Another week has passed by, with all manner of different weathers experienced. As we creep slowly towards summer the birds continue to keep up their prodigious activity, so as always we've had lots of great records.
Waders are something you are guaranteed to see around the Wig, however, such is our variety of species that no two weeks are ever the same. This week was good for Dunlins and Sanderlings, which were seen quite regularly and had good counts of 18 and 16 respectively. Ringed Plovers are still present in substantial flocks (60-70), along with Curlews and Whimbrels. We even had an immature Knot, recognizable by its well-patterned wings and lack of orange breast.
The loch has been good for seabirds this week, with up to 60 Gannets being recorded in one day. We also had the return of Razorbills, which despite them breeding locally on Ailsa Craig, have not seen sighted on the loch for a while. Black Guillemots have been similarly scarce of late, so it was very nice to see them more frequently this week, including 11 in a single afternoon.
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| Black Guillemot in summer plumage |
On sunny days walking along the beach can seem like a hot prospect, and so I take my walks in the shade of the woods. Brief as they are, I was still able to catch some great views of a Nuthatch, as well as a glimpse of a passing Whitethroat. Over in the Estate woods, there were even more of these, along with some Great-spotted Woodpeckers, and a lone Treecreeper.
These woods are also a hot spot for our local Tawny Owls, and whilst they can be hard to get your eyes on, they occasionally call to let us know they're present. Birds of prey have been doing well this week, and alongside our regular Buzzards, we also saw a Sparrowhawk on two consecutive days. It was certainly hunting successfully as we saw it carrying prey as it flew by.
This seemed to upset some birds, as when it passed by a group of 3 Mistle Thrushes, they began to mob it. Perhaps we need more raptors to pass by since these were the only Mistle Thrushes recorded this week. Song Thrushes are as vocal as ever, and we often hear (more often than see) 5 or 6 in a day.
Swallows seem to be alright locally, at least we are still seeing them on a daily basis. Recently though we had a House Martin boom, with up to 50 individuals recorded in a single sitting. We even saw a pair of Sand Martins earlier in the week to round out our collection.
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| Greylag Goose, taken at Aldouran Glen |
For a final species, I couldn't help but mention the Greylag Geese over at Loch Connell. Unlike the many geese that winter here and then leave in the spring, these have actually travelled here in the spring to breed. The evidence, 11 Greylags alongside 13 cute and fluffy goslings!
Alongside all of our birds, there always seems to be some additional wildlife surprises in store for us each week. This week we had a Diving Beetle, an unusual record since we don't have a lot of ponds or similar habitats which they are normally found. This one was in a cattle trough of all places! That wasn't all, as out in the loch we saw a pair of dolphins bow-riding a fishing boat. These are occasional visitors to the loch, and it's nice to see that they are enjoying themselves in the sun.
And that's the end of another exciting week. May is starting to draw to a close, but I'm sure next week will continue to provide a plethora of records, and hopefully, one last surprise before summer arrives.
[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]
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