Three consecutive days stood out this month: the 14th, for the rarities of American Golden Plover, Lapland Bunting, Red-necked Grebe and Wryneck; the 15th, for good numbers of Teal, along with a Shoveler and the mega rarity - a Ross’s Gull - all at the Scar; and the 16th, for the excellent numbers of several common passerines. To learn more, please read on!
This month my highest count of Canada Geese at Loch Connell was on the 3rd when I logged a very respectable 238 birds. More unusual, however, was a flock of 53 floating high in the water at Wig Bay, on the 13th. Pale-bellied Brent Geese are of course expected at the latter site, with counts of plus 230 birds being noted on six occasions: the highest being a splendiferous congregation of 394 at the Scar, on the 19th. It should be noted that on the 23rd over 306 birds were observed on the flooded grassland beside the Wig track, where some birds bathed and preened in the ankle-deep water and others grazed upon the drier sward. The sighting of these geese using the field was the first of the season - a practice which is more common after the New Year rather than before. Clearly, a sign of the times and an indication of the change in strategy that is developing amongst the wintering population here. As if not to be left out or ignored of attention there was a vociferous flock of 382 Pink-footed Geese at the Scar on the morning of the 3rd. They made a fine sight, seeing them as I did through my telescope from the comfort of my home whilst listening to the chorus of sound that drifted through the open window.
Regular readers of this blog will be aware that Mute Swans typically frequent the southern shore of Loch Ryan, at Stranraer. By way of a change - and for whatever the reason - six birds turned up at the Wig, on the 9th. Thereafter their numbers increased swiftly so that by the13th there were 36 birds in semi-residency here. During their stay, and for the remainder of the month, I saw none along the shoreline at Stranraer. Whooper Swans were recorded on seven days, with a maximum of six at the Wig on the 8th and one at Loch Connell on the 24th. The only sightings of Shelduck were of one at the Wig on the 12th and 18th.
A handsome drake Pintail at the Scar on the 12th was my first of the autumn period. A female was at Loch Connell on the 18th. A duck Shoveler was at the Wig on the 11th, followed by a male on the 15th. Loch Connell held 77 Teal on the 3rd and 78 on the 24th, while an uncommon sight was of 68 birds at the Scar on the 15th and 73 on the 22nd. On one of the month’s clearer days I spied some 400 Wigeon over at Low Balyett whist at the Wig my highest count was 156 on the 15th.
There only ever seemed to be a handful of Common Scoters at Wig Bay but, further out in deeper water, I occasionally saw larger rafts dotted here and there on the sea-loch. An attempt to gauge their numbers had to wait until the weather presented suitable viewing conditions: that occurred on the 14th when I successfully logged 130 birds. There were undoubtedly more - perhaps, many more - that I didn’t see. The same weather conditions that affected my counts of scoters obviously had similar effect on other water-going birds at Loch Ryan. My highest tally of Eiders was 177, on the 18th, and Goldeneyes, just 24 (on the 11th). Long-tailed Ducks numbered nine, on the 12th. On the freshwater of Loch Connell were two Pochards, on the 10th, and five (four males) on the 24th. Also at this site were two female-type Scaup on the 3rd and 10th. Goosanders were seen on three visits to the aforementioned site, with a maximum of 10 birds (three males, the remainder redheads) on the 18th. A respectable 92 Red-breasted Mergansers were counted on Loch Ryan, on the 11th.
Continuing on from last month’s good count of Great Crested Grebes in Wig Bay, I logged a decent 47 on the 11th. Another good count was six Little Grebes at Loch Connell, on the 10th, whilst on the same day but at the Wig, there was a trio of Red-necked Grebes. Notable in the same bay, especially at times of a rising tide, were gatherings of Slavonian Grebes: a high of 36 birds was registered on the 11th. Singleton Great Northern Divers were recorded on the 1st, 10th, 14th, 15th and 19th. Considerably more common were Red-throated Divers, with a peak count of 28 on the 11th.
Although Curlews are common enough about the Wig at this time of year, they are usually to be seen in small groups on the shore-line or feeding in the fields. These assemblies are often widely dispersed. Occasionally, however, they come together, when it is then possible to better gauge the population at large. In one such gathering upon the Wig fields, on the 20th, I counted 137 birds. Large flocks of Golden Plovers always make for an impressive sight. Some 1,000 wheeled in the sky above above the Scar on the 2nd, flashing gold and then white as they banked and changed direction constantly before coming to settle on the spit and seemingly disappearing from view amongst the grey and brown tones of the shingle and sandy mud. I saw another large flock at the same location on the 15th. The weather and viewing conditions were more favourable this time around and I successfully secured a count of 1,066 birds as they loafed and preened. On the previous day (14th), a smaller flock of 410 ‘goldies’ hid within their ranks a striking-looking American Golden Plover, still wearing its full breeding dress. A single Grey Plover at the Scar on the 12th, 15th and 26th was most likely the same bird on all three occasions. Also at this site were six Knot, on the 24th. Loch Connell held at least 27 Snipe on the 10th; more unusual were six at the Wig during high tide on the 15th. My daughter flushed a Woodcock from a hedge on the 25th.
I observed an adult Mediterranean Gull foraging in the Wig Fields on the 3rd and again on the 13th. This species has become a more common visitor to my patch in recent years but it is still somewhat scarce and thus noteworthy. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the visitor that could so easily have passed unnoticed, a couple of days later on the 15th: I was at the Scar, working my way through a flock of Golden Plovers in search of something a bit different, when I happened to notice a small gull fly across my field of view, behind the plovers. I saw it for just a few seconds but there was no mistaking its overall whiteness of appearance, a distinct collar at the back of the head, and a dark-tipped, wedge-shaped tail. The small dark bill, eyes, and diagonal bar across the wings, coupled with dark outer-primary feathers all pointed towards the bird being an immature Ross’s Gull that was already advancing into its first summer plumage. I was well and truly, utterly (and butterly!), gobsmacked.
November is getting a little late in the year to see Razorbills on Loch Ryan but there were two present at the Wig on the 10th. Good viewing conditions on the 11th enabled me to count with ease 116 distant Shags on the pier at Cairnryan as well as 90 closer to, on the Scar. My daughter observed a Barn Owl flying low over the village at twilight on the 21st; despite it being a resident it is not often sighted. A Wryneck was an unexpected bird for me to see on the 14th when in bounding flight it crossed my garden during the early morning, calling as it went. A woodland walk on the 16th yielded a total of 60 Blue Tits. A Coal Tit in my garden on the 23rd was my only record of this species during the month and a reflection of the paucity of these birds on my local patch so far this year.
I was pleased to see a Blackcap in my garden on the 9th, while a Chiffchaff in the Estate grounds on the 20th was equally nice. A total of 10 Goldcrests recorded by my daughter whilst on a walk through the local woods on the 13th was an indication/evidence to me how younger ears than mine can readily detect the high pitched calls of these diminutive warblers. Fortunately for me the lower pitched calls of a Yellow-browed Warbler enabled me to lock onto that particular bird as I travelled homeward bound along Fisher’s Lane on the 11th.
The 16th of the month was clearly a good day for catching up with several species of passerines. A productive woodland walk resulted in 68 Blackbirds, 203 Redwings, eight Song Thrushes and 41 Robins being recorded. Incidentally, the highest count of Fieldfares was a flock of 40, on the 3rd. A Stonechat in my garden on the 9th was a most unusual but very welcome, record. Grey Wagtails are scarce in my neck-of-the-woods, so two in a local glen, on the 16th, was a much appreciated addition - along with a party of four Bullfinches - to the tally of birds observed that day.
We close this month’s offering with two rarities: the first, seemingly, might not justify usage of the term but when considered in the context of my local patch it certainly warrants it … I refer to an observation of a Stock Dove, which, incidentally was also logged on that day of intrigue, the 16th. The second species was a male Lapland Bunting, which initially drew attention to itself by calling as it passed over my house, heading for the Wig Fields, on the 14th.
The contents of this article are courtesy of the author, S Grover.
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