SOLWAY: Local Patch?

Bit blustery on the Solway: Brow Well (above) and Powfoot (below).

Some of the 220+ Whooper Swans at Ruthwell 27 March 2009.

Water O'Ken, Dumfries & Galloway 29 March 2009.

The Inner Solway was unusually quiet during our recent trip with little to report between Browhouses and Powfoot. Even a seawatch at Newbie was practically bird less apart from half-a-dozen Gannets and a diver sp. heading rapidly east at quite a height. Powfoot at high tide didn't even have a single Scaup!
Stopping off at Ruthwell on the way to Caerlaverock Mrs B. counted 208 Whooper Swans there before reaching the WWT grounds. Yes, it's that time of year again when you dare not pass Caerlaverock without dropping in "just in case". Plenty of Barnacle Geese (4,000+) on view from the Farmhouse Tower with single Pale-bellied Brent Goose with them. The Black-tailed Godwits (11) were still on Folly Pond with a Tree Sparrow on the feeders. At least 165 Golden Plovers on the merse with single Grey Plover on the mudflats beyond.
On 28th we spent the day touring the lochs but saw very little. Loch Arthur near Beeswing had 100+ Sand Martins and the female Scaup at Carlingwark Loch near Castle Douglas was still present. The following day we headed north towards New Galloway taking in the two drake Scaups at Kendoon Loch nearby. A trip to Water O'Ken was largely unproductive but very spectacular (see photo above).

Bruaich Hide, Mersehead RSPB, Dumfries & Galloway.

Looking across the wetland from the Bruaich Hide, Mersehead RSPB.

Great Black-Backed Gulls and Herring Gulls (looking towards the Meida Hide), Mersehead RSPB.

Barnacle Goose dusk flight, Mersehead RSPB 29 March 2009.

After a break at the caravan we headed back out to the local RSPB reserve at Mersehead. It was very pleasing to find Green Sandpiper on the visitor centre wetland, particularly as we missed this bird in D&G last year. Brief views of a female Hen Harrier over the wetland and a strange drake Gadwall x Pintail hybrid were the highlights. A female Goosander here was probably the one we saw a couple of days previously in the channels.

So, why the "Local Patch" title then. Well if we win the lottery Mrs B. has her eye on a property (below). We can all dream can't we?

Two thousand Barnacle Geese from the window, plus this Barn Owl hunting along the road - nice.