Analysing the Aerial Acrobats: A Swallow and Martin Identification Guide

Whilst spring brings an enormous variety of migrants, perhaps the most iconic is the Swallow. Swallows and Martins arrive at our doors having travelled thousands of miles from their wintering grounds. Here to breed, they will soon be filling the skies with their acrobatic and elegant swoops and dives. In the UK we have 3 regular species of Swallows and Martins, all of which can be found here within Dumfries and Galloway. Sitting next to each other they might be easy enough to identify, however in the high-speed pursuit of insects they can be a lot tougher to pick out. In this article, I hope to provide a beginner's guide to identifying Martins, with some tips and tricks to picking our common species apart, as well as some other similar species. 

Swallows are much easier to identify when stationary!

Swallows (technically Barn Swallows but I've never heard anyone use that) are the most well-known of the family, and probably the easiest to identify. Slightly larger than Chaffinches, they have a distinctive dark blue back, white undersides and if you're close enough to see it, a deep red face. These can be very hard to pick out when on the wing however, especially when flying low and fast, mixed amongst other Swallows and Martins. Here, its most key feature is its long streaming tail feathers, which fork out and extend for a very noticeable 3 - 6 cm. Adult males will have the longest tail-streamers, however juveniles and females still possess them, and it is the key feature to notice when separating them from the various Martins.

House Martins are in fact slightly smaller than Swallows, but this is easily missed unless compared side by side. Otherwise, they are very similar with dark backs and white underbellies. Once again their identifying feature lies at their rear. Their tail feathers are slightly forked, however not nearly as long as the Swallows. Additionally, they have a large white patch on their rumps, which is very easy to pick out, even at long distances. 

A House Martin, on a house!

Smallest of the bunch (though again, by a very marginal difference) are the Sand Martins. Unlike the previous two species, they tend to avoid urban areas for nesting sites, preferring the sandy banks (hence the name) of gravel-pits or rivers. These habitats can still be close enough to nesting sites of other Martins that they can share the same feeding grounds, indeed we see all of these species when around the Wig. Breaking the trend, Sand Martins are noticeably brown when compared to House Martins, and their pale underbellies are broken by a brown stripe. They lack any kind of rump patch and have very short, square tail feathers to easily distinguish them from Swallows. 

Last of these aerial acrobats are the Swifts, who are in fact from an entirely different family than Swallows and Martins (something to do with their feet being unsuitable for perching). Very close to a Swallow in size, they share the same habitats and so can often be found feeding alongside them, leading to much confusion when identifying them. Fortunately, Swifts are dark all over, and have a very large, crescent moon shaped wingspan. If these weren't enough to pick them out, they can be identified by their ringing, scream-like calls. 

Normally at this point, I mention some occasional rarities that you could also look out for, however, in Europe we don't have that many Swallows and Martins (1 more Swallow, and 3 more Martin species) all of which stick to Southern Europe, or even across the Mediterranean in Africa. Over the past couple of years though, we have had individual records of an Alpine Swift and a Pallid Swift. These are very rare visitors, again preferring the warmer south. If you are fortunate enough to find one, Alpine Swifts can be identified from their regular cousins by white patches on their throat and belly. They are also much larger, and so will stand out amongst other Swifts and Swallows. Pallid Swifts are much more similar to our regular birds, and so its probably better to leave those to the experts (of which I am not). Not that we are likely to see them, but if you take a Mediterranean holiday it might be worth looking over them once again. 

Whilst there might only be 4 species in this guide, they are all very similar, and importantly can all be seen within Dumfries and Galloway. Hopefully, these tips will give you some confidence in identifying these aerial masters, and with spring underway, the skies will soon be full of targets for you to practise on!

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

The Coming and Going: Bird Report for 13/04/20 - 19/04/20

There seems to be no end to this fantastic weather that we're having, and no end to our spring birds either. Our individual counts are looking much higher of late, and often reach almost 60 species in a day! And it wouldn't still be spring without yet more new species, there is always something exciting going on.

Checking back in with one of this blogs staple species, and the Pale-bellied Brent Geese have finally moved on to their Arctic-tundra breeding grounds. That is not to say that all have left us, as we see varying numbers of flocks on a daily basis, between 20-70 individual geese. This variation in numbers suggests that these are different flocks of birds which are simply stopping by on their migration, however some could well be sticking around for longer. One individual certainly is, the Dark-bellied Brent. Whilst our wintering Pale-bellies might have moved off, this individual is far more likely to be the same one we've been seeing over the past few months. What it is waiting for we're not quite sure, but at least he found a friend this week, as amongst the larger flocks we recorded 2 Dark-bellied Brents!

Dark-bellied Brent, out for a paddle

Similarly, our Pink-footed Geese seemed to have headed back to Iceland, as we've not had any records of them this week, with past weeks seeing a very low number of records as well. Making up for it our the swans however, as we've seen an increase in numbers around our shores, including 6 Mute Swans at Soleburn and a Whooper Swan at Loch Connell. This was also the sight of the other few geese we had, with a lone Pinkie and 5 Greylag Geese recorded.

Some birds might be losing numbers, but others are certainly gaining them. Sandwich Terns are still on the rise, with a high of 89 birds recorded this week! Alongside them, another new species in the Common Tern. Another migratory species, they've also come here to breed, but are always a little behind their cousins and so we expect to see more of them as the month progresses.

From sky-divers to surface-divers, and we've seen a reduction from our regular winter numbers of Red-throated Divers. They are also leaving us for distant shores, and therefore we had a reduced passage of birds, with only 11 recorded this week. Contrary to this, it has been a very good week for Black-throated Divers, with 5 sighted over the week. We even had a Great-northern Diver to complete the set. It's very nice to see these birds out in the sun, before they will eventually leave us until winter once more.

Last week saw the arrival of our first Whimbrel, and this week we saw that number increase to 9 birds! It certainly has been a good time for waders, as alongside many of our staples we also had some Dunlin (in fine breeding plumage) visit our shores. Elsewhere on the marshes, we had an elusive Snipe, and back on the Wig, our first Sanderling of the year! These tiny waders are also migrants, but breed further up in the arctic circle and so will just be passing through. 

A Whimbrel, perhaps not what you'd expect to find in a field

Lots of birds are making their preparations now, with the Stonechats singing and Linnets being seen collecting nest materials. A pair of Twite were a nice surprise for us, as were the sightings of Grey Wagtails and Rock Pipits this week. Rounding out the small birds this week were some Reed Buntings, often singing from within the marsh.

The theme of spring really is migration, with many birds coming from far-flung countries to feed and breed in our temperate climate. One such bird flies over the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean just to grace our shores this week, the Cuckoo. Synonymous with spring, we can soon expect the icon call to be heard throughout as they begin their mischievous breeding plans.

And that's another glorious week wrapped up. This fine weather seems to have no intention of letting up, so let's hope the birds don't either! Until next time, stay safe and happy bird watching.

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

Newcomers and Nesters: Bird Report for 06/04/20 - 12/04/20

Its been another fantastic spring week with even more migrants arriving, among them several new species for this blog. Starting further afield than usual, a single Yellowhammer was spotted just past Soleburn. Rather unusual in our area, this was a lovely record to add to the blog. More locally, the singing of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs has now been joined by a few Willow Warblers and we'll expect to see this number increase as spring progresses. Our first Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows of the spring were also this week - all on the same day no less! A slightly different migrant for this time of year was espied in the woods this week: six Fieldfares. While most of the migrants we speak about at the moment are coming into the country from warmer climes, Fieldfares are doing the opposite. Having over-wintered in the milder British climate, they are now heading back off to Scandinavia to breed.

Bar-tailed Godwit in Winter Plumage

Not to be outdone, our waders also received some new migrant species this week. In amongst the regular Oystercatchers and Turnstones, a high of 60 Ringed Plovers rested on the shingle. Single Bar-tailed Godwits were also seen on the scar a couple of times this week, along with 12 Knots. Our lonesome Redshank was far eclipsed by the 30-50 seen at Bishop burn by Gill Deacon. Also at Bishop Burn, Gill saw 18 Knots, 90+ Curlew and 24 Bar-tailed godwits and, amongst these, she managed to see a single male Ruff. A delightful bird, this was the first Ruff around the loch that we know of for this spring. If you thought that would be it for waders then you are mistaken - for a visit to Loch Connell this week also included some nice wader sightings! Singles of Greenshank and Lapwing were seen on the exposed mud, with 4 Black-tailed Godwits looking handsome as they fed in the adjacent field. Loch Connell was also the sight of a further two new species for the blog: Coot and Whimbrel. The Coot, similar to last week's Moorhen, is less common around here than in other areas due to the lack of available habitat. The Whimbrel, however, is a migrating wader that is just starting to come through on spring passage. Similar in appearance to the Curlew, it is perhaps best separated by its characteristic seven-note call.

Keeping to our shore around the Wig and the birds are no less disappointing. A single Wheatear was seen this week, along with a smattering of Linnets and Meadow Pipits in the nearby fields. Out above (and on!) the loch, Sandwich Terns have been increasing in number daily, with a peak count of 28 birds this week. They join the also-increasing number of Gannets in plunging into the water for food. Less noticeable but still sitting out on the water are the usual Red-breasted Mergansers, Eiders and Common Scoters. Further ducks include the lone female scaup returning to grace our end of the loch and a superb count of 29 Long-tailed Ducks (the highest count for this year!). Most of these smart-looking ducks are now well underway into their moult from winter to summer plumage. Many people say that for Long-tailed Ducks, the winter plumage is by far the better looking, however, it cannot be denied that their chocolate-brown summer plumage is also a sight to behold. Perhaps unusually for ducks that we are more familiar with, the female also has two different plumages. Whilst not as showy as the drakes with their eponymous tails, the females nonetheless present an appearance of demure beauty - a far cry from the stereotypical 'brown duck'.

A nesting Collared Dove, eyeing the food we just put out!

Whilst many species are heralding spring as they fly thousands of miles to be here, closer to home other species already have summer on their mind. The morning chorus, while beautiful to us, signals a battle between rivals as they compete to sing loudest and attract a mate. Robins and Wrens, Song Thrushes, Goldcrests and Great Tits; all of these species are worth keeping your ears open for at this time of year. Other species may have already paired up. The drumming of Great-spotted Woodpeckers has become less frequent in recent weeks and House Sparrows, Blue Tits and Starlings have been seen collecting nesting material in our garden. Blackbirds and Rooks are already collecting food to take back to small chicks and a Collared Dove is sitting on a nest right outside our neighbour's back door!

With that, it must be time to sign off for this week. Be it migration or the breeding season, everything is well underway and we look forward to seeing the changes that continue to occur as spring progresses.

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

The Influx Increases! Bird Report for 30/03/20 - 05/04/20

March has been a spectacular month (bird-wise at least) and has brought all the delights of spring, fine weather and lots of great birds to see! This trend seems only set to continue, as since moving into April we've had yet another jam-packed week, with the spring vagrants in full show and yet more new species for the blog!

Let's just jump straight into the new species, starting with a Magpie, in our own garden! Whilst pretty common across the UK, we just don't seem to get them locally, so any time we see one it's a pleasant surprise. Corvids aren't unusual in the garden for us, and often we have Carrion Crows (even a hybrid from time to time), Jackdaws and Rooks all coming down to investigate the fat balls on the feeder. Elsewhere on our walks, we had records of Ravens and even a Jay, so getting our full corvid compliment this week.

A Moorhen comes to the water to clean its muddy bill

The marshes were the hive of activity this week though. Teals and Mallards are common sights (and sounds), with a Grey Heron making an appearance now and then. Previously we have had records of Snipe in the marshes, however this week we had our first Jack Snipe! Due to their small size and camouflage, they can be very hard to pick out, and so its possible there could well be more hiding out of view. Perhaps not as glamourous, but still nice to see was our first Moorhen. They have always been about, but with limited habitat and a reclusive nature, they can be quite challenging to spot locally. If that wasn't enough, we also had our first Reed Buntings of the year!

Away from the marshes and we had plenty of other waders this week. Ringed Plovers and Turnstone were around in small groups, and a single Dunlin managed to find it's way to our shores midweek. Finally, alongside a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, we had records of Black-tailed Godwits (70 of them no less!) up in our end of the loch.

Elsewhere around the beaches, we had some records of Rock Pipits. Alongside them, a pair of Grey Wagtails. Whilst we get Pied Wagtails fairly regularly (up to 10 this week), Grey's are more infrequent and so very nice to see. Another uncommon record up until now, Blackcaps have started appearing again. These are partial migrants, so whilst we might have some locally overwinter, we still get a spring influx as they return from the warmer south. Finally, the spring Chiffchaffs are out in full force, with as many as 9 seen (and heard) in one day.

Sandwich Tern in the midst of a plumage change

Indeed many of the species we saw for the first time in the past 2 weeks are now present in considerable numbers. From a single Sandwich Tern last week, we now have 10 records, and we expect this only to continue to grow in the coming days. From terns to gulls, this week we've done very well. Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls are as regular as ever, with even a couple of Scandinavian Herring Gulls thrown into the mix as well. Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls have also been fairly prevalent of late, with 8 and 11 birds seen respectively. Amongst all this activity, we also had our first Mediterranean Gull of the year. Contrary to their name they are often sighted on our coasts, indeed it's likely that this bird wintered in Britain somewhere.

March has been a spectacular month, with 15 new species across both birds and mammals. What better way to end in then, with the sighting of our first March Hare. Normally they are nocturnal and quite elusive, however, spring means breeding season and so we should expect to see more of them in the coming weeks.

It has only been a few days and April is already shaping up to be a terrific month for birding and (the advantage of writing these a week behind) I know we're going to see even more new species as the month progresses. If the weather stays like it is, then it should be a beautiful spring, so here is hoping that we're allowed out to enjoy it!

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

The Signs they Leave Behind

Often when out and about, it is very easy to be fixated by the wildlife around and above you. We can get caught up in following birds through the trees and trying to get our next half-glimpse of what is in that bush 20 metres away. However, a just as interesting part of observing wildlife is studying them through what they leave behind. Simply by looking down, we can find all kinds of sticky (and often smelly) evidence of animals passing by.

If there's been some rain of late, and the ground is particularly muddy, you have a good chance of seeing some animal tracks. Most common of these are the cloven hooves of deer, of which the general shape is consistent for all species, and so are distinguished by the size and spacing between prints.

Whilst other mammal's footprints can be much harder to pick out (especially if dog-walkers frequent the area), there are still some tell-tale signs to detect their presence. Mole-hills are the obvious example of this, and are all most of us will ever see of moles. Other signs can include scratches in the mud caused by rabbits, or if the mud is properly churned up, perhaps a badger digging.

Buzzard pellets, in pieces and a whole

I'm sure birds do leave prints (albeit very small ones) in the mud, however, trying to identify most of them is probably a waste of time. Fortunately, birds can leave behind an alternative form of evidence, pellets. Pellets are the regurgitated remains of the bird's recent meals, normally the bones and fur which they can't digest. It is typically only birds of prey that leave these behind, however, Herons and Gulls can also produce them. That still leaves a lot of possible owners for any pellets you might find. Fortunately, pellets can be identified from a combination of their size and the arrangement of animal remains which they contain.

This week we were fortunate enough to find numerous pellets in our local woods, of which we brought 4 back for closer study. Firstly the pellets were photographed and measured, as the size and shape are important factors in distinguishing between possible owners. The pellets varied in size, with the largest being 72 by 26mm. In our area the main culprits are likely to be Barn Owls, Tawny Owls and Buzzards, who have maximum sizes of 70 by 40mm, 50 by 25mm and 60 by 30mm respectively. Their lengths are just guidelines and can vary depending on the individual bird and the food its been eating. Next, they were placed in a little bit of water and teased apart using whatever implements we had close to hand. Whilst not all bones are easily identifiable, the presence of fur and lack of bones in some was a very helpful clue. This made the majority of our pellets belong to a buzzard, as they are very picky eaters. When devouring a kill they will rip it into small pieces, and then eat only the choicest morsels, so minimizing the number of bones they eat. One pellet, however, belonged to a barn owl, determined by its darker colour and very round ends. This was very nice to find, as in those woods I have not seen a Barn Owl yet, but its encouraging to know they are about.

A Badger latrine and it's been revisited

Our sticky find didn't end there, however, as elsewhere we were lucky enough to stumble upon some badger latrines. Rather than just excreting wherever they feel like, badgers will dig small holes for their poo as a form of marking their territory. Our spot had 2 latrines dugout, with some fresh poo in one, a good sign of a local badger scoping out the area. Along with some possible scratch marks nearby, this was an encouraging sign that we have at least one local badger. This would be a very exciting find since we have not seen one in our area before, and I'm still itching to see my first badger in the wild.

Its exciting to know that all these animals could be in our local area, and even though we haven't seen them, the evidence would certainly suggest they're around. Of course, picking up regurgitated food might not be everyone's idea of fun, but definitely keep your eyes out for pellets and tracks, since they could possibly lead to species you weren't expecting to see.

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

Spring is Sprung! Bird Report for 23/03/20 - 29/03/20

This last week has been extraordinarily bountiful, and despite our limited time outside we were able to see 65 species in one day, as well as 5 new species across the week!  The spring influx is in full swing, and we are very lucky to live in an area where we don't have to go far to see a great variety of habitats and species. 

This week I'm actually starting at Bishop Burn, a stretch of beach from Stranraer heading out towards Cairnryan. Looking out into the loch you get Wigeon and Red-breasted Mergansers, with Eider and Scaup further out. This week also had some Brent Geese, with up to 70 birds counted on Monday. The mainstay species, however, are the waders, and this week had Oystercatchers, Curlews, up to 50 Redshanks and 52 Knot. The real highlights are the Godwits though, with up to 20 Bar-tailed's and a pair of Black-tailed Godwits recorded. The later is a spring migrant, and so hopefully we'll see some up at our end of the loch soon! Special thanks to Gill Deacon for providing these records, it's great to know what is being seen in other parts of the loch, and we happily accept the records. 

The view from Bishop Burn

Moving back to our own shores, and there has been a flurry of bird activity this week. We officially called it spring when we had our first Wheatear, shortly followed by our first Sandwich Tern. If that wasn't enough we also had a Greenland White-fronted Goose flying overhead as well!

Speaking of geese, we retained our full complement of species this week. The Pale-bellied Brents were regularly grazing in the fields next to the shore, with the Dark-bellied Brent still among them. Meanwhile, up at Loch Connell, we had Pink-footed, Greylag, and Canada geese, as well as a flock of 84 Whooper Swans, the largest we've seen this year. 

Continuing to look outside of the Wig, my daily excursions this week have been up in the woods behind Kirkcolm. It is only a short stretch of woodland (about half a mile) however, walking through and alongside it, there is a great variety of species which you can see. This week I had a lot of the regulars, including Blue Tits, Great Tits, and Chaffinches. Walking back past the cemetery there is always a regular Buzzard up in the branches, as well as plenty of Pheasants in the fields. Further up was where all the excitement was though, as I had my first pair of Nuthatches in the wood, and then a Kestral passes by overhead! And if that wasn't enough, a Red Squirrel startled me as it ran up a tree not 2 metres away from the path. 

Sometimes they just pose perfectly for the camera!

On the subject of Red Squirrels, we also saw 5 others over the week in the Corsewall Estate. There were also some sightings of Roe Deer, as well as the first Tree Bumblebee of the year. Finally, to wrap off the non-avians we had an Otter in Loch Connell! They often can be seen swimming from the burn into the loch, but normally you have to get up nice and early if you want to stand a chance of seeing one.

With this article already packed to the brim with exciting records and new species its probably best to finish it here. Yet somehow, amazingly, we have more interesting discoveries this week, even despite our limited outing time. More on this in a later article though, so in the meantime stay safe and enjoy your birdwatching!

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