Feeding, Cross-breeding and Ducklings! Bird Report for 27/04/20 - 03/05/20

This week we finally hit May and looking back over April its safe to say that it has been our best month so far, in both daily counts and new species recorded. This was all due to the spring migration, which whilst this did see a few species leave us, has otherwise been a huge influx of birds coming to our climate in order to breed. This is something we expect to continue throughout May, so be on the lookout for birds in breeding plumage, local nesters, and maybe even some young birds. 

Many species have very distinctive breeding plumages, such as the Red-throated Diver, where it gains its namesake colour. Whilst some do breed in Scotland, they are up at Arran, and more of them over in Iceland. There are a few on Loch Ryan right now at least, and they are certainly magnificent to look at if you can find them. They aren't the only diver about, we are still seeing some Great-northern Divers, up to 4 on one day!

A Gannet takes the plunge

Whilst not divers by name, there are a lot of species of seabird which stoop into aerial dives and plunge into the water to fish. Largest of these are the Gannets, which breed locally on Ailsa Craig. Whilst they hunt all over the North Atlantic Ocean, we still see them daily over the Loch, with up 50 birds recorded in one day. Alongside them, we also get lots of the smaller terns. Sandwich Terns have been around for a while now and are the most numerous, having 107 seen on the Scar this week alone. Common Terns are about in ones and twos, and this week we finally had our first Arctic Tern of the spring! These birds have bred locally in the past, but normally we see them stopping over the Loch on their migration north. 

The last seabird I want to mention is the Cormorant. Most days these can be seen either out on the loch fishing or sitting on the Scar sunning themselves. Whilst many of these are local birds we had a visitor from distant shores this week. The subspecies P. c. sinesis is native to western Europe and eastern Asia, however, given the widespread nature of the Great Cormorant (our local species), it is not uncommon to see these sub-races crop up from time to time. 

If subspecies didn't make identifying birds hard enough, how about when two different species inter-breed? The resulting offspring are called hybrids and are seen in lots of species, including ducks and geese. Our local hybrids are from the corvid family, between Carrion and Hooded Crows. Often amongst regular Carrion Crows, we saw two of these such hybrids this week. Jackdaws and Rooks are common sightings around the Wig, and we rounded the week out with some Ravens as well. 

Loch Connell as seen from the road

Whilst a lot of our records come from around the Wig, another good local spot is Loch Connell. Located up the hill behind Kirkcolm, it is a small loch in the middle of some farmland. Whilst not much to look at, it does have some unique species that we don't really see elsewhere. In the winter the surrounding fields are host to hundreds of geese, most of which have since left us, yet at least three Greylag Geese still remain. Out on the water and there are many species of duck. This week Teal were out, alongside a family of Mallards with three little ducklings! Gulls are pretty much a staple species anywhere locally, but alongside large flocks of Herring Gulls, Loch Connell featured our only Lesser Black-backed Gull of the week. Birds aren't the only animals to see, as alongside Roe Deer in the fields we also had an Otter in the Loch as well. These are relatively easy to spot, you just have to be willing to get up early enough in the morning!

With all this animal activity, May certainly has got off to a strong start. Many of the migrant species have already settled in and have become staple records each week. Hopefully, this trend continues, and I'm sure we will see plenty of new species in the coming month!

[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

The Song of Spring: Bird Report for 20/04/20 - 26/04/20

April is drawing to a close and yet our bird activity is showing no signs of slowing down. Perhaps this is to be expected, with many species preparing, or even starting to breed. And yet somehow we're still getting new species appearing each week, such is the bountiful nature of the spring migration.

Following on from last week's guide, and we're already seeing Swallows on a daily basis. House Martins are becoming a regular sight as well and a couple will be breeding locally within our village. Friday was a particularly good day for them as we had 20 individual birds, our highest Martin count yet. Whilst not as frequent as the other two, we still did see a couple of Sand Martins over the week. These used to breed locally at Soleburn, but can still be found at Piltanton, or over on the west coast at Dally Bay. To round out the set we even had some Swifts, with four being recorded over the Hospital within Stranraer itself.

Spring could definitely be called the season of sounds, with so many birds calling to their mates, or singing to attract one. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer variety of songs, but it certainly never helps when some species like to spice it up with every sound they make. No more is this true than for the Song Thrush, and I spent a good amount of time up in the woods this week trying to pin down what was making the plethora of bizarre calls, only to find a Song Thrush as the culprit each time! What was also very nice to see this week has a high number of Mistle Thrushes. Not normally as prolific as their vocal cousins, we had consistent records of them in the Corsewall Estate Gardens, with up to as many as three in one day. That wasn't all on the thrush front, however, as we also had several records of Fieldfares this week. These birds winter in the UK, amongst other countries, and are now in the process of migrating back to Northern-Europe in order to breed.

Song Thrush in prime position to call out to the world

We are very fortunate that around the Wig there is a great diversity in the habitats and the species which they support. One such habitat which can be easily overlooked are the marshes. They are a short strip of tall vegetation that run alongside the beach, and this week they have been an explosion of activity. Staple species include Grey Herons which prowl the ponds, and the many ducks that feed alongside them. It is very common to hear Teal calling from behind the banks, however this week it was all about Mallards, with males showing very prominently on the marsh pools. No ducklings yet, but we did see some of those over at Loch Connell later in the week. Back to the marsh, and often the best way to find something is to hear it, as numerous birds call out from within the safety of the shrubs. Previously we've had Reed Buntings and Willow Warblers recording singing here, but this week we added another three species to the list! Expanding our Warblers roster, we had both Sedge and Grasshopper Warblers singing from within the marsh this week. Alongside them, our first Whitethroat, which we have heard many times since then. Every week I think we've seen the last of the spring migrants arriving and yet every week we manage to get a couple more, so I'm excited to see what next week brings.

Springtime is breeding time for many species of birds, and that includes our waders. For us locally this is on the Scar, a sand bar at the end of the track running up the Wig, and it's surrounding areas. Because of the breeding birds here, the area is off-limits from May till August, so if you are visiting the area please watch out for the signs and try to keep to the footpath.

Oystercatcher eggs are well hidden amongst the shingle

That doesn't mean we still can't see these birds, indeed this week provided a lot of action on the wader front. Alongside staple Oystercatchers (who breed along the beach, so watch your footing) we also had Curlews and 28 Whimbrels! There were also Bar and Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plover and Turnstones, and even some small flocks of Dunlin and Sanderling.

On a final note, I want to highlight our Raptors. We've been collecting and dissecting a lot of pellets lately and using their contents to determine their owners. To me though, it is no substitute for seeing them in person. Fortunately this week we've been pretty lucky, and alongside the more common Buzzards, we also had a Kestrel and Tawny Owls. Normally we only hear the Tawny Owls calling, but this week we not only saw 1, but 3! The Barn Owls still prove to be elusive however, and whilst we have evidence of them in the area, it's been a while since we've seen one.

Another week comes to close, and with it we're suddenly in the month of May. April has seen an explosion of bird activity, with so many migrants arriving, as well as our resident birds getting ready to breed. Going forward into May we can expect this activity to continue, and so hopefully we will have lots of more exciting records to report in the coming weeks.

[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

Analysing the Aerial Acrobats: A Swallow and Martin Identification Guide

Whilst spring brings an enormous variety of migrants, perhaps the most iconic is the Swallow. Swallows and Martins arrive at our doors having travelled thousands of miles from their wintering grounds. Here to breed, they will soon be filling the skies with their acrobatic and elegant swoops and dives. In the UK we have 3 regular species of Swallows and Martins, all of which can be found here within Dumfries and Galloway. Sitting next to each other they might be easy enough to identify, however in the high-speed pursuit of insects they can be a lot tougher to pick out. In this article, I hope to provide a beginner's guide to identifying Martins, with some tips and tricks to picking our common species apart, as well as some other similar species. 

Swallows are much easier to identify when stationary!

Swallows (technically Barn Swallows but I've never heard anyone use that) are the most well-known of the family, and probably the easiest to identify. Slightly larger than Chaffinches, they have a distinctive dark blue back, white undersides and if you're close enough to see it, a deep red face. These can be very hard to pick out when on the wing however, especially when flying low and fast, mixed amongst other Swallows and Martins. Here, its most key feature is its long streaming tail feathers, which fork out and extend for a very noticeable 3 - 6 cm. Adult males will have the longest tail-streamers, however juveniles and females still possess them, and it is the key feature to notice when separating them from the various Martins.

House Martins are in fact slightly smaller than Swallows, but this is easily missed unless compared side by side. Otherwise, they are very similar with dark backs and white underbellies. Once again their identifying feature lies at their rear. Their tail feathers are slightly forked, however not nearly as long as the Swallows. Additionally, they have a large white patch on their rumps, which is very easy to pick out, even at long distances. 

A House Martin, on a house!

Smallest of the bunch (though again, by a very marginal difference) are the Sand Martins. Unlike the previous two species, they tend to avoid urban areas for nesting sites, preferring the sandy banks (hence the name) of gravel-pits or rivers. These habitats can still be close enough to nesting sites of other Martins that they can share the same feeding grounds, indeed we see all of these species when around the Wig. Breaking the trend, Sand Martins are noticeably brown when compared to House Martins, and their pale underbellies are broken by a brown stripe. They lack any kind of rump patch and have very short, square tail feathers to easily distinguish them from Swallows. 

Last of these aerial acrobats are the Swifts, who are in fact from an entirely different family than Swallows and Martins (something to do with their feet being unsuitable for perching). Very close to a Swallow in size, they share the same habitats and so can often be found feeding alongside them, leading to much confusion when identifying them. Fortunately, Swifts are dark all over, and have a very large, crescent moon shaped wingspan. If these weren't enough to pick them out, they can be identified by their ringing, scream-like calls. 

Normally at this point, I mention some occasional rarities that you could also look out for, however, in Europe we don't have that many Swallows and Martins (1 more Swallow, and 3 more Martin species) all of which stick to Southern Europe, or even across the Mediterranean in Africa. Over the past couple of years though, we have had individual records of an Alpine Swift and a Pallid Swift. These are very rare visitors, again preferring the warmer south. If you are fortunate enough to find one, Alpine Swifts can be identified from their regular cousins by white patches on their throat and belly. They are also much larger, and so will stand out amongst other Swifts and Swallows. Pallid Swifts are much more similar to our regular birds, and so its probably better to leave those to the experts (of which I am not). Not that we are likely to see them, but if you take a Mediterranean holiday it might be worth looking over them once again. 

Whilst there might only be 4 species in this guide, they are all very similar, and importantly can all be seen within Dumfries and Galloway. Hopefully, these tips will give you some confidence in identifying these aerial masters, and with spring underway, the skies will soon be full of targets for you to practise on!

[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

The Coming and Going: Bird Report for 13/04/20 - 19/04/20

There seems to be no end to this fantastic weather that we're having, and no end to our spring birds either. Our individual counts are looking much higher of late, and often reach almost 60 species in a day! And it wouldn't still be spring without yet more new species, there is always something exciting going on.

Checking back in with one of this blogs staple species, and the Pale-bellied Brent Geese have finally moved on to their Arctic-tundra breeding grounds. That is not to say that all have left us, as we see varying numbers of flocks on a daily basis, between 20-70 individual geese. This variation in numbers suggests that these are different flocks of birds which are simply stopping by on their migration, however some could well be sticking around for longer. One individual certainly is, the Dark-bellied Brent. Whilst our wintering Pale-bellies might have moved off, this individual is far more likely to be the same one we've been seeing over the past few months. What it is waiting for we're not quite sure, but at least he found a friend this week, as amongst the larger flocks we recorded 2 Dark-bellied Brents!

Dark-bellied Brent, out for a paddle

Similarly, our Pink-footed Geese seemed to have headed back to Iceland, as we've not had any records of them this week, with past weeks seeing a very low number of records as well. Making up for it our the swans however, as we've seen an increase in numbers around our shores, including 6 Mute Swans at Soleburn and a Whooper Swan at Loch Connell. This was also the sight of the other few geese we had, with a lone Pinkie and 5 Greylag Geese recorded.

Some birds might be losing numbers, but others are certainly gaining them. Sandwich Terns are still on the rise, with a high of 89 birds recorded this week! Alongside them, another new species in the Common Tern. Another migratory species, they've also come here to breed, but are always a little behind their cousins and so we expect to see more of them as the month progresses.

From sky-divers to surface-divers, and we've seen a reduction from our regular winter numbers of Red-throated Divers. They are also leaving us for distant shores, and therefore we had a reduced passage of birds, with only 11 recorded this week. Contrary to this, it has been a very good week for Black-throated Divers, with 5 sighted over the week. We even had a Great-northern Diver to complete the set. It's very nice to see these birds out in the sun, before they will eventually leave us until winter once more.

Last week saw the arrival of our first Whimbrel, and this week we saw that number increase to 9 birds! It certainly has been a good time for waders, as alongside many of our staples we also had some Dunlin (in fine breeding plumage) visit our shores. Elsewhere on the marshes, we had an elusive Snipe, and back on the Wig, our first Sanderling of the year! These tiny waders are also migrants, but breed further up in the arctic circle and so will just be passing through. 

A Whimbrel, perhaps not what you'd expect to find in a field

Lots of birds are making their preparations now, with the Stonechats singing and Linnets being seen collecting nest materials. A pair of Twite were a nice surprise for us, as were the sightings of Grey Wagtails and Rock Pipits this week. Rounding out the small birds this week were some Reed Buntings, often singing from within the marsh.

The theme of spring really is migration, with many birds coming from far-flung countries to feed and breed in our temperate climate. One such bird flies over the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean just to grace our shores this week, the Cuckoo. Synonymous with spring, we can soon expect the icon call to be heard throughout as they begin their mischievous breeding plans.

And that's another glorious week wrapped up. This fine weather seems to have no intention of letting up, so let's hope the birds don't either! Until next time, stay safe and happy bird watching.

[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

Newcomers and Nesters: Bird Report for 06/04/20 - 12/04/20

Its been another fantastic spring week with even more migrants arriving, among them several new species for this blog. Starting further afield than usual, a single Yellowhammer was spotted just past Soleburn. Rather unusual in our area, this was a lovely record to add to the blog. More locally, the singing of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs has now been joined by a few Willow Warblers and we'll expect to see this number increase as spring progresses. Our first Sand Martins, House Martins and Swallows of the spring were also this week - all on the same day no less! A slightly different migrant for this time of year was espied in the woods this week: six Fieldfares. While most of the migrants we speak about at the moment are coming into the country from warmer climes, Fieldfares are doing the opposite. Having over-wintered in the milder British climate, they are now heading back off to Scandinavia to breed.

Bar-tailed Godwit in Winter Plumage

Not to be outdone, our waders also received some new migrant species this week. In amongst the regular Oystercatchers and Turnstones, a high of 60 Ringed Plovers rested on the shingle. Single Bar-tailed Godwits were also seen on the scar a couple of times this week, along with 12 Knots. Our lonesome Redshank was far eclipsed by the 30-50 seen at Bishop burn by Gill Deacon. Also at Bishop Burn, Gill saw 18 Knots, 90+ Curlew and 24 Bar-tailed godwits and, amongst these, she managed to see a single male Ruff. A delightful bird, this was the first Ruff around the loch that we know of for this spring. If you thought that would be it for waders then you are mistaken - for a visit to Loch Connell this week also included some nice wader sightings! Singles of Greenshank and Lapwing were seen on the exposed mud, with 4 Black-tailed Godwits looking handsome as they fed in the adjacent field. Loch Connell was also the sight of a further two new species for the blog: Coot and Whimbrel. The Coot, similar to last week's Moorhen, is less common around here than in other areas due to the lack of available habitat. The Whimbrel, however, is a migrating wader that is just starting to come through on spring passage. Similar in appearance to the Curlew, it is perhaps best separated by its characteristic seven-note call.

Keeping to our shore around the Wig and the birds are no less disappointing. A single Wheatear was seen this week, along with a smattering of Linnets and Meadow Pipits in the nearby fields. Out above (and on!) the loch, Sandwich Terns have been increasing in number daily, with a peak count of 28 birds this week. They join the also-increasing number of Gannets in plunging into the water for food. Less noticeable but still sitting out on the water are the usual Red-breasted Mergansers, Eiders and Common Scoters. Further ducks include the lone female scaup returning to grace our end of the loch and a superb count of 29 Long-tailed Ducks (the highest count for this year!). Most of these smart-looking ducks are now well underway into their moult from winter to summer plumage. Many people say that for Long-tailed Ducks, the winter plumage is by far the better looking, however, it cannot be denied that their chocolate-brown summer plumage is also a sight to behold. Perhaps unusually for ducks that we are more familiar with, the female also has two different plumages. Whilst not as showy as the drakes with their eponymous tails, the females nonetheless present an appearance of demure beauty - a far cry from the stereotypical 'brown duck'.

A nesting Collared Dove, eyeing the food we just put out!

Whilst many species are heralding spring as they fly thousands of miles to be here, closer to home other species already have summer on their mind. The morning chorus, while beautiful to us, signals a battle between rivals as they compete to sing loudest and attract a mate. Robins and Wrens, Song Thrushes, Goldcrests and Great Tits; all of these species are worth keeping your ears open for at this time of year. Other species may have already paired up. The drumming of Great-spotted Woodpeckers has become less frequent in recent weeks and House Sparrows, Blue Tits and Starlings have been seen collecting nesting material in our garden. Blackbirds and Rooks are already collecting food to take back to small chicks and a Collared Dove is sitting on a nest right outside our neighbour's back door!

With that, it must be time to sign off for this week. Be it migration or the breeding season, everything is well underway and we look forward to seeing the changes that continue to occur as spring progresses.

[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]