Lots and Lots of Flocks! Bird Report for 20/01/20 - 26/01/20

This week really got off to an explosive start with almost 60 species recorded in a single day. Following on from that we've seen fantastic numbers of birds gathering on the loch and had several new species added to this years list. 

All across the loch you can see many varieties of ducks in numbers as few as lone birds, up to flocks of hundreds strong. However this week they really have been congregating, as just in our small part of Loch Ryan we've seen some substantial flocks on a daily basis. Including their highest recorded count, this list contains; Common Scoter (301), Eider (350), Wigeon (182) and Goldeneye (89). This extends to larger ducks as well, with over 30 Shelduck being seen at Bishop burn on edge of Stranraer. With such large numbers it is easy to overlook a duck or two, but we also managed to find a Velvet Scoter in amongst all the feathers! 

Common Scoter take off from Loch Ryan

Geese are bigger than ducks, so it only seems right that their counts this week were bigger as well. Sole Pink-footed Geese are often seen around the Wig, but this week flocks exceeding 1000 geese were seen flying overhead. There were also some new geese on the block this week, as a group of Canada's were seen at Loch Connell and a pair of Greylag Geese on the Scar. I think I've mentioned the Pale-bellied Brent's every week so far and to no surprise they're still around.  Last week we had the Dark-bellied Brent (who still lurks among them), but this week we observed up to 40 immature birds scattered throughout the flock. This included one adult pair with 6 juveniles, an impressive brood indeed!

And the counts don't stop there, all around the Wig we've seen large numbers across a variety of species. From 60 Shags on the Scar to 182 Teal at Loch Connell, a flock of 150 Common Gulls and over 50 House Sparrows in our garden. As many as 20 Black Guillemots in a day, over 90 Jackdaws in a tree, 29 Slavonian Grebes and almost 200 Oystercatcher on the scar. Many of these are regular sightings for us, but it is encouraging and exhilarating to see birds in such high numbers, albeit a slight nuisance when it comes to having to counting them all. 

A Shag fishing in Loch Ryan

Normally I tend to work my way through the different families of birds, but I've kind of lost that track so I'll continue off course and mention some of our more unusual sighting this week. On the loch itself we've maintained a decent number of Great-Northern Divers (up to 7), alongside a couple of Black-Throated Divers. There was a lone Razorbill, and on the beach this week we've had both Knot and Greenshank. Heading up into the woods and we got some new species for this month. I managed to see my first Treecreeper of the year, but unfortunately missed out on the Siskin's and Snipe. Despite having a resident population this week was also our first sighting for Nuthatches, with a pair spotted on the edge of Corsewall Estate alongside a Great Spotted Woodpecker. 

The woods that run through the Estate harbour more than just birds, they're also a great spot for deer. This weeks mammal count includes a male and female Roe Deer and out on the loch (or rather in it) we've had both Grey and Common Seals. Finally, whilst they're not the first of the year, there is now a great number of snowdrops out in bloom around the Estate bringing a drop of colour to the woodland. 

Snowdrops on Corsewall Estate

This has definitely been our busiest week and hopefully that's only a sign of things to come. As always please feel free to let us know what you have been seeing around the loch and we'll be back next week with another bird-packed blog post!

[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

There's no such thing as a Seagull! A Gull Identification Guide

This week I thought I would take a look at some birds I'm sure we are all familiar with, Gulls. Whilst Loch Ryan is on the coast, and therefore gets a lot of gulls, they have become so widespread that even living out in the country or in a city poses no barrier to seeing them (as a resident of Glasgow for several years, I can attest that they get plenty of Gull species). For a lot of us though we may often just dismiss them, "oh its just a seagull", or for others it can be a genuine struggle to separate the many species. Hopefully I'll be able to pass on some tips to get you confident in your Gulls and encourage you to give them more than a passing glance, after all you never know what you might see. 

On Loch Ryan we have recorded 17 different species of Gulls, however I'd like to focus on 6 of our more common species and then perhaps discuss some rarities for each section. For the most part I will be discussing these species in their adult plumage's, since this is the most distinctive and easiest to identify them by (and I profess, even I struggle when it comes to different age juveniles), I will however mention moults and aging birds at the end. 

Sketch of various Gulls and Seabirds

Starting with the smaller Gulls, we will consider Black-Head Gulls, Common Gulls and Kittiwakes. The first of these is a little bit of a misnomer, since its head is in fact dark brown and this is only during its summer plumage's. During winter I identify them by their smaller size and distinctive red bill. Common Gulls by contrast have yellow bills and whilst slightly larger, are still noticeably smaller than Herring Gulls and so can be separated based on their smaller, more rounded heads and dark eyes. Unlike the rest of these gulls Kittiwakes are more adapted to seagoing and so are rarely seen far from coastal areas. Initially they do appear to be very similar to Common Gulls, however they have distinctive pure black wing tips, whereas a Common Gull has patches of white dispersed among the black. And on the subject of wing tips, its worth mentioning a semi-rarity in Mediterranean Gulls. These look very much like, and are often found among groups of Black-Headed Gulls. Whereas the Black-Headed Gulls have black markings on the wing tips and tail, Mediterranean Gull's are pure white and so a quick glance at the rear will help identify them. 

Moving into the larger gulls, I want to look at Herring Gulls and Lesser and Great Black-Backed Gulls. Herring Gulls are our most prolific gull, indeed they're widespread across the country and are probably the one species we all know, they are the stereotypical "gull" to the public. If you see a large gull with a yellow bill and grey back, then the safe bet is its a Herring Gull. Lesser Black-Backed Gulls also fit this description, however have noticeably much darker grey backs. If like me, you see a solitary bird, then you could well ask "is that grey actually dark enough?" however a comparison with a Herring Gull should show the distinctive difference in shade. Great Black-Backed Gulls are perhaps the easiest to identify, for they are truly massive amongst these other gulls and rather than grey their back is unmistakably black. They also have pink legs compared to the yellow of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls.

Lesser Black-Backed Gull (left) with a Herring Gull (right)

It is when looking at some rarer species that the difficulty arises, as many species are extremely similar to the Herring Gull (and so can easily go unnoticed). For us, these are the rare Yellow-Legged Gulls. Yellow-Legged Gulls are (to my eyes at least) identical to Herring Gulls, other than their named characteristic. But wait, if looking like Herring Gulls wasn't enough, Herring Gulls can also have yellow legs (a Baltic variation that have been recorded locally). And to top it all off, another species, the Caspian Gull, also fits under this exact description. Really there is no one distinctive feature that separates all of these species, it comes down a good understanding of the many subtle differences and a practiced eye (so neither of mine!). Its not all bad news though, if you do spot a gull with yellow legs, try to get a picture, if possible with another gull in for comparison. A lot of the differences become more obvious with a static image and whilst its easy convince yourself of something in the field, a picture provides hard evidence off which to base your identification.

And finally, I have to mention moults. All of these aforementioned gulls have been in their adult plumage, but many species need 2, 3 or even 5 years to reach adulthood. This can lead to a huge variety of juvenile plumage's which between similar sized species can lead to even more confusion. Much like the rarities, this really is where you need an experienced eye to decipher the mix of streaks, patches and many shades of grey. Fortunately, Loch Ryan is a great place to practice and in the winter we get all stages of immature's for the common species I've mentioned. 

The moult of gulls - taken from Collins Bird Guide

And that about wraps it up for Gulls. Despite their national commonality, there is a complexity to gulls that can stump even the most experienced birder. As for Seagulls, the Latin name for the Great Black-Backed Gull is Larus marinus, which translated and taken together means sea gull. So maybe seagulls do exist after all...

 (All pictures belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them)

Rain, Rain Go Away! Bird Report for 13/01/20 - 19/01/20

I'm sure I started last weeks blog with a comment about the weather but if you'd believe it possible, its been even more atrocious this week with it raining almost daily and wind speeds reaching 70mph at one point. Weather like this is a bit of a double edged sword. On one hand stormy weather is likely to blow birds in from the Atlantic as they shelter it out on the loch. The only problem being that we can't get out to go see them! Despite all this, we were still able to get some new and interesting records for the week.

Starting with geese, we had the usual compliment of around 180 Pale-bellied Brent's (PB) feeding in the fields. However, among them was a Dark-bellied Brent Goose (DB) which is more unusual to see We regularly see PB's as they come across from Canada to winter in Ireland and along the West Coast. DB's however come from Russia and normally winter in lowland European countries, or eastern England. It may just have been luck that brought them into contact, but now that they've found each other it looks like the DB will stay with the PB's until they return to their summer breeding grounds. Certainly we have been seeing the DB on and off for a few weeks now, so it is very likely the same bird that is hanging around.  Like the saying goes, birds of a feather...

Pale-Bellied (left) and Dark-Bellied (right) Brent Geese - Loch Ryan

Speaking of birds wintering, the Long-Tailed Ducks are still present on the Loch in good numbers for our area. Alongside them are regular counts of Eider, Scaup and Shelduck, with Mallards and Teal being seen on the nearby Loch Connell.

Last week we had the unexpected Tree Sparrows visit our garden and I'm happy to say that they were seen again. Indeed many of our records this week were from our garden (I can birdwatch from the table without having to get wet) including House Sparrows, Dunnocks, Chaffinches, Starlings, Blue and Great Tits, and even a few Goldfinches. Looking to the beaches there were no shortage of small birds there either, with Pied Wagtail, Twite and Rock Pipit all recorded.

Scuttling along the beach were also waders, and as usual we got a good diversity. Oystercatchers, Turnstones and Curlew were seen regularly and during a coastal walk back from Stranraer there were also good numbers of Redshank (16), Dunlin (60+) and Bar-Tailed Godwits (18). We also had our first Lapwing, which are relatively uncommon round here, especially in the winter.

Lapwing - On the margins around Loch Connell

If I had to sum up this week in a colour, it would be red (then grey - for an overcast sky) with this colour featuring heavily on many birds this week. The Red-breasted Mergansers were out in force, seen every day in counts as high as 73. Red-Throated Divers were present in good numbers (with the Great Nothern Divers also recorded, along with a solitary Black-throated Diver) and our rarity for this week, a Red-necked Grebe. These are very similar to Slavonian Grebes (which are still regular sights on the loch) however, and can be distinguished by their slightly larger size and their yellow base to the bill.

Slavonian Grebe - note the uniform bill colour

As per usual I'm running out of words without having listed all of the species seen, however  I couldn't finish this without mentioning our mammal highlight for this week, Bottlenose Dolphins! Seemingly just swimming into the loch whenever they feel like, they are an unusual occurrence but one we are always happy to see.  And now I really have reached end this time. As always I hope you enjoyed this weekly report and please let me know what you have all been seeing this week. 

(All records and photo's submitted by Stephen Grover, please ask for permission to use them)

A Garden of Delights: Bird Report for 06/01/20 - 12/01/20

Despite some less than ideal weather this week we've had some great records and counts, seeing almost 80 different species across the week!

We started off with a count of over 100 Twite, fantastic numbers for this time of year. A similar number of Scaup were recorded on Monday, and a few have been present on the loch all week. Continuing with the ducks, there have been high numbers of Common Scoter seen every day, with the highest count being 183. These are only as seen from the Wig, and so from other locations around Loch Ryan you may see even higher counts of some species.  Other ducks include regular sightings of Eider, Red-Breasted Mergansers, Goldeneye and an especially high count of Long-Tailed Ducks, with up to 16 birds being seen in the one day. This is a great time to get out and see them whilst they winter here.

 Long-Tailed Ducks - Loch Ryan

Alongside the ducks there is also a great selection of divers and grebes out there. Both Great-Crested and Slavonian Grebes were recorded, with as many as 11 Slavonian Grebes seen in one day. Diver numbers are even better, as Red-Throated Divers were recorded every day with counts as high as 17 individuals. This week there was even 1 Black-Throated Diver, as well as a high record of 5 Great-Northern Divers. 

I can't mention birds on the loch without acknowledging the gulls. This week has seen our usual repertoire of species, including Black-Headed, Common (with one flock of over 250 birds), Herring and Great Black-Backed Gulls. Amongst all of these we also had a rarity, with a Yellow-Legged Gull sighted on the Scar this Wednesday. 

Moving off the loch and onto the beach, its been a good week for waders. Alongside staples such as Oystercatcher, Turnstone and Curlew (with one count of over 200 Curlews) there were also 5 Grey Plover seen on the Scar. Soleburn really was the place for waders this week however, as it had high numbers of Knot, as well as records of a Greenshank on 2 separate days. It was just past Soleburn and the caravan park that we had a record of a Barn Owl one evening as well. 

The largest average count of the week goes to the Pale-Bellied Brent Geese, with daily counts from 70-208 being recorded grazing in the fields behind the beach. These often loaf around on the Scar before taking off and landing in the fields to feed. They aren't the only geese about however, as Pink-Footed geese were regularly seen (and heard) as they fly overhead.

Brent Geese grazing in the fields off Loch Ryan

The first signs of spring passage have begun to appear, with the record of a Gannet, which do not normally start to appear till February. However the Fieldfare and Redwing are yet to leave with small flocks of both seen. In a rare turn of events we had more Mistle Thrushes than Song Thrushes this week, perhaps a sign that they are starting to bounce back.

And of course alongside these we had our regular and common species. Including; Blackbirds, Starlings, House Sparrows, Carrion Crows (including a Hooded Crow Hybrid), Dunnocks, Pied Wagtails and Wood Pigeons. There are too many to list them all, but even such regular birds are good to see as its proof that they are not in decline and whilst common to us some are still nationally threatened.

Perhaps our most exciting records however have come from our own garden. A Brambling was certainly exciting enough, but then we had a pair of Tree Sparrows as well! Tree Sparrows are semi-annual visitors, however we don't normally see them this early in the year. And to top it all off, both species were seen again later in the week. As we live in the village of Kirkcolm, its possible that they're both still about and are touring the local gardens for feeders. Red Millet is a particular favourite of Tree Sparrows, so put some out and you might get lucky!. 

Tree Sparrows (left - identifiable by their complete brown caps and cheek spots) and a House Sparrow (right)

And that about wraps it up for this week. We've already had loads of firsts for this year, and of course there are plenty more records that I couldn't squeeze into this blog. If anyone is interested in the full records seen this week please let me know and I will endeavour to find a way to include our spreadsheet of records.

(All records and photo's submitted by Stephen Grover, please ask if you wish to use them)

A Good Place to Wander - The Wig

It would be wrong to be writing a blog focused around the Wig without properly introducing where that is. Whilst locals might know it well, the Wig is only a small part of Loch Ryan, just a short distance outside the village of Kirkcolm. It comprises of a two mile circuit that passes through a variety of habitats and in the past decade has had over 230 different bird and 30 mammal species recorded.

Loch Ryan and the Wig - taken from the Stranraer and the Rhins OS Map

Starting in the car, park you are immediately able to look out over Loch Ryan and on a good day (with a decent telescope) you can see life on the shores of Stranraer. As a sea-loch this is a fantastic habitat for all sorts of seabirds and you can see innumerable waders, gulls, divers and ducks - and that's only just the beginning.

Following the track, you walk alongside the beach and when the tide is out you can look over the great expanse of the mudflats. This is ideal for seeing waders, you can almost guarantee seeing Oystercatchers, Redshank and Curlew. Amongst these, smaller waders run about and occasionally we get some rarities such as American Golden Plover and Semipalmated Sandpiper. Further up the beach in the shingle and shrubbery is a great place to see glimpses LBJ's (little brown jobs) and is good for Rock Pipits and Stonechats.

To the other side of the path lie the remnants of what was an old WW2 airfield. Once the site of the Short Sunderlands, it is now just farm land. Due to their regular presence there we affectionately call some of these fields the Swan Fields. Swans aren't the only grazers, however, as alongside them (and the cows!) the winter Brent Geese can often been seen lifting up from the Scar and then landing in the fields to feed. Not all birds are so large and obvious though, for above the field Twites, Linnets and Skylarks flit with wild abandon.

 

The Scar and Mudflats as seen from the Wig car park

The track follows the beach until it reaches the spit that sticks back out into the loch: the Scar. Depending on the state of the tide this can be almost a kilometre long and is a great congregation point for all sorts of seabirds. Gulls of all kinds roost on the scar, including Herring, Common, Black-headed and Lesser and Greater Black-Backed. It is always good to go through all the gulls because among them you may find Mediterranean, Yellow-Legged or even Caspian Gulls. Cormorants and Shags can often be seen sunning themselves on the sand meanwhile, in the grass anything can be hiding, such as the recently seen Snow Bunting.

Once past the Scar you turn towards the mouth of the loch and follow the beach northwards. This is another great spots for waders and when the tide is in you can get great views of Ringed Plovers, Turnstones, Dunlins and Sanderlings.  Eventually the path bears left and you pass by a pool ("Fisher's Lane pool") created by a small stream as it reaches the ocean. This can be a good spot for Dragonflies in the summer but it has also been the sight of a Water Rail on occasion. To the right of the path there is a small stretch of marsh that may sometimes hide a Snipe.

Just past this and you enter a short stretch of woodland. This runs up until the bottom of  Kirkcolm village, where it expands out over the Corsewall Estate. Whilst only a short part of the circuit, its still great for seeing things like Long-tailed Tits, Goldcrests and occasionally Yellow-Browed Warblers. 

The Scar to the bottom of Fisher's Lane - as seen from Corsewall Estate

The final leg of the pathway is Fisher's Lane: a road that connects back into the village. You can look out over the Swan Fields from the other side and in the summer it is a great spot to see feeding Swallows and House Martins. Recently, a small path was added that runs along the edge of the Corsewall Estate following the small stream that creates the Fisher's Lane pool. It’s a nice alternative to the road and has even had unique species such as a Dipper in the winter. From there, you meet back up with the road and can follow it back to the car park, or as we do, up into the village and home. 

All of these species mentioned are just a taster of what can be seen around the Wig. From seasonal migrants passing through to the lost seabirds blown in by a strong wind, there is always something new and exciting to see. I hope that this given you a good idea of what the Wig is like and I'll be back with another post shortly to unveil what we've been seeing this week!

(All photographs taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.)

Starting the List - A Welcome to the Blog

Hello and welcome to the start of our Loch Ryan birding blog, A Wander Round the Wig! It is my hope that through this blog I'll be able to share my love for wildlife and provide an account of what you can see on and around Loch Ryan throughout the year.

Before I dive into the more exciting details of what I've got planned for this blog, a little bit about me. To the majority who probably don't know me, my name is Benjamin Grover and I was lucky enough to be brought up in a family with a passion for the natural world. With both my parents being keen birders it was only natural that my sister and I would get hooked as well, and so I've been bird watching longer than I can accurately remember. I wouldn't call myself the most proficient birder, I've got other members of the family to fill that role! However, I do like to think that I am the most outgoing member of the family (certainly the most technologically adept which is a benefit in this area) and so it seems only fitting that I should share our experiences through this medium. Living near the shores of Loch Ryan has been the perfect to place to grow up with an interest in the environment, and now that I appreciate the fantastic diversity of species that we get year round here, I thought it was time to share it with all you fellow enthusiasts out there. 

I'd like to think I was looking at Choughs here - Uwchmynydd in Wales

Thriving in his retirement, my father goes out bird watching on a daily basis. Indeed, if you've ever been down to the Wig you may well have seen him with his tripod and telescope as he makes his routine wander along the beach. Between our stints at University my sister and I may often accompany him, but wherever we are we're always paying attention to everything which flies above or flits from the hedge. Even if the weather isn't the best (as it often is in these parts) living on the village hill gives us a perfect look-out on the upstairs landing, through which we can gaze out over the Loch and observe from the comfort of home. Therefore, between all of us we compile a lot of records of species seen around Loch Ryan. Some of these find their way to the county recorder, so perhaps you'll have seen a record or 2 submitted by us in the annual reports. As I've come to learn though, there is always something interesting to see day by day and so the premise for this blog was born. 

It is my hope that this blog will provide a weekly report for the sightings on Loch Ryan around the year. I'll be including not only the rare and unusual sightings, but also our more regular species, as well as counts and locations if you want to look for them yourselves. Often I see people asking "What is in the area right now?" and I hope that this blog will able to give people the most up to date report on such sightings. Whether you're a local who would like to know when the Long-Tailed Ducks arrive, or someone who is visiting the area and has a wish-list of species to see, I hope that this blog will be able to provide meaningful information for all. 

Ailsa Craig as seen through the mouth of  Loch Ryan

Alongside these weekly species reports, I also wish to put out another article focusing on wildlife as a broader topic. These could be anything; bird identification tips, looking at local plant life, great spots for outings or even an in-depth guide to a particular species. I have a couple of ideas of what I'm going to include in this section, but any suggestions for what you would like to see are greatly appreciated. I aim to have these out on a weekly/biweekly basis, but forgive me if I'm a bit slow to start with, this is my first time writing a blog after all!

And so I think that wraps it up for the welcome post. If all goes to plan then by the time this goes up there will also be a second article up, with yet another hot on its heels! I hope that you look forward to seeing what records we have had this week, and if you've had any records of your own we'd love to hear from you!

(All pictures taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them)