Some Solway Shorebirds... - That Tristan Reid

This morning Shannon and I decided to explore the inner Solway Firth, starting at Campfield Marsh RSPB reserve. The reserve was busy with warblers, with Sedge Warblers, Willow Warblers, Common Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Garden Warblers all recorded as we made our way around the reserve. It was great to see Avocets, Osprey and a Marsh Harrier as well as several Little Egrets. We also saw several Grey Herons dotted around the reserve. Reed Bunting and Eurasian Skylark We’re singing across some of the open grassland.

We fought our way through the ‘jungle’ to get ourselves to the end of Bowness Viaduct. There were reasonable numbers of Eurasian Oystercatchers and Dunlin feeding on the mud, but the star birds were two smart looking Bar-tailed Godwits. This was a new bird (lifer) for Shannon, so a double bonus!

After a lot of walking, we were pleased to sit ourselves down on a bench at Bowness Railings and scanning the shoreline to see what we could find.

Oystercatcher facing left, stood on a rock with flowing water behind. Its black head, breast and back with white underside contrasting with bright orange bill, eyering and legs. — European Oystercatcher

The tide was still quite low, so I was surprised how many shorebirds there were feeding and roosting along the stony shoreline. I counted seventy-three Ringed Plovers amongst thirty-seven Dunlin.

A candidate Tundra Ringed Plover stood near a small pool surrounded by mud. The plover is slightly to the left of center in the image. The Ringed Plover is facing left, showing its brown head, breast band and back contrasting with the white belly, throat and forehead. The bill is orange with a black tip, the legs are also orange. The bird is facing slightly forwards, but at an angle that allows you to see its fresh primaries. — Tundra-type Ringed Plover

A candidate Tundra Ringed Plover stood in a small pool surrounded by mud. The plover is slightly to the left of center in the image. The Ringed Plover is face on showing its dark head and breast band contrasting with the white belly, throat and forehead. The bill is orange with a black tip, the legs are also orange. — Tundra-type Ringed Plover

All of the Ringed Plovers that I looked at in detail seemed to be Tundra-types, I suspect it is likely that they all were. The Dunlin all seemed to be Southern Dunlin Calidris alpina schinzii, though I need to study these more to be certain.

A summer plumaged dunlin in the center of the image, stood on mud close to the shoreline. In the foreground and to the right is a candidate Tundra Ringed Plover looking towards the Dunlin — Dunlin and Ringed Plover

A summer plumaged Dunlin in the center of the image, facing left, close to the muddy shoreline. Its long black bill is slightly open as it grips a small item of food. — Dunlin

A summer plumaged Dunlin in the center of the image, facing right, close to the shoreline. — Dunlin

As I scanned through the shorebirds I was quite pleased to locate a small group of four Sanderling. They looked very smart progressing into there breeding plumage. What’s more is that Sanderling was Shannon’s second lifer of the day!