In spite of the poor weather that persisted for much of the month, there were a surprising number of bird species entered into the logbook, many of which I thought warranted a mention here.
I assume that the Barnacle Goose I saw associating with a grazing flock of 388 Canada Geese at Loch Connell on the 10th was the same bird reported on last month. My appreciation of the birds could not have been realised without the aid of my old, faithful, and trusty ‘scope - a real God send, for sure.
If I had to pick just one species that was both representative of where I live, and the present season, then I believe I would not be wrong by choosing the Pale-bellied Brent Goose. It is one of the smaller members of its family, about the size of a Mallard, and when seen on its own it often necessitates a second glance in order to confirm its identity. But, fortunately, its social habits make it a flock forming species, when its identity readily becomes apparent, especially when its low, guttural conversation of rolling-grunts and growls are also heard. I saw birds daily about the Wig, either loafing on the water at high tide or feeding along the shore when the water receded. On the 11th, I noted 54 birds coming to graze on the grassland (and to bathe in floods areas) beside the Wig track - the first birds of the season to do so. In excess of 300 geese of this race were regularly observed loafing on the Scar, with a high of 402 on the 8th.
I had relatively few sightings of Pink-footed Goose: most were of birds flighting from their roost at Castle Kennedy, then heading north-west over Loch Ryan on route to feeding areas to the north of the village of Kirkcolm. Ninety-three was the largest skein I logged, although I should mention that countless others depart the same roost and head south to feed in the fields about West Freugh. A party of 36 Mute Swans was at the Wig on the 2nd, and that in itself is an uncommon occurrence, whilst the largest flock I noticed comprised 72 birds at Bishop Burn, on the 4th. Thereafter, I saw few Mutes, with the majority of birds - I strongly suspect - having dispersed elsewhere away from the wind-swept expanse of open seawater. There were just four entries for Whooper Swan in my logbook during the month. These included three adults on the shallow freshwater of Loch Connell on the 30th, when a party of 19 others also flew over but did not linger.
Gadwall are scarce visitors to Loch Ryan so to find a trio of males at the Wig on the 8th was gratifying indeed. Similarly scarce on my local patch are Shoveler, with two males at Loch Connell on the 2nd and four observed flying south past the Scar on the same day. A reasonable count of a minimum of 156 Teal at the aforementioned site was made on the 2nd when there was also a singleton at the Scar; my daughter noted 22 in a flooded woodland (Shell Plantation) beside the beach at Kirkcolm, on the 20th. In excess of 700 Wigeon were at Low Balyett, Loch Ryan, on the 2nd, whilst at the Wig I logged 204 birds on the 12th.
My largest count of Common Scoters on the sea-loch was 91 on the 9th, while for Eider the peak was a respectable 257 on the 21st. Goldeneye are common enough wintering ducks on Loch Ryan but are less so at Loch Connell, where they are sporadic visitors. I always think that to my eyes they somehow look better at this body of freshwater; I suspect, that in the males especially, it is their contrasting plumage set against a surround of usually dark-looking water that lend this impression: on the sea the greater expanse of water reflects considerably more light from the sky, generally rendering it light in tone and frequently greyish and muted. This apparent difference is an artistic preference on my part, I guess; the five Goldeneye that graced Loch Connell on the 16th and 30th certainly appealed to that subjective bias of mine.
The ill-weather seemed to keep at bay any Long-tailed Duck present on Loch Ryan, although more likely it was the weather that curtailed my usual viewing; however, my hopes were restored on the 21st when I entered 13 birds of this species into the logbook. Back on Loch Connell, I saw two Pochard on the 22nd, along with two Scaup. An immature of the latter mentioned species was also at this site on my previous visits on the 2nd, the 10th and the 16th. It is Loch Ryan, however, that is the stronghold for this species, and on the 18th a rare opportunity presented itself and from the comfort of my home I was able to count a raft of over 280 birds at Innermessan. I never used to think of myself as - literally - an armchair naturalist but as age creeps forever up on me I now recognise that it has at least one merit to be enjoyed! There is never a certainty to making double figure counts of Tufted Duck at Loch Connell; it is as haphazard as the weather is changeable; thus, 21 there on the 30th is worthy of mention. The same site has in recent years become my first port of call when looking for wintering Goosander. And like the earlier mentioned Goldeneye (and for much the same reason) adult drakes of the present species always seem to appear particularly handsome, a feature no doubt enhanced by their elegant form. Indeed, it would be hard for me to imagine a better place upon which to view such stunning creatures … providing of course that the weather and the light were favourable .. but perhaps I am allowing my artistic sensibility excessive freedom to reign unchecked. The four males and the three ‘redheads’ I saw on the 20th were certainly a delight to behold. Their sea-going counterpart, Red-breasted Merganser, were seen pretty much daily on Loch Ryan, generally in small numbers - which in all probability was more a consequence of the weather hindering general visibility rather than a paucity of birds; however, on the 8th, I did log a raft of 72 at the Wig, which on reflection, made up for the few sawbills that I had seen across the month.
An unusual record for the time of year was that of a Great Crested Grebe at Loch Connell on the 16th. This species was, however, one of the regulars in Wig Bay, along with another staple, Slavonian Grebe. Thirty of the latter was a very reasonable addition to the log on the 12th. The sea-loch is also favoured by Red-necked Grebe, of which I made three observations during the month: two on the 8th and 12th and a singleton on the 20th. Black-throated Divers are always a treat on Loch Ryan, even if they do not always present the most obliging views of themselves - usually just as specks in the distance that show enough details to allow an identification: two birds were present on the 21st. Great Northern Diver is commoner on the loch than its aforementioned compatriot but, perhaps because in general it is a slightly bigger and bulkier looking bird, it might just be easier to see. Singletons were logged on the 3rd, 17th, 22nd and the 25th, two on the 21st and four on the 12th. My peak count for Red-throated Diver was 71 on the 9th.
Regarding waders, the month kicked off with a flock of 420 Golden Plover at the Scar, with perhaps the same birds there a few days later, on the 7th. Thereafter, sighting of this species were intermittent and the number of birds involved was considerably lower. A Greenshank was on the same spit of land on the 12th and was my only record of this species during the month. The beach northwards from the Scar to the outlet of the Corsewall Burn, is often the best place to look for Grey Plover. Counts of this species are never high, as evidenced by a singleton on the 16th and 22nd, and two birds on the 21st, when there was also a lone Knot. Four Lapwing on the Wig fields, also on the 21st, was unusual; a single bird was present at Loch Connell the following day (22nd). A party of 12 Redshank at the Wig on the 20th was a most pleasing sight on account of the dun colours of their plumage (and the equally dun tones of the accompanying day rendering the view almost monochromatic) being countered by the bright orange legs of the birds. Ringed Plover are thankfully still common enough birds of the shore. However, due to change in land-use of some of the fields bordering the Wig trackway the concrete hard-standing in the fields are rarely used by small waders anymore; it was thus encouraging and a delight to observe 62 birds occupying these remnant structures left over from ‘wartime Kirkcolm,’ on the 23rd. On the 21st an excellent count of 71 Turnstone was logged at the Scar.
Common Gulls are very much in evidence on my local patch at this time of year. To assess the population I typically wait until the birds come together before roosting. The Scar is often a good place to watch when this activity develops and on the 24th I successfully counted the arrival of over 450 birds. The same approach can be used for gauging the number of Herring Gulls, such as on the 29th when I logged in excess of 700 birds. It was during one of these pre-roost checks that on the 22nd I noticed an immature Iceland Gull amongst the mass of gathering birds. Six Kittiwake flew past the Scar on the 12th and an adult of this species was at the Wig on the 19th. My only record of Lesser Black-backed Gull was an adult flying over Loch Connell on the 16th. Likewise, I saw just a single Mediterranean Gull all month - a winter-plumaged adult feeding in a grassland beside the Wig on the 15th. I had a late record of a Sandwich Tern flying about Wig Bay on the 9th.
Perhaps not surprisingly, given the season and the oceanic nature of the species, I had few observations of auks. Singleton Guillemot were noted close inshore on the 12th, 16th and 19th. Two Razorbill were logged on the 10th, four on the 12th and 20th and an additional two on the 21st. A particularly interesting record concerns an unprecedented 25 Cormorants on the freshwater site of Loch Connell on the 30th. They were occupied fishing for what appeared to be sea trout, which had entered the loch via a small burn. Quite how so many birds learned of the feast is a mystery; presumably an earlier diner alerted its comrades back at the Scar when it went there to digest its own heavy-weight breakfast! While Cormorants will readily use both fresh and salt water environments Shag are strictly marine (although occasional birds may be swept to inland waters during storm conditions). 182 birds at Wig Bay (extending across Loch Ryan to the pier at Cairnryan) was a typical tally for the time of year, on the 12th.
A singleton Kestrel seen on the 22nd was my only record of this species during the month and in itself is an indication of the birds uncommonness within the local area. Merlin are always scarce birds - visitors only - and are never predictable in their occurrence, which of course adds greatly to the excitement of seeing one. A bird flew in off the sea, on the 2nd, not surprisingly causing panic among the birds that rested on the Scar prior to its arrival. In response both small and large birds rose into the air, only to settle moments later when the diminutive size of the culprit was realised and any threat passed. Another bird, intent upon harassing a passing Raven, was observed on the 14th. An unexpected but pleasant surprise was enjoyed by myself and my daughter on the 22nd when we visited Loch Connell for a weekly check upon the site’s birdlife. Having made a preliminary count our vision was attracted by two shapes drifting low over the countryside to the right of us. They were large birds with deeply forked tails: there was no mistaking them for anything other than Red Kites. Unfortunately they did not linger but their presence, I recall, put an extra bounce of joy in our steps when we headed back along the lane and home for brunch.
The final section of this report takes a look at some of the other birds that were recorded during the month, which for one reason or another peaked my interest. First off, Blackcap: a widespread summer migrant that has in recent times taken to over-wintering in Britain in variable numbers. A handsome male was in my garden on the 8th. That same trend is also displayed by Chiffchaff. My daughter noted a single bird on the Corsewall Estate on the 21st. Collared Doves, on account of them being common in the garden environment, generally receive little attention from the birdwatching community. In this respect, I too … shamefully, am as much to blame as the next person .. or at least when it comes to sharing my findings with other folk of this really quite attractive species. But every once in a blue moon, as the saying has it, there is a turn of events that makes me want to highlight this much ignored species. Now… while the 17 birds that my daughter logged during a stroll through the village on the 21st may not peak the curiosity of but a few individuals, that tally prompted me to ask, “Just how many of these birds reside within the village itself, and which gardens do they particularly favour, and why?” Although such thoughts had previously crossed my mind it was apparent that I had not given them the proper consideration they deserve.
At best there are possibly only one or two pairs of Grey Wagtails that ever breed on my local patch, and my records of them are noticeably few and far between. The species is however more common to me during late autumn and winter. This November I entered three observations in my logbook: singletons on the 1st and 2nd and two birds on the 20th. Greenfinches seem to be making a slow but steady come-back. 15 along the Wig track on the 21st was the largest flock that I recorded. The Jay has never been the most abundant of birds in the woods at Kirkcolm to the point where a singleton observed on the 20th represents my only record of the year to date. Similarly, just a loan Lesser Redpoll was noted on the 21st and a Magpie the day before (20th).
There are usually one or two Rock Pipits that frequent the local beaches but on the 16th I saw a party of 16 birds at the Wig and on the 23rd there were 25 - all of which had probably been blown in by the storm winds that battered the coastline at this time. Flocks of Starling are such a regular sight in my neighbourhood that I am guessing they are taken for granted by most folk, like most so-called common species are. The dilemma, I find, is in deciding which flocks I should count, or at least estimate the size of, and those to ignore in preference of avoiding missing a different species that could present itself at any moment and which I would feel duty bound to record. Choices … choices .. choices! 1,000 or so birds observed flying south on the 1st was a gambit that was not bettered later in the month.
Tree Sparrows are dapper little birds that like so many other once common species have shown a marked decline in the countryside. In my garden in Kirkcolm they have always been sporadic visitors over the years so whenever one turns up my sense of excitement is palpable. Two birds caught my attention on the 19th, then again on the 20th and lastly, on the 23rd. Both their arrival and their departure always prompt within my mind the same sorts of questions already asked regarding Collared Doves, ‘Where did they come from? Why are they here? Where do they go when they depart?’ It is likely that the answers to these mysteries will, alas, never be known.
Although the inclement weather of late has limited my outings this month it has certainly been the reason for the increase in numbers of Twite (along with other finches, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks) visiting the area. I counted 60 of the first mentions species on the shore of the Wig on the 7th, whilst on the 21st a minimum of 209 were registered feeding in an adjacent field.
Two of the disadvantages associated with an aging human body are reduced mobility and a decrease in audio sensitivity. Fortunately, my youthful daughter, with her keen identification skills and acute hearing, has been on hand to bolster my meagre recording efforts. A walk by her through the local estate on the 20th resulted in some more than respectable tallies of the following species: Blackbird 69, Blue Tit 58, Chaffinch 70, Coal Tit 21, Dunnock 19, Goldcrest 15, Great Tit 18, Long-tailed Tit 40, Robin 63, Treecreeper 5, and Wren 45.
This article was provided courtesy of the author, S. Grover
