One of Britain’s last true wilderness areas – the awesome Solway estuary – comes under the spotlight in the latest addition to the Best Birdwatching Sites stable.
Author John Miles, a former RSPB reserve warden at Geltsdale, knows the region intimately and provides detailed reports on coastal sites in both Cumbria and Dumfries & Galloway, but also roams inland to cover the key wildlife watching sites in both counties.
Huge numbers of wild geese, swans, ducks and waders flood into the area each winter, but John also highlights the best places for seawatching and observing four species of skuas in spring and autumn. In all, 378 species are covered.
Naturally, the well known sites such as Caerlaverock, South Walney and the Golden Eagle watchpoint at Haweswater are included, but John’s in-depth knowledge of both sides of the Solway means that many lesser known locations are also featured.
This is a book that will appeal to walkers and birdwatchers alike. The Cumbria chapters cover 76 sites of which 54 contain walk routes (22 circular). On the Scottish side, 84 sites are covered with 49 of them offering walk routes (22 circular).
Other features are:
Birding tips and background information for all sites.
A combined checklist of birds for both counties.
A month-by-month birding guide.
Advice on seawatching.
Wheelchair access and public transport advice for each site.
Useful contacts.
