There are birds that are resident year round and those that are primarily visitors, which either come to our shores to breed or overwinter, attracted here by the prevailing mild conditions and habitats that satisfy their requirements. There are also birds that just pass through on route to destinations elsewhere - the so-called passage migrants. Then there are those birds whose presence here might be deemed accidental, acts of vagrancy. For the most part it is the common birds - those we encounter daily, or at least on a regular basis - that determine our impression of the richness of birdlife wherever we happen to be. In that respect, I consider myself well and truly blessed by the staggering variety of species (not only birds) that can be found on my doorstep, so to speak.
At Loch Connell, on the 12th, I observed a pair of Greylag with a single downy gosling. Come the 27th of the month that youngster was almost fully fledged. At the same site two pairs of Mute Swan were present up to at least the 12th, after which the pair that had successfully nested remained, along with their two offspring. On the sea-loch, just over the hill to the east, a pair of swans with eight large cygnets were at the Wig on the 24th, presumably having swum up from Soleburn earlier that day. 22 adults were at Leffnoll on the 29th. Shelduck were not unexpectedly few this month, with two adults at the Scar on the 1st, a pair with two juveniles there on the 4th (possibly the family unit that was at Loch Connell the previous month), and lastly, a male and a female at the freshwater site of ‘Connell on the 12th.
I’m not quite sure I was anticipating to log an impressive 102 Mallard at Loch Connell when I set out on foot for the site in the early morning of the 12th but that is the tally I entered into my notebook, along with an additional female and her three fully fledged young. This influx was probably the result of birds coming to use the site as a comparatively safe haven whilst undergoing moult into their eclipse plumage - a process which renders the birds flightless for the time it takes them to regrow their flight feathers. The few Teal present here were presumably doing the same: I recorded a maximum of nine birds, on the 22nd; I did however observe a drake and a duck with three juveniles, on the 12th. Away from ‘Connell my highest count of this species was a party of 24 birds seen resting at the Scar, Wig Bay, on the 6th. They were gone by the next day. Back at Loch Connell the same drake Wigeon reported on last month continued to be present throughout July.
Loch Ryan has long been known as an important site for moulting Eider, of which bachelor’s predominate. Many of the birds that use the site congregate at the Scar, where I am able to study their transition from striking-looking pied waterfowl to almost wholly black creatures as their moult into eclipse plumage develops. It is a fascinating progression to behold that forever leaves me in a state of awe and wonderment. 240 birds was my highest tally of the species, on the 6th, but on the 22nd I logged a flock of 209 ‘black’ males amassed on the spit. On the 24th I observed five juveniles at the Wig. Unusual at the Scar were four Tufted Duck, on the 4th. A male of this species, in eclipse plumage, was at Loch Connell between the 12th and 27th. Numbers of Red-breasted Merganser on the sea-loch ranged widely, with my peak count being 65 on the 6th.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I saw no species of diver this month. Five great Crested Grebe were at the Wig on the 8th; they were more obvious on Loch Connell, however, where two pairs had nests. Early on in the month one of the pairs was still in the process of nest building, before settling to incubate. The other pair had at least one chick, on the 27th, then three balls of fluff were observed on the 31st, with two riding, snug, on the back of one of the parents and the third doing the same on the other parent. The same site held two pairs of Dabchick (Little Grebe) on the 19th, with a juvenile noted on the 31st.
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| Sketchbook page showing Great Crested Grebe at Loch Connell |
Fifteen species of wader were recorded this month: none were ‘rarities’, there were no ‘big numbers’, and at least one ’regular’ (at least, in the past!) never showed at all. Four splendid looking Black-tailed Godwit, richly coloured and strikingly marked in their breeding attire, were at the Wig on the the 3rd, followed by one at the Scar on the 6th, then four on the 29th and a delightful treat of 18 there on the evening of the 31st. Numbers of Curlew remained fairly low but for 78 that gathered in the fields beside the Wig on the 24th. My highest count of Dunlin came from the Scar on the 21st, when nine birds in handsome breeding plumage scurried between the stranded wrack on the shore, busily pecking up morsels of food as they went. A lone Golden Plover, also at the Scar, was something of a bonus on the 24th. A few days later, on the 27th, the same shingle spit hosted a Greenshank - perhaps the same bird that I saw earlier in the day at Loch Connell. A party of 20 Knot briefly alighted at the far end of the Scar on the 5th, with seven birds there the following day (the 6th). Eight Lapwing bunched together on the far shore of Loch Connell on the 27th. Presumably, I saw the same birds there again on the 31st. Oystercatcher numbered 57 at the Scar on the 22nd. Redshank were sparse about the Wig, with a high of just two birds observed between the 5th and the 15th - a poor showing but not totally unexpected. Ringed Plover were more abundant than the preceding species but still relatively few in number, with a peak of just 22 at the Scar on the 22nd. Also at this spit of land I recorded two Ruff on the 14th and the 18th. Sanderling, never the commonest of waders to be seen on passage through my local patch, are always a delight to encounter. At this time of year it is adults, mostly still in their summer plumage, that race along the shore at the frontier between land and sea. I saw six birds on both the 21st and the 28th. On the 24th I saw two, both very striking in their appearance and as different in this respect as chalk cheese, appealing to my artistic sensibility. One of them was a gorgeous red colour, the other a contrasting mix of grey, white and black. Foraging side by side along the beach they provided ever changing patterns of colour, shape, and form, which engaged my attention and discerning eyes for a considerable length of time and, alas,
kept me from reaching for my sketchbook in order to capture the moment. I had just one sighting of Snipe: a singleton at Loch Connell on the 27th. If I had been more active this month then I am certain I would have recorded more than just the three Turnstone at the Scar that I registered in my notebook on the 24th, especially so given that I logged the usually much scarcer Whimbrel on four occasions across the month: singletons at the Wig on the 1st, 21st and 24th, and one at Loch Connell on the 31st.
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| Sketchbook page showing Black-tailed Godwits, Gannets, Curlew and Black-headed Gull |
On the 6th, whilst tea was simmering on the stove in my kitchen, I took a few minutes out to scan Loch Ryan from my viewing window, aided by the use of my ‘scope. When the Scar came into view I noticed a dark phase Arctic Skua winging its way down the loch. It was a gratifying reward that would otherwise have been missed. Black-headed and Common Gulls, often accompanied by a few of the crop of the year’s juveniles, tend to find their way back to the sea-loch during the month of July. Of the first mentioned species, I counted 119 in Wig Bay on the 21st, which included a mere 19 youngsters. Alas, the situation for the second named species was far worse, with a peak count of six adults and a single juvenile, on the 11th. Herring Gulls always seem to give me the impression of being the commonest gulls on my local patch. I suspect their daily occurrence coupled with their large size - which generally makes them easier to see and identify at distance, compared with their smaller compatriots on Loch Ryan - accounts for this; but whether it is real or not, I find difficult to resolve. I thought the 257 that I counted at the Scar on the 4th was reasonable enough for this location and time of year. Although the species is generally colony-nesting, if only loosely so, they also take advantage of that which circumstance can provide. A pair nesting on a chimney-stack of a property in the village held my interest throughout the month. On the 14th I noticed three chicks which, incidentally, didn’t seem to be bothered by the Jackdaws that often visited to investigate the stack in search of food. Eight Kittiwake flying past the Scar on the 15th were unexpected visitors. Lesser Black-backed Gull are typically scarce about my neighbourhood, so an adult on the 4th, followed by two on the 7th and another on the 18th were welcome entries to the logbook. Likewise was an immature Mediterranean Gull that I spied in one of the Wig fields at 1840hrs on the 21st.
There was a steady passage of Arctic Tern at Loch Ryan between the 5th and the 24th. As was expected the number of bird involved were few; their was a peak of 18 birds at the Scar on the 19th, whilst 11 on the 17th and 15 on the 20th and 21st were also notable. Common Tern were scarcer than the preceding species, with a high of 12 on the 23rd. Entries of Sandwich Tern in the logbook were almost daily, reaching a high of 24 birds on the 6th. The first juveniles of the year were noted on the 11th.
The calm that often occurs in the early morning at this point in the year is usually the best time to scan the sea-loch for passing Manx Shearwater. They are however neither frequent visitors nor predictable in their occurrence, which makes seeing even one a satisfying experience. I saw four birds leisurely making their way down the loch on the 6th, then a party of six, shortly followed by another 10, on the 9th. All of them were suitably registered in the logbook at a time well before 0700hrs. Gannet happily forage over Loch Ryan at almost any time during daylight hours, whether that be shortly after sunrise or approaching twilight. I saw one bird, from my home’s viewing station, fishing the loch shortly after 2200hrs: the white of its plumage stood out, stark against the darkening tones of the evening. My peak count of the species was 26 birds on the 21st. Several immatures were noted during the month, including a party of three, on the 22nd, that were all in their third calendar year. What surprised me was that they were near identical in appearance. Even within birds of the same age group there is usually some variation in plumage (sometimes obvious, sometimes more subtle but still apparent) that separates them and allows individuals to be identified … but not these birds!
Numbers of Cormorants at the Scar typically increase during July when local, and none local, adults and immatures are boosted by the year’s dispersing juveniles. This year appears not to have been especially great in that respect. The highest count of birds I recorded was 28, on the 19th: only four white bellied juveniles were amongst them. The Shag population at Loch Ryan generally builds up in strength a little later than the preceding species, so the high of six birds (including one juvenile) that were settled on the Scar on the 6th was not of undue concern to me, even if a tad on the low side.
Sand Martin numbers over Loch Connell increased to a rather unimpressive 16, on the 5th, but it did suggest either a dispersal of locally breeding birds or an indication that the autumn passage was underway. A similar conclusion could be applied to the 30 House Martins that I observed over Kirkcolm village on the same day. Swallow numbers peaked at 20 birds on the 20th. It was encouraging to both hear and see eight ‘screaming’ Swifts over the village on the 16th, making this my highest tally yet recorded within the rural setting I call home.
The continual and plaintive mewing of a Buzzard was a sound that I eventually could not ignore as I followed a woodland path on the morning of the 8th. I looked upwards through an opening in the canopy and saw three birds circling high in the sky. I presumed they were a family unit based on the cries of one of the birds. Later in the month, on the 30th, I saw a juvenile in the same area…silent, and perched in a tree.
A rufous phase Cuckoo was an especial delight on the 21st. When caught in the bright light of a full sun its colour seemed to intensify, making it further stand out from the scenery through which it passed. Brown birds are not as common as the more usual grey type, but rufous ones are considerably rarer and, apparently, restricted to the female sex only. Anyway, it was a very nice bird which had me on high alert for another as I strolled homeward bound.
Two juvenile Little Egrets (recognisable by their greenish, not black legs) were at the Scar on the 9th and on the shore by the Wig car park on the 21st. Linnets began to form ever bigger flocks, the largest of which was some 60 birds at the Wig fields on the 25th. A bedraggled Meadow Pipit looked decidedly un-pipit-like on the 21st, having bathed and submerged itself in a puddle of rainwater on the track leading to the wartime observation hut at the Scar. A juvenile Rock Pipit was at the outlet to the Corsewall Burn on the 24th, thus making a welcome return to the logbook.
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| Meadow Pipit bathing |
Moorhen rarely receive a mention in this blog; I couldn’t resist telling you, readers, about the family I saw at Loch Connell on the 27th. It appeared that the parent birds were accompanying their three offspring rather than the offspring accompanying their parents. The chicks - diminutive, black balls of fluff - darted in and out of view amongst the marginal vegetation. First they would scamper one way, then another, making the most of their seemingly over-sized legs and feet to effortlessly transport them at speed through the tangled waterside jungle. So much for me thinking those legs of theirs would make them ungainly! Yet despite the disproportional appearance of the chicks they were nevertheless sweet-looking, cute, endearing and engaging.
Several Skylark were still to be heard singing above the fields beside the Wig track: eight birds did so on the 21st, while others were seen to collect food - no doubt to be fed to hungry youngsters nearby. Seen on the 23rd of the month a flock of 106 Starling, which included many juveniles, was a clear indication of the autumn build up. A Tawny Owl heard hooting during the late evening of the 15th came as a surprise to me. This characteristic call is more typically heard from late-October onwards, at least on my local patch it is. Finally, to wrap up this month’s offering I thought I should mention the large, second batch of juvenile Jackdaw and Rook that I have seen about the village of Kirkcolm this month. Most readers will know that Rooks, in particular, are generally early nesters: March is the favoured time on my patch. Jackdaw often nest in close association with them. The local birds of both species acted in accordance with this tradition, producing many juveniles. However, either a second brood, or later attempts by birds that had failed earlier, have produced another wave of recently fledged offspring, which I first noticed on the 5th. Whether such practice is a regular occurrence elsewhere I do not know but it was sufficient to peak my interest.
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| An adult and juvenile Rook |
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