so.



I noticed the tide was well up as I scoffed my sandwich for lunch in the caravan. About 80 Turnstones were congregating on the thin strip of beach on view as I downed a coffee before heading out again. Nowhere near the lighthouse for Purple Sand's as the tide had covered the rocks (see above) and little apart from a few more Turnstones and a Grey Plover on the rocks near Powillimount in Gillfoot Bay. Last stop (planned, at least) was the viewpoint at Drumburn, overlooking the Nith near Carsethorn. The saltings were dotted black and white by roosting Oystercatchers and about 500 Pintail fed just offshore. Further out there were a few Great-crested Grebes and Mergs but a few rafts of Scaup totalling 1200+ was my best count here by far.


This time last year (when we bought the caravan) we bumped into a Barn Owl on a few evenings, but not since. So it was really nice to bump into it (I presume it's the same one) just as Mrs B rang to say she'd arrived at the 'van (with food - no more packaged sandwiches!). Incredibly the Barn Owl flew towards me as I was on the phone in the car.

Finally got to the caravan to team up with Mrs B after spending half hour or so with the Barn Owl. We just managed a quick evening walk around the point before dark seeing 40+ Ringed Plovers and 55+ Dunlin on the beach along with 1500+ Barnacle Geese.

This morning I dashed down to the point first thing but there was little going on apart from a male Merlin that dashed over the golf course. Another Merlin, this time a female, was seen near Loaningfoot where we picked up several Redwings. Arriving at Carsethorn there was a steady southerly flow of these thrushes totalling about 160+ birds, 40+ Scaup (low tide) and 2 Swallows. By now the weather was crap so we drove round the Nith to Caerlaverock.

Mrs B was let loose with the camera, taking a few shots of the Cackling Canada Goose (above) and other pond life.

Mallards and drake Gadwall.

Wigeon, Caerlaverock WWT, 19th October 2008.

And the final entry in Mrs B's gallery: Whooper Swans and the Whooper Pond at Caerlaverock.

D&G 2008 = 190.

SOLWAY: Cackling Canada Goose 19 October 2008.

Guess the little critter deserves a post of its own. Couple of alerts on the phone over the weekend saying that a Cackling Canada Goose was present on the Whooper Pond at Caerlaverock "with Barnacle Geese" sounded interesting. We played it cool for once and called in to the Wetlands Trust reserve this afternoon on our way home.

Cackling Canada Goose with Greylag Goose, Mallards and er .... Wigeon. Caerlaverock 18 October 2008.

Fully expecting a pond full to the brim with Barnacles to look through we entered the observatory overlooking the Whooper Pond, grateful for the shelter from the howling wind and driving rain. No Barnacles, just a bunch of standard Canadas but the "Cackler" was on the bank roosting.

After a while it burst into action, shaking its head and then going back to sleep again. Eventually it got up, walked around a bit and started feeding causing a commotion in the hide as the assembled photographers attempted to get photos of the right bird this time. Oh the excitement of it all.

Cackling Canada Goose with Wigeon, Caerlaverock 19 October 2008.

Tiny goose (compare with Wigeons and Mallards) with a dark breast it was quite easy to pick out but would've looked nicer amongst a flock of Barnacles I reckon. Similar to the one (or the same?) we saw at Redkirk Point last week showing a neat, sharp white collar.

With these close views the small bill could be noted and as it fed I noticed that this individual lacks a black "chin-strap" (see below).

Quite different to the "Cackler" at Fairhaven Lake in Lancs I photographed last July lacking a crisp white collar but exhibiting a thin black chin-strap. Quite variable, obviously.

Cackling Canada Goose, Fairhaven Lake, Lancs July 2008.

LANCS: Ruddy Shelduck, 12 October 2008.

Sunday morning again and after a quick bowl of Credit Crunch I drove south of the Ribble. Time to share hides with the eminent birders Karl Zerhyse, Nick Hon and Sir Robsky: Martin Mere WWT was heaving with birds again today, mainly Pink-footed Geese. The mere was "infested" with the blighters this morning, honking and tussling, sometimes fleeing from scrapping Whooper Swans.

No sign of yesterday's Pectoral Sandpiper but the Ruddy Shelduck was certainly easy to see in front of the Swanlink Hide on the mere.

Female Ruddy Shelduck with Pink-footed Geese, Martin Mere 12 October 2008.

Now I think that quackers get a pretty raw deal and I spend many winter hours looking through rafts of wildfowl but I still can't get too excited about these things to be honest. Very nice in the Autumn morning sunshine though. Apart from the Ruddy Shelduck, the Pinks and a few Whoopers there were a few Pochard, a couple of Ruddy Duck and a handful of Ruff on the mere.

Male and female / imm' Marsh Harrier pestering birds from the Ron Barker Hide, where I spent a fair bit of time hoping for the Pec' to materialise. Just a Dunlin, single Golden Plover, 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 20+ Snipe and several Ruff on show though. A nice pair of Stonechats on the fence plus a Kingfisher from the United Utilities Hide were the only small stuff of note.