Winter at the Wig - November 2022 Bird report

Thanks to E. and Jeni Grover for contributing to the records used in this report, which was supplied courtesy of the author, S. Grover.

In any given month there is usually something to be witnessed that lodges in the memory - maybe not for a lifetime, but even that does sometimes happen; such an event, an occasion, an experience … call it what you will .. is there for you to relive time and time again. One such day happened on the 28th this November. It was not because of the number of any rarities seen, but the large number of bird species (78) that day on the Wig. As every local patch recorder knows, the number of species logged will depend on many factors. Chance plays an important part. Go try on your own stomping ground, and see what I mean!

Mute Swans numbered 117 at the southern end of Loch Ryan on the 4th and remained high until the 15th when a sudden decline followed, as birds presumably left the immediate area to forage inland when cold temperatures set in. Whooper Swans continued to pass through in small numbers, although a visit to Soulseat Loch, on the 13th, revealed 82 birds.

Grey geese were sparse on my patch this month. The stalwart Pale-bellied Brent Geese, however, were present in good numbers at the Wig, peaking at 282 on the 20th.  Canada Geese at Loch Connell also faired well, with 152 birds there on the 6th. A Wetland Bird Survey count at Piltanton Estuary, on the 13th, logged 96 Shelducks - a welcome increase over the paucity of birds recorded there in previous months.

A Pintail at the Wig, on the 1st, was an unexpected bonus bird, whilst a Shoveler at Loch Connell, on the 13th, was equally nice to see, especially as it was a handsome drake sporting a rich-chestnut waistcoat and a bottle-green head.  The latter site scored well for Teal, too, with 196 birds on the 20th.  Numbers of Wigeon at the Wig varied daily, with a high of 200 on the 10th.  Eiders were widespread on Loch Ryan, with a tendency to form small parties rather than one large group.  Nonetheless, I registered 201 birds on the 28th.  Long-tailed Ducks, as usual, were highly mobile, but I did succeed in counting 11 at the Wig, on the 29th.  The amount of Common Scoters about the sea loch seemed to vary from one day to the next: my highest count of them being 119 on the 28th.  I had just one record of Velvet Scoters: a party of three, also on the 28th.  Goosanders are expected visitors at this time of year so two ‘redheads’ at Loch Connell on the 17th were a nice discovery but not unusual.  However, a male and female at the Wig, on the 18th and 19th, was very much out of the ordinary.  Red-breasted Mergansers, on the other hand, are commonplace on the sea loch; 91 were counted here on the 3rd.

Loch Ryan was once known as a regular wintering haunt of Black-necked Grebes in Scotland, not that there ever were many birds present.  But circumstances change over time, and today they exist here only in the memory of only a few birdwatchers. Or so I thought!  Thus, it was a pleasant surprise for me to spy one such bird from my house, paddling on the calm waters of the Wig, on the 17th.  (I later learned that this bird had been observed several days prior to my sighting).  Thereafter, I saw it intermittently up to the month’s end.  On the 19th, I was especially privileged, because the bird appeared in the same ‘scope view with a Great Crested, a Red-necked and a Slavonian Grebe.  Rather ungraciously, I admit, I did hope for a Dabchick to pop up in the same view and complete the ‘set of regular British grebes’ but, upon reflection, a quorum of four species was more than a satisfactory outcome.  Singleton Red-necked Grebes were observed on several occasions across the month, with two birds together at the Wig on the 28th.  Being more abundant, Slavonian Grebes were seen regularly, including a tightly bunched party of 17 on the 28th, when an impressive tally of 56 birds in total was registered.

Black-necked Grebes with their fellows 

Unusually, sightings of Black-throated Divers were a regular feature of the month, including two birds on the 1st and again on the 28th.  Not to be outdone, Great Northern Divers followed a similar pattern to the preceding species, and included three on the 3rd and two on the 28th, whilst on the 10th a singleton still in full breeding plumage was noted.  A Pacific Diver, noted in last month’s blog, made an appearance at the Wig towards the close of the month.  Its habit of consistently diving for periods of 30 seconds, suggests to me that it might be the returning bird of previous winters.  Weather affected many of my attempts to gauge the numbers of Red-throated Divers using Loch Ryan. I did, however, succeed in making a respectable count of 65 birds on the 28th.

Black-tailed Godwits are scarce visitors to my neighbourhood at this time of year: two were present, often on the Wig Fields, from at least the 14th to the 18th.  By comparison, Curlews are reasonably common and widespread, generally occurring in relatively small, scattered flocks feeding in the grass fields.  On the 28th, a flock of 141 birds in a field beside the Wig was an unusually high count.  The drab tones of winter plumaged Dunlins allows them to forage without drawing undue attention to themselves.  The 30 birds I encountered at the Scar, on the 15th, was a consequence of luck rather than keen vigil.  The Scar also hosted most of the Golden Plover flocks that I noted during the month, the largest comprising 400 birds, on the 28th.  A Wetland Bird Survey count at Piltanton, however, resulted in a considerably larger congregation of some 2000 being recorded, on the 13th. A Greenshank, on the 18th, was an unexpected visitor at the Scar, whilst 60 Knot here on the 10th were also welcome additions to the log.

Black-tailed Godwits in the Wig fields

It is largely because Oystercatchers are everyday birds on my study patch that they go uncounted for much of the time; it is, however, useful to occasionally check upon their status.  A high tide roost at the Scar on the 18th held 270 birds, which was rather more than I had expected. Numbers of Ringed Plovers at this site were also generally higher than I thought they would be: there were in excess of 100 birds present on at least four occasions across the month, with the highest count of 114 coming in on the 1st.  No doubt the smattering of Woodcock sightings was a consequence of the recent cold spell that gripped the parish.  A walk passing through the estate woods on the 20th revealed three separate birds.

Outside of the breeding season Kittiwakes are truly oceanic birds.  They do sometimes pass close by to mainland shores, especially during periods of strong prevailing winds: but such conditions rarely push birds onto Loch Ryan.  The presence of three birds observed passing the Scar on the 25th were thus something of an enigma, given the calm weather of that day.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls, too, are usually scarce about the sea loch during November, so it is pleasing to be able to report the presence of at least eight birds on the 15th.  Of particular note was the late record of a Sandwich Tern at the Scar, on the 3rd.

Razorbills continued to be widespread on Loch Ryan across the month, if only in small numbers: 13 being my highest count of them on the 3rd.  An almost ‘white’ Black Guillemot was observed about the Wig on the 22nd.  In winter plumage this species is predominantly pale-looking anyway, and made even more so in certain lights; this particular bird, however, was more than that, suggesting to me that its origin was from the high arctic.  I have been fortunate to see one such ‘white’ bird on the loch during the past few winters, so perhaps - like the Pacific Diver - it too might be a returning bird … or not!  (Another little unsolved mystery to be added to the growing pile of queries that nature presents to any curious mind).

The sea loch supports a rich diversity. Shags are a characteristic part of that community.  As a species, these dark sentinels do not often attract the attention of birdwatchers - which is a shame because like Rooks (who bothers to look at them, too?), they are full of individualistic character and … dare I say it .. charm.  Anyway, good numbers of them were to be seen throughout the month.  Often as not I saw them in ones and twos or in small parties but, occasionally, larger congregations mustered on the Scar and the Cairnryan Pier.  Indeed, on the 18th, an impressive tally of 156 were logged, which included 94 on the Scar and another 62 on the pier.

Elusive Water Rails can often be detected on sound alone: two were heard calling from the estate marsh on the 19th and the 28th.  A Kingfisher at a puddle of freshwater beside the beach at Kirkcolm was an unexpected treat on the 19th, whilst a Merlin at the Wig, on the 28th, was the only record of that species on the local patch for November.

Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that the presentation of species roughly, wherever practical, follows an order, or groupings, dictated by the current accepted evolutionary taxonomy; so, for example, swans are followed by geese, then ducks, and so on, with buntings coming at the end.  This month  the passerine section is alphabetical, on account of the mishmash of my records!

Blackbirds rarely flock together but occasionally small groups temporarily form, such as the six seen on the 18th, when a walk through the estate woods revealed a tally of 20 birds in total.  Bramblings are irregular visitors in my neighbourhood and are not recorded annually.  Three on the 18th, five on the 20th and two on the 27th were, thus, meritorious.  Equally notable was a male Bullfinch in my garden on the 4th.  Chaffinches may never be headline news but over 50 together on my beat are always worthy of mention.  On the morning of the 27th I started to count what I thought was a small party of them feeding in a beech grove; at first I saw 12, the 32, then - following the arrival on the scene of a hunting Sparrowhawk - 82 sped away in to deep cover.  I had but two incidences of Greenfinches at the Wig: six on the 1st and 12 on the 22nd.  My neighbour feeds the birds daily, which, in part, is a reason why I have a host of House Sparrows in my garden for most of the year.  It was heartwarming to log 80 of these garrulous birds on the the otherwise dreary day of the 14th.  Fieldfares continued to pass through in variable numbers, the highest being 250 on the 2nd.  Long-tailed Tits are always a delight to see, wherever they turn up.  A party of six in my garden, on the 23rd, was unusual, and great, simultaneously!

A pair of Bramblings

Three late Swallows appeared out of the grey, heading south (surprise, surprise!), on the 1st.  On the 4th a Tree Sparrow arrived in my garden.  It was joined by another a couple of days later.  The same two birds, presumably, were observed almost daily thereafter.  Whether these particular sparrows had come from a local stock whose whereabouts were hitherto unknown, or had originated from further afield, is not determined; but the sporadic visits by this species made to my garden in recent years clearly warrants investigation.  Another interesting sighting relates to that of a late Willow Warbler - also in my garden - on the 29th.  Not only was the bird observed flitting about in characteristic warbler fashion, but it also paused on occasion to vent forth song.

This month we close with Woodpigeon - a common species that rarely receives mention.  November, however, is a month noted for the movement of these birds on a broad front.  On the 13th, whilst paying my weekly respects to the wildlife at Loch Connell, I witnessed the south-westward passage of over 550 birds within the short period of an hour.