Very few Canada Geese were observed this month, the highest count being 44 at Loch Connell on the 1st. A singleton Pale-bellied Brent Goose at the Scar, also on the 1st, was my first since the departure of wintering birds back in early May, marking the start of the autumn passage and the return of wintering birds to the area. My next sighting of this species was on the 8th when 20 birds were logged. Thereafter numbers steadily increased, with counts of 100 plus being recorded on three occasions towards the month’s end: 168 on the 24th, 195 on the 25th and 162 on the 30th. A notable flock comprising of over 460 Greylag Geese was registered at Loch Connell on the 1st. Whether or not these were feral, or genuine migrants from Iceland, is not known. The Pink-footed Geese (with the first birds heard calling on the 16th), however, were likely to be the genuine article. Vocal flocks were more often heard than seen on several occasions heading in a southerly direction. Three birds took a brief respite at Loch Connell on the 29th, providing me with a rare treat because ‘stop-offs’ for this species is not a common practice so early in the season on my patch.
The regular population of Mute Swans at Loch Ryan is supplemented by passage birds at this time of year. These additions were no doubt responsible for the high count of 134, which I logged on the 29th. Just a few days prior to this, on the 25th, I noted my first Whooper Swan of the winter period, riding the wavelets that rolled onto the beach at the Wig.
A party of four Teal at the Scar on the 26th was unusual. At the Wig Wigeon were sparse and few in number, although I did log 50 birds on the 25th. My only record of Tufted Ducks came from Loch Connell on the 15th. On the sea-loch observations of Common Scoters were spread across the month, with 30 being my highest count on the 15th. The annual Eider count covering the Firth of Clyde fell between the 7th and 30th this year. Loch Ryan lies within this zone, so I contribute data. Alas, my highest count from within the period (132) was less than I submitted last year. However, on the 3rd of the month I logged a minimum of 212. A Goosander flying over my house and heading towards Loch Connell was a surprise observation on the 13th, constituting another ‘first of the season’ on my local patch and my only record of this species during the month. Red-breasted Mergansers were of course more plentiful, with a respectable 127 at the Wig on the 3rd and a peak count of 190 at the same location on the 9th.
Numbers of Great Crested Grebes at the Wig were up on last month, with encouraging highs of 14 on the 3rd, 18 on the 12th and 29 on the 28th. A Red-necked Grebe at this same location was a pleasurable find, also on the 28th, whilst the first of the autumn’s Slavonian Grebes was logged here, too, on the 12th. Other sighting of this dainty species were noted, with one on the 24th, four on the 25th and six on the 28th. A handsome Great Northern Diver was seen at Wig Bay on the 12th, along with (though not side by side) an immature White-billed Diver, while Red-throated Divers were observed, from the 3rd, onwards, with a peak count of 28 on the 18th.
A singleton Bar-tailed Godwit at the Wig on the 16th was my only record of this species during the month. Black-tailed Godwits faired a little better, with all records coming from the Scar: two on the 2nd, five on the 4th, three on the 4th and one on the 12th. Curlew peaked at 90 in the Wig Fields on the 16th, whilst a Curlew Sandpiper was on the neighbouring sea-shore on the 12th. Dunlin only just hit double figures, with 12 at the Scar on the 4th. A poor showing of Golden Plovers resulted in a high of just 34, also at the Scar, on the 30th. There was a smattering of Knot records, both early and late in the month - even so, nine was the biggest party I saw, on the 3rd. Loch Connell held the only Lapwings, with three on the 22nd and 16 on the 29th. In excess of 200 Oystercatchers at the Scar was an expected amount for the time of year, on the 27th, as was a maximum of just three Redshanks on the 17th. Reasonable numbers of Ringed Plovers were observed across the month, with a peak of 93 on the shore of the Wig on the 12th. I had five sightings of Ruffs, including a party of six at Loch Connell on the 15th. Although observations of Sanderlings spanned the month, they were relatively few and the number of birds involved was small, with eight forming the largest party I logged at the Scar on the 12th. My only records of Snipe were from Loch Connell, with a single on the 1st and two on the 22nd. Turnstones were seen regularly at the Wig and Scar, with 24 being the highest count on the 12th. Whimbrel are regular on passage during the springtime but during the autumn their status is very different, as can be summarised by the record of just one bird at the Wig on the 25th.
Trying to identify birds to species level when common sense tells you that they are just too far away in the distance is unrealistic. But often as not we - that is, me (and most other birding folk I know) - try anyway. Eventually, however, after so many seconds (which to the unfortunate observer so faced with the problem, can seem like hours!) have passed we give up, relinquishing our quest and admit defeat. Thus, when confronted by a similar dilemma the next time around, common sense (based on previous experience) again tells us that we shouldn’t even go down that road and move on to easier, more certain targets of opportunity. But no, we try anyway, only to relive the same frustration. Some lessons, it seems, are never learned. Does any of this sound familiar to you, dear reader? My apologies for this interruption to the blog, but some choices are a fundamental challenge to honing the artful skills of birdwatching, which I feel obliged to relate here. Moving on …
.. And so I found myself peering through my telescope at a mass of gulls on the far side of Loch Ryan, some two miles away, under hazy conditions. Of course I tried to assign each amorphous shape to a species - several times over, in fact - only to be rebuffed with disappointment. Based upon years of experience and familiarity with the species of gulls at Loch Ryan, I knew that the majority of the larger shapes would be Herring Gulls and the smaller ones Black-headed and/or Common Gulls. But seeing as I couldn’t clearly see any of them, I eventually opted to guesstimate their number as a whole. I reckoned upon there being at least 2,000 birds, which I entered into my logbook (on the 16th) as ‘an assortment of gulls’. Of particular note was a singleton, adult, Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage, that I saw at the Wig on the 9th and the 30th. Sandwich Terns were registered on four occasions at the Scar: 12 (including two juveniles) on the 5th, 12 adults on the 8th, and singles on the 13th and 16th.
The highest count of Black Guillemots seen from my house was 43 on the 13th, with a Guillemot also seen on this date, at the Wig and a Razorbill there the day before (12th). Five more of the latter species were noted out in mid-channel on the 16th. The low number of Gannets visiting Loch Ryan this month (12 birds on the 1st being my highest count) was in some way compensated for by reasonable counts of Cormorants at the Scar: 60 on the 1st and 51 on the 13th. Shags also showed well, peaking at 122 on the on the pier at Cairnryan, on the 12th. At the Wig I logged Little Egrets on several occasions across the month - all singletons, bar two birds on the 16th. It is strange to think that only a few short years ago this small white heron was still a rarity in the Rhins of Galloway: today, few birders would even raise an eyebrow upon seeing one.
My only sighting of a Kestrel this month was of a singleton hunting over the Wig Fields on the 16th, which serves only to reinforce the status I have alluded to it in past postings of this blog. In comparison, Peregrines are more frequently observed on my patch. A female seen at Loch Connell on the 1st was notable, appearing very large and greyish all over while lacking a prominent white face and without an obvious dark moustache that I so typically associate with the species. Indeed, my first thought upon seeing it was that of Icelandic Gyrfalcon, but that I dismissed shortly after further study, attributing its dulcet tones to the poor quality of the light under which I viewed it. A few days later, on the 7th, I saw a Marsh Harrier winging its way lazily towards Connell from across the Wig. The species is very much a rarity in these parts but I did not let that fact interfere with my appreciating such a splendid bird.
There was the expected decrease in the number of swallows and martins I saw in September. My highest count of House Martins was 28 on the 6th. Their numbers fell appreciably after that, with the last two being recorded on the 24th. Also on the 6th was my peak count of Swallows, at 80 birds. They however decreased more steadily, down to two on the 29th. Three Chiffchaffs on the 16th was my only record of this species all month and, likewise, a Greenland Wheatear at Loch Connell on the 22nd. More frequent were Pied Wagtails, being logged on four days, with the highest count coming on the 16th when 18 were logged, including five White Wags’; birds of this pale race were also noted on the 4th (two birds), 5th (3 birds) and 6th (6 birds) - considerably better than last year’s paucity of records.
A single Bullfinch in my garden on the
21st was my only observation of this species, and entered in my Logbook
accordingly. A large flock of plus 400 finches (most probably Linnet, Twite,
or a combination of the two) was notable, as well as making an impressive sight
above the Wig Fields on the 4th.
The contents of this article are courtesy of the author, S Grover.
No comments:
Post a Comment