Shelduck, Willow Warbler, Sandpiper.

A bit of a disappointing weekend of wandering really, It started off Saturday when I made my way up to the Solway estuary and RSPB Campfield Marsh. There had been reports of  a Spoonbill on the salt marsh pool, and I had seen some good photos that one lucky person had taken. It had been seen at 7-30 Saturday morning, I was up there by 8-30 and not a sign. I scanned all the estuary from the pool area nothing, no Spoonbill, not even a knif&fork bill, nothing.

I decided to have a walk along the track from North plain farm up to the hide, a bit of a trek in itself, but the sun was shinning and fairly warm when out of the wind. On the trek up I got another year tic in the form of Sedge Warbler, there was quite a few singing with an occasional appearance but not long enough for a pic. The Willow Warbler above on the other hand was quite happy to perch out in the sun and sing his little head off.
        I was carrying all my gear with me so was a little disgruntled on arriving at the hide to find no Spoonbill, just a few Black-headed Gulls which look to be nesting there, they seem to be getting everywhere these days. So I slogged it back to the car, as I was doing so a few Shelduck flew across the track and landed on a flooded area in a field and started to display.

Displaying Shelduck

Its the first time I've seen Shelduck displaying.

I kept checking the estuary-river as I drove past Cardurnock and Anthorn but there was nothing doing, so headed home .
       Sunday I headed for Geltsdale in the hope of Ring Ouzel, but although I heard them a couple of times they were at a great distance and out of view, and the same with Cuckoo, this was the first one I have heard this year.
           On my way home I stopped off to check out a shingle bed on the River Eden, and found Oystercatcher digging for worms on the far bank, and yet another Common Sandpiper on the shingle.

Common Sandpiper.

So all in all a fair amount of diesel consumed and very little to show for it.