Things are still feeling quite positive (though not TOO positive thankfully) and the mania scare seems to have dissipated for now at least. I keep having to remind my self to take things a day at a time. So I’m enjoying feeling positive right now.
Today promised to be a good day and it didn’t disappoint! My good friend and fellow birder, Chris, arrived at my home at 0830hrs and we set off for a days birding, something we used to do regularly before I stopped birding around ten years ago.
We decided to start the day at Wedholme Flow (part of the South Solway Mosses National Nature Reserve). Wedholme Flow is a restored lowland raised bog. The network of pools provided good habitat for a variety of ducks, geese and shorebirds.
During the walk from the car park to the first pool we observed Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Goldfinch, Cuckoo and European Stonechat amongst the commoner species present. The pools were reasonably productive with highlights being Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Teal, Gadwall, Lapwings, two Wood Sandpipers, Common Snipe, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwits. Our first Common Swifts of the year was a nice bonus as was the several singing Reed Buntings. The Wood Sandpipers were a particular highlight, it’s been a very long time since I last saw this charismatic species.
Not my best phone-scoping efforts today, but I know what I need to correct for next time…
We finished the days birding along the Solway from Campfield Marsh to Port Carlisle. The highlights here were Little Egret, Dunlin, Tundra Ringed Plover and a beautiful Whimbrel and an impressive flock of over 150 Kittiwakes drifting on the tide.
It had been a fantastic day out around the Solway coast, it was so nice to be back birding with Chris again.
