TOUR REPORT
DAY ONE
We met at the Hotel at 12noon and headed straight off to cover the English side of the Inner Solway. Our first stop was near Port Carlisle, and we managed to see Wigeon, Teal, Goosanders, Grey Heron, Redshank and GBB Gulls. We headed further west towards Anthorn and got a nice group of Barnacle Geese in the roadside fields and also some Golden Plover, Lapwing and Starling whilst peering through the hedgerows!
Small birds at the feeders included Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch and Blackbird.
After lunch, we headed down to the hide at Campfield Marsh to give it a good stint! Species included Buzzard, Kestrel, Little Egrets, Roe Deer, Mallard, Wigeon, Carrion Crow, Starlings and Stonechat. Sadly no Harriers were seen going to roost which may well have been due to very bright clear conditions into dusk, meaning they were staying out longer. Also, a windless afternoon often causes the raptors to fly a lot less often and alter their hunting techniques to be more efficient.
DAY TWO
After breakfast at the hotel, we headed north across the border. The first stop was Lockerbie. A short walk down to the reserve and the first encounter was Hair ice - A rare type of ice that forms on dead wood and looks like fine, silky hair or candy floss. We enjoyed the Nuthatches at the feeders and Jays in the woods before Dennis spotted a female Kingfisher on the lochan. 2 Crossbills then appeared on the nearby Birch. Coal Tits and Treecreeper also recorded but no Red Squirrels sadly. The warden said that it had been a poor year for them. A very fragmented habitat and encroaching Grey Squirrels continue to put pressure on our native Reds.
We carried on north towards the hills of Moffat and did a short walk, up a glen. Carrion Crows were seen above the hills. The neighbouring glen was next. We enjoyed all the rewilding examples, with vegetation recovery visible across the glen. Next was a large waterfall, the fourth largest in Scotland. We had lunch alongside a reservoir and then did an afternoon walk at another rewilding site. We had fabulous views of a male Dipper displaying to the nearby female, and enjoyed more examples of nature recovery on the hills all around us. No sign of Golden Eagles unfortunately as the windless conditions forecast all week will prove to be tricky to spot any raptors up on the wing.
DAY THREE
We headed south today and the first location was a country park near Kendal. No sign of Hawfinches, so carried on south towards a wetland reserve. We covered the eastern side of the reserve first of all and got great views of a pair of Bearded Tits at the grit tray. Shortly afterwards we saw an Otter from the causeway hide along with Gadwell, Pintail and Shoveler. A female Harsh Harrier was also seen flying over the reeds.
After lunch, we headed to the estuary and managed to see a distant Merlin along with Great-white Egret and a Kingfisher. Dunlin and Snipe were also seen.
It was then back to the reserve to check for any other species before dusk. We had fantastic views of wildfowl really close to the hide. Teal, Shoveler, Pintail and Snipe metres from us! Multiple Marsh Harriers were quartering back and forward just further out, and a few of the group watched an Otter from the tower hide. Little Grebe, Coot and Moorhen were other species seen. Some nice ‘clouds’ of Starlings passed through but heard easterly and were not roosting on the reserve.
DAY FOUR
It was back over the border as we headed to a wetland reserve on the Inner Solway. We headed to one of the main tower hides and saw a distant Merlin and Peregrine perched up out on the mudflats. Barnacle Geese, Roe Deer, Little Egrets and a Buzzard were also seen.
We ventured to the other main hide and had Wigeon and Teal but nothing else of note. Yellowhammers were lovely to see on our route back, and then we checked out the wed woodland hide and got 2 Water Rails and lots of Tree Sparrows. We attended the swan feeding session with the ranger and enjoyed close views of the local wildfowl, including the Whooper Swans.
Lunch at the centre and then headed to Rockcliffe Marsh where we had distant views of Barnacle Geese, including a Leucitic individual.
DAY FIVE
It was an early start to head unto the northern pennine moors. We arrived before sunrise and got in position to view a Black Grouse lek consisting of 14 birds. Red Grouse were heard calling and Roe Deer were out on the moors.
We headed to Lanercost for hot drinks and then travelled easterly, viewing sections of Hadrian’s wall. We then drove unto the Northumberland moors for a scan and managed to see a female Red Grouse.
It was back to Wetheral for lunch alongside the river Eden where we saw a Kingfisher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail.
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