Quite the Conundrum - January 2023 Bird Report

Thanks to Jeni, Eleanor and Benjamin Grover for contributing records and much thoughtful discussion.  This article and the images contained within were provided courtesy of the author, S. Grover.

A remarkable month that presented three interesting identification challenges; alas, they were never satisfactorily resolved.  Read on to learn more!

Are not Brent Geese great?!  At this time of year they can be seen grazing the sward of the Wig Fields, fattening up in readiness for the journey that will take them back to their breeding grounds in arctic Canada.  Their guttural calls often reach my house and waft in through an open window.  A stirring sound to be sure, especially first thing in the morning when the dawn breaks and the first rays of daylight appear over the moor behind Cairnryan, on the far side of Loch Ryan, brightening swiftly to illuminate the day.  The Brents - pale-bellied ones, to be precise - have maintained a constant presence throughout the month, peaking at 238 birds on the 6th.  In fact, 200 or so birds were seen most days, feeding in the fields at high tide and then on the exposed algae and eel-grass when the tide turned.

An intervening hill separates my house from Loch Connell in the west.  Although my view of this site is thus effectively masked from home, my ears often inform me of a multitude of geese there.  On the 8th the presence of these birds was betrayed by the overwhelming chorus that came from over the hill.  The sound lured me to go and check them out.  Upon arrival I was not unduly surprised by the sight of 122 Canada Geese and in excess of 736 Pink-footed Geese feeding in the adjacent grasslands.

Shelduck were scarce about Loch Ryan, with five at the Scar being my highest count.  It was a different story at the Piltanton Estuary however when I carried out a Wetland Bird Survey there on the 23rd; in spite of the rain I logged 131 birds.

On my local patch I had just one record of a Shoveler: a female at Loch Connell on the 15th.  Teal were most numerous at this site, with a high of 443 on the 8th.  I sometimes find it interesting to gauge the ratio of males to females within flocks; on the 15th, I counted 430 together, 70% of which were males.  Seven of this small duck species rode the choppy water off of the Scar, Loch Ryan, on the 27th.  They bought to mind plastic ducks bobbing up and down on rough water such as you might see on a fast moving stream where a festival ‘duck race’ is being held.  Back to Loch Connell, where I was delighted to record 208 Wigeon on the 8th; lesser numbers are typically the norm’ here.

A pair of Wigeon looking rather splendid

Common Eiders are a staple of Loch Ryan.  I saw them in small, scattered flocks, but knew from experience that many more were actually present: thus, towards the end of the month I put in a bit more of an effort to discover their true numbers.  On the 27th I counted a respectable 204 birds but sensed that there were more out there.  Conditions for counting them were even better the following day, resulting in 339 being logged. 

A possible King Eider on the 8th presented the first challenge for the family.  During a routine scan of Wig Bay from the comfort of my home I noticed a smallish, dark-looking Eider just off the Scar.  Its head was somewhat truncated in appearance, lacking the obvious wedge shaped profile of a typical Common Eider.  To me, at least, its appearance suggested a first-winter male King Eider.  One by one each member of my family took a turn to view the bird through the spotting scope and formulate an opinion.  A closer look was required.  The rest of the family headed off to the Scar whilst I remained on station to monitor the bird’s whereabouts.  Upon their return each member recounted their experience of what they had seen of the bird resting on the Scar, floating on the water, and in flight.  The shape of the head, neck and bill, seen in profile, was agreed by the majority to be atypical compared to Common Eider;  but it was the consensus that several more features lacking needed to be satisfied, in order for a positive identification.  The conclusion was in limbo and that, alas, is where it shall remain.

Common Scoters on the sea loch were, as usual, active and mobile, which made counting them with any accuracy difficult: on the 26th I logged a mere 20 birds.  Entered into the records the following day, the 27th, was my only Velvet Scoter of the month: a female seen at the Wig.  Eight Scaup were also observed at this location on the 2nd, along with two on the 6th and a singleton male on the 27th.  The species faired considerably better at Bishop Burn where a rather low count of 87 birds was made, on the 5th; however, our family party may have been distracted by the presence of what we presumed were two hybrid Scaup X Tufted Duck.  These were a minor identification challenge compared to the ‘three main-event’ birds in this category.

Probable hybrid (2nd from right) in amongst regular Scaup

A handsome black and white (although they do have bottle-green heads, when seen close-to and in good light), male, Goosander was noted at Loch Connell on the 15th and the 23rd, whilst on the 27th a total of 101 Red-breasted Mergansers on Loch Ryan was logged.

Notable this month was the dearth of Cormorants about Loch Ryan.  Barely a handful were seen at the Scar.  Wintering birds seem to disperse from Loch Ryan early in the year.  Shags, on the other hand, linger longer; I counted 130 on the 26th, with 70 of these at the Scar.

Black-throated Divers were observed in Wig Bay on the 8th, 12th and 15th.  Great Northern Divers were more frequent in occurrence, being sighted on nine days across the month, with three birds registered on the 15th.  Red-throated Divers were considerably commoner than their cousins, with a creditable tally of 106 on the 26th.  A delightful trio of Little Grebes (Dabchicks) was seen in the harbour at Stranraer, on the 5th, and two sightings of Red-necked Grebe were registered at the Wig, comprising three birds on the 1st and a singleton on the 19th.  Slavonian Grebes were noted in small numbers, with a maximum of 29 logged, also on the 1st.

There is only ever a small presence of Bar-tailed Godwits about Loch Ryan.  We expect to find them on the shore but they are equally at home in the fields, especially when there has been flooding.  I regularly saw two birds on the Wig Fields, with three on the 26th.  Curlews are commonly found in grasslands: 116  at Clendrie was a good count, on the 18th.  Dunlins roosting on the stone revetments, forming the sea-wall alongside the railway station in Stranraer, provided good counting conditions on the 5th, when there were 88 birds.

Knot are becoming increasingly irregular visitors in my neighbourhood.  I have none to report from Loch Ryan this month, but the Piltanton Estuary surprised me with a flock of 330, during my monthly visit there on the 23rd.

Small parties of Golden Plovers were observed on several dates at the Scar, Loch Ryan; over 300 were present, on the 18th.  Their cousins, Grey Plovers, frequently go undetected because their generally solitary nature and the cold, dull, plumage tones combine to blend them in to their surroundings of pebbles, stones and sandy-mud which they favour hereabouts.  Three birds were seen here on the 26th.  A pleasant surprise find was a Greenshank at the Wig on the 18th; Piltanton has become a more regular place to see them, and four were logged there on the 23rd.  Redshank are one of several species that are more numerous at the southern end of Loch Ryan than at Wig Bay: nine was my highest count from the latter location, on the 26th, whereas I recorded 126 on the stonework of the railway and harbour walls in Stranraer on the 5th.

During the early part of the month I had been seeing reasonably sized gatherings of Common Gulls about Wig Bay but it was not until the 18th that I had a proper stab at counting them.  A flock amassed a short distance off-shore.  Although there was a continual movement of birds I managed to log a minimum of 500.  On the 28th, I again fancied my chances.  Fortunately the birds were all settled; this time I counted 809.  

A leucistic Common Gull was reported to me by several birdwatchers that I encountered on my excursions.  Enter the next challenging conundrum… The skies were clear, so to speak, of any ‘white-wingers’ until the 27th when I happened to spy an incoming bird to the Scar.  Yes, this bird was Common Gull sized but its overall appearance was distinctly different, having a markedly broad arm and a noticeably pointed hand compared to the other Common and Herring Gulls, which it accompanied.  Was this the returning Ivory Gull from 2019, thought I?  … Well, I beckoned my wife .. hoping that a fresh pair of eyes might help to resolve the issue.  Alas, the light was fading fast and the viewing distance too great for precise details to be examined; consequently, an open verdict was registered.  

I went out the following day in the hope of a further sighting but, sadly, the gulls did not gather, on account of there being too much human disturbance.  I did, however, come across another interesting-looking Gull in plain view, associating with a raft of Black-headed Gulls.  It was an immature bird that was already wearing a partial, black,  summer hood.  When it flapped its wings they showed the typical pattern of a similar aged ‘Black-headed’ on the upper sides, but also included a prominent black trailing edge; the underside of the wings were mostly dark: a feature associated with adult Little Gull.  In short, its plumage (markings and tones) and bare parts shared similarities to both Black-headed and Little Gull, though it was obviously smaller than the first mentioned species and a good deal larger than a typical example of the second mentioned.  Could it have been a hybrid?  Or was it just an aberrant bird?  Anyway, three tricky identification challenges in one month was more than enough for this observer.

Artists rendition of the unusual gull

With the decline in the presence and numbers of Twite on my local patch it is little wonder that Merlins have become irregular visitors.  A female on the 8th was the only record.  Jackdaws, being such common birds, rarely receive mention in the blog.  To amend that failing on my part I hereby offer to faithful readers my sighting of more than 200 birds that I watched going to roost on the 28th.  Blackbirds, similarly, receive little attention, but very occasionally it is necessary to count them in order to gauge their status within the area.  A walk through the estate woods on the 6th resulted in a total of 44 birds logged, with the largest group seen together being a mere five.  The flocking tendency of wintering Fieldfares makes them somewhat easier to spot, although at this time of year these thrushes are generally scarce on my local patch.  A party of 12 was the largest congregation seen, on the 2nd.  Mistle Thrushes are less sociable compared to the preceding species.  Just a single bird was noted for a few short days early in the month, briefly seen entering my garden, on the 4th.  Redwings were heard more often than they were seen; 81 were registered on the 6th and 116 on the 11th.  Like Blackbirds, the presence of Robins is noted, but generally without much effort to ascertain their population.  The estate woods harboured a minimum of 43 birds on the 6th.

Blackcaps were recorded in my garden on four occasions: a female on the 4th and a male thereafter on the 8th, 11th and 16th.  Indeed, on the latter date the bird was caught and ringed (under British Trust for Ornithology licence) by my daughter, hence the picture accompanying this article.  A hybrid House Sparrow x Tree Sparrow was again seen in my garden, on the 4th, whilst on the 13th and 14th a lone Tree Sparrow was present here.  Remarkably, normally scarce Bullfinches were recorded in my garden on three occasions, including a male and a female on the 15th and, presumably, the same female of the pair was caught and ringed the following day, on the 16th (see photo).

A selection of birds caught and ringed from our garden

A Christmas Gift - December 2022 Bird Report

Thanks to E, Jeni and Benjamin Grover for providing additional records of sightings used in this report, which was provided by courtesy of the author, S. Grover, along with artwork/photos.

Birdwatchers can be an amusing bunch (to me, anyway), with their own euphemisms, just like any other enthusiast.  Often when I am out and about on my local patch, I am approached by other persons carrying the paraphernalia that characterises a fellow birder.  A usual remark that greets my ears upon our meeting is: “Much about?”, or “Anything interesting?”  What they really mean, of course, is: “Are there any rare birds?” for them to see.  Should you be like me, everything is of interest, whether it be commonplace, a local rarity, or indeed a mega-rarity.  Who am I, to discern what others might consider interesting, or rare? After all, I have no way of knowing what their level of birding expertise is, what their expectations are from their trip, or what birds would differ from those found on the local patch they left to visit Loch Ryan. I do my best to answer, but probably fail to meet their expectations! Or amuse them, who knows?!

At a time when doom and gloom seems to hang over much of our wildlife, I take comfort from the annual increase of Pale-bellied Brent Geese wintering on Loch Ryan.  A count of 423 birds at the Scar and the Wig on the 9th was an impressive tally; weighed against this, and somewhat disconcerting, was that out of a good sized flock of 322 birds seen on the 26th, not a single juvenile was amongst them.

Only 17 adult Mute Swans were logged on the sea-loch during the month.  They were present up to and including the 10th, with none thereafter.  Two were at Loch Connell on the 4th, along with a couple of Whooper Swans.  Shelducks were scarce on Loch Ryan, with one at the Wig on the 5th and 10th, and four at Bishop Burn on the 8th.  They were considerably more plentiful at the Piltanton Estuary, with 147 logged there during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 12th.

It is not often that Loch Connell has a covering of ice but on the 11th I found it to be eighty percent frozen; thus, the few wildfowl that were present congregated on either the small patches of open water or at their icy margins.  Four Pintails were a notable find here; two males and two females were huddled together on the ice, their heads arched over their backs and bills tucked into their mantle feathers for comfort and warmth.  Beside them was a flock of 93 Wigeon, with feathers all fluffed up and the birds adopting the same stance as the Pintails.

Pintails gathering on the ice edge

For most of the month I was registering counts of 50, or less, Common Scoters on Loch Ryan, visible from the comfort of my house; but that changed on the 22nd when I noted 140 birds.  Numbers of Eiders fluctuated seemingly as often as did the weather, but a high of 304 were observed, also on the 22nd.  Goldeneye are small ducks that do not often form large flocks, unlike Scaup or Wigeon, for instance.  I was thus happy to register a total of 31 birds, again on the 22nd.  With this date cropping up time and again it is clear that conditions were in my favour that day.

Following on from last month’s report Goosanders were again at the Wig, with a male present on the 3rd and 4th.  Just up the road, at Loch Connell, 14 (seven males and seven redheads) were observed.  Of particular note was a female at the Piltanton Estuary, observed during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 12th; this constitutes my first site record for the species during ten years of WeBS recording.  My monthly maxima of Long-tailed Ducks at the Wig came on the 4th, when a party of 12 birds busied themselves and, seemingly, made the water boil with their frenzied activity.  The lack of Scaup at the Wig is normal; fortunately, I was able to reacquaint myself with the species when I stopped off at Bishop Burn, on the 8th.  Here I spied 254 birds, mostly close inshore.  I guessed there were many more that I didn’t see … but that, as they say, is the nature of sea-watching.

The Black-necked Grebe reported on last month continued to be seen about the Wig up until at least the 10th.  Here also, on the 27th, I saw a Great Crested Grebe that was already adorned in full breeding plumage.  Little Grebes numbered ten at Loch Connell on the 4th.  On the sea loch, Red-necked Grebes were seen sporadically across the month, with two together on the 7th and 10th.  The same loch hosted 47 Slavonian grebes on the 22nd.  Just a single record of a Black-throated Diver this month: one at the Wig on the 27th.  There were two Great Northern Divers on the 17th, with singletons on the 22nd and 26th.

Bar-tailed Godwits were noted on four occasions at the Wig, with a maximum of two birds on the 26th.  Dunlins were scarce at this location but faired better at Piltanton, when 63 were logged during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 12th.  Golden Plovers at the Scar peaked at 403 on the 8th, whereas the maximum number of Grey Plovers here was three, on the 13th.  The same site held 12 Lapwings on the 8th - a most unusual  and rare occurrence these days; as indeed was a high count of 114 birds at Loch Connell on the 24th.  The Wig regularly supported parties of Ringed Plovers, with a flock of 72 birds on the 23rd.  Groups of Turnstones were equally widespread along the shoreline of Loch Ryan, with 27 being the highest count of birds, on the 23rd, although the monthly Wetlands Birds Survey count at Piltanton logged 79 birds on the 12th.

These days we can expect to see a Little Egret at the Wig from time to time; one there on the 3rd was thus delightful but not extraordinary.  One at Loch Connell, however, on the morning of the 24th was enough to raise my heartbeat - my first ever record from this site since my recording here began fourteen years ago.

A first-winter Glaucous Gull at the Scar on the 25th and 26th was a noteworthy surprise, as was an ‘arctic type’ Herring Gull seen earlier in the month, on the 3rd.  Arctic ‘Herrings’ are typically large and powerful-looking and show a much reduced amount of black in their wingtips than do the familiar British race … this bird ticked all the right boxes!  The next day, on the 4th, the same location hosted another intriguing gull in the form of an immature ‘Viking Gull’ - a hybrid between Glaucous and Herring Gull.  Very nice!  A pit stop at Bishop Burn, on the 12th, revealed a smart-looking, adult Mediterranean Gull, in winter plumage.

Glaucous Gull (left) and a Mediterranean Gull

The only record I had of a Guillemot on Loch Ryan came on the 26th when I observed a singleton at the Wig.  Razorbills were hardly any commoner, with just one on the 1st and two on the 4th.  A lone Merlin was was observed about the Wig Fields on the 12th, 13th, 16th and 21st but whether it was the same bird on all occasions is unknown.  The larger sized Peregrine was sighted just once but involved a pair of birds, at Loch Connell on the 4th.

Carrion Crows rarely receive much attention from birdwatchers.  In many human societies crows are vilified; but in truth, they are no worse, or better, than most other species.  Like any other species on this planet they are what they are, including being intelligent and resourceful problem solvers.  We can anthropomorphise them as easily as we can as any cute, fluffy, duckling, or any bird showing seemingly tender affection.  It was this latter evocation that caught my eye when I saw two almost identical crows huddled up to one another in a heavy rain shower on the 25th.  They gave the appearance of looking sad and forlorn.  One bird reached over to the other with its bill and gently preened its companion’s chin and cheeks; the other seemed to receive the gesture affectionately, altering the position of its head incrementally to pleasure both birds simultaneously.  When finished, neither bird looked sad anymore but seemed content to sit snuggled next to each other in the pouring rain.

A Waxwing was a happy discovery by my wife when she drove past Seabank Road, in Stranraer, on the 5th.  Another stunning bird turned up briefly in our garden on the 10th.  A flock of plus 40 Skylarks on the Wig Fields, on the 13th, was a noteworthy addition to the log, whilst a female Blackcap was a surprise visitor to my garden on the 25th.  Had it not been caught (under licence) in a mist net by my daughter its presence would have gone undetected.

This Blackcap (f) in the hand was a surprise Christmas present!

The only entry for Mistle Thrush in the logbook was on the 23rd.  Song Thrushes faired better, with a tally of five birds on the 11th and six (mostly along the Wig track) on the 20th.  House Sparrows peaked at 56 in my garden on the 21st, whilst a Tree Sparrow here was recorded on the 1st and 2nd.  Curiously, a House Sparrow x Tree Sparrow hybrid was also observed in my garden on the 21st, 26th and 27th.  Like most hybrids this bird generated more questions amongst members of my household than there were definitive answers.

House Sparrow hybrid and House Sparrow side by side

Winter at the Wig - November 2022 Bird report

Thanks to E. and Jeni Grover for contributing to the records used in this report, which was supplied courtesy of the author, S. Grover.

In any given month there is usually something to be witnessed that lodges in the memory - maybe not for a lifetime, but even that does sometimes happen; such an event, an occasion, an experience … call it what you will .. is there for you to relive time and time again. One such day happened on the 28th this November. It was not because of the number of any rarities seen, but the large number of bird species (78) that day on the Wig. As every local patch recorder knows, the number of species logged will depend on many factors. Chance plays an important part. Go try on your own stomping ground, and see what I mean!

Mute Swans numbered 117 at the southern end of Loch Ryan on the 4th and remained high until the 15th when a sudden decline followed, as birds presumably left the immediate area to forage inland when cold temperatures set in. Whooper Swans continued to pass through in small numbers, although a visit to Soulseat Loch, on the 13th, revealed 82 birds.

Grey geese were sparse on my patch this month. The stalwart Pale-bellied Brent Geese, however, were present in good numbers at the Wig, peaking at 282 on the 20th.  Canada Geese at Loch Connell also faired well, with 152 birds there on the 6th. A Wetland Bird Survey count at Piltanton Estuary, on the 13th, logged 96 Shelducks - a welcome increase over the paucity of birds recorded there in previous months.

A Pintail at the Wig, on the 1st, was an unexpected bonus bird, whilst a Shoveler at Loch Connell, on the 13th, was equally nice to see, especially as it was a handsome drake sporting a rich-chestnut waistcoat and a bottle-green head.  The latter site scored well for Teal, too, with 196 birds on the 20th.  Numbers of Wigeon at the Wig varied daily, with a high of 200 on the 10th.  Eiders were widespread on Loch Ryan, with a tendency to form small parties rather than one large group.  Nonetheless, I registered 201 birds on the 28th.  Long-tailed Ducks, as usual, were highly mobile, but I did succeed in counting 11 at the Wig, on the 29th.  The amount of Common Scoters about the sea loch seemed to vary from one day to the next: my highest count of them being 119 on the 28th.  I had just one record of Velvet Scoters: a party of three, also on the 28th.  Goosanders are expected visitors at this time of year so two ‘redheads’ at Loch Connell on the 17th were a nice discovery but not unusual.  However, a male and female at the Wig, on the 18th and 19th, was very much out of the ordinary.  Red-breasted Mergansers, on the other hand, are commonplace on the sea loch; 91 were counted here on the 3rd.

Loch Ryan was once known as a regular wintering haunt of Black-necked Grebes in Scotland, not that there ever were many birds present.  But circumstances change over time, and today they exist here only in the memory of only a few birdwatchers. Or so I thought!  Thus, it was a pleasant surprise for me to spy one such bird from my house, paddling on the calm waters of the Wig, on the 17th.  (I later learned that this bird had been observed several days prior to my sighting).  Thereafter, I saw it intermittently up to the month’s end.  On the 19th, I was especially privileged, because the bird appeared in the same ‘scope view with a Great Crested, a Red-necked and a Slavonian Grebe.  Rather ungraciously, I admit, I did hope for a Dabchick to pop up in the same view and complete the ‘set of regular British grebes’ but, upon reflection, a quorum of four species was more than a satisfactory outcome.  Singleton Red-necked Grebes were observed on several occasions across the month, with two birds together at the Wig on the 28th.  Being more abundant, Slavonian Grebes were seen regularly, including a tightly bunched party of 17 on the 28th, when an impressive tally of 56 birds in total was registered.

Black-necked Grebes with their fellows 

Unusually, sightings of Black-throated Divers were a regular feature of the month, including two birds on the 1st and again on the 28th.  Not to be outdone, Great Northern Divers followed a similar pattern to the preceding species, and included three on the 3rd and two on the 28th, whilst on the 10th a singleton still in full breeding plumage was noted.  A Pacific Diver, noted in last month’s blog, made an appearance at the Wig towards the close of the month.  Its habit of consistently diving for periods of 30 seconds, suggests to me that it might be the returning bird of previous winters.  Weather affected many of my attempts to gauge the numbers of Red-throated Divers using Loch Ryan. I did, however, succeed in making a respectable count of 65 birds on the 28th.

Black-tailed Godwits are scarce visitors to my neighbourhood at this time of year: two were present, often on the Wig Fields, from at least the 14th to the 18th.  By comparison, Curlews are reasonably common and widespread, generally occurring in relatively small, scattered flocks feeding in the grass fields.  On the 28th, a flock of 141 birds in a field beside the Wig was an unusually high count.  The drab tones of winter plumaged Dunlins allows them to forage without drawing undue attention to themselves.  The 30 birds I encountered at the Scar, on the 15th, was a consequence of luck rather than keen vigil.  The Scar also hosted most of the Golden Plover flocks that I noted during the month, the largest comprising 400 birds, on the 28th.  A Wetland Bird Survey count at Piltanton, however, resulted in a considerably larger congregation of some 2000 being recorded, on the 13th. A Greenshank, on the 18th, was an unexpected visitor at the Scar, whilst 60 Knot here on the 10th were also welcome additions to the log.

Black-tailed Godwits in the Wig fields

It is largely because Oystercatchers are everyday birds on my study patch that they go uncounted for much of the time; it is, however, useful to occasionally check upon their status.  A high tide roost at the Scar on the 18th held 270 birds, which was rather more than I had expected. Numbers of Ringed Plovers at this site were also generally higher than I thought they would be: there were in excess of 100 birds present on at least four occasions across the month, with the highest count of 114 coming in on the 1st.  No doubt the smattering of Woodcock sightings was a consequence of the recent cold spell that gripped the parish.  A walk passing through the estate woods on the 20th revealed three separate birds.

Outside of the breeding season Kittiwakes are truly oceanic birds.  They do sometimes pass close by to mainland shores, especially during periods of strong prevailing winds: but such conditions rarely push birds onto Loch Ryan.  The presence of three birds observed passing the Scar on the 25th were thus something of an enigma, given the calm weather of that day.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls, too, are usually scarce about the sea loch during November, so it is pleasing to be able to report the presence of at least eight birds on the 15th.  Of particular note was the late record of a Sandwich Tern at the Scar, on the 3rd.

Razorbills continued to be widespread on Loch Ryan across the month, if only in small numbers: 13 being my highest count of them on the 3rd.  An almost ‘white’ Black Guillemot was observed about the Wig on the 22nd.  In winter plumage this species is predominantly pale-looking anyway, and made even more so in certain lights; this particular bird, however, was more than that, suggesting to me that its origin was from the high arctic.  I have been fortunate to see one such ‘white’ bird on the loch during the past few winters, so perhaps - like the Pacific Diver - it too might be a returning bird … or not!  (Another little unsolved mystery to be added to the growing pile of queries that nature presents to any curious mind).

The sea loch supports a rich diversity. Shags are a characteristic part of that community.  As a species, these dark sentinels do not often attract the attention of birdwatchers - which is a shame because like Rooks (who bothers to look at them, too?), they are full of individualistic character and … dare I say it .. charm.  Anyway, good numbers of them were to be seen throughout the month.  Often as not I saw them in ones and twos or in small parties but, occasionally, larger congregations mustered on the Scar and the Cairnryan Pier.  Indeed, on the 18th, an impressive tally of 156 were logged, which included 94 on the Scar and another 62 on the pier.

Elusive Water Rails can often be detected on sound alone: two were heard calling from the estate marsh on the 19th and the 28th.  A Kingfisher at a puddle of freshwater beside the beach at Kirkcolm was an unexpected treat on the 19th, whilst a Merlin at the Wig, on the 28th, was the only record of that species on the local patch for November.

Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that the presentation of species roughly, wherever practical, follows an order, or groupings, dictated by the current accepted evolutionary taxonomy; so, for example, swans are followed by geese, then ducks, and so on, with buntings coming at the end.  This month  the passerine section is alphabetical, on account of the mishmash of my records!

Blackbirds rarely flock together but occasionally small groups temporarily form, such as the six seen on the 18th, when a walk through the estate woods revealed a tally of 20 birds in total.  Bramblings are irregular visitors in my neighbourhood and are not recorded annually.  Three on the 18th, five on the 20th and two on the 27th were, thus, meritorious.  Equally notable was a male Bullfinch in my garden on the 4th.  Chaffinches may never be headline news but over 50 together on my beat are always worthy of mention.  On the morning of the 27th I started to count what I thought was a small party of them feeding in a beech grove; at first I saw 12, the 32, then - following the arrival on the scene of a hunting Sparrowhawk - 82 sped away in to deep cover.  I had but two incidences of Greenfinches at the Wig: six on the 1st and 12 on the 22nd.  My neighbour feeds the birds daily, which, in part, is a reason why I have a host of House Sparrows in my garden for most of the year.  It was heartwarming to log 80 of these garrulous birds on the the otherwise dreary day of the 14th.  Fieldfares continued to pass through in variable numbers, the highest being 250 on the 2nd.  Long-tailed Tits are always a delight to see, wherever they turn up.  A party of six in my garden, on the 23rd, was unusual, and great, simultaneously!

A pair of Bramblings

Three late Swallows appeared out of the grey, heading south (surprise, surprise!), on the 1st.  On the 4th a Tree Sparrow arrived in my garden.  It was joined by another a couple of days later.  The same two birds, presumably, were observed almost daily thereafter.  Whether these particular sparrows had come from a local stock whose whereabouts were hitherto unknown, or had originated from further afield, is not determined; but the sporadic visits by this species made to my garden in recent years clearly warrants investigation.  Another interesting sighting relates to that of a late Willow Warbler - also in my garden - on the 29th.  Not only was the bird observed flitting about in characteristic warbler fashion, but it also paused on occasion to vent forth song.

This month we close with Woodpigeon - a common species that rarely receives mention.  November, however, is a month noted for the movement of these birds on a broad front.  On the 13th, whilst paying my weekly respects to the wildlife at Loch Connell, I witnessed the south-westward passage of over 550 birds within the short period of an hour.