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!
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| 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.
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| 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.]
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