Migrations and Colonies: Bird Report 06/07/20 - 12/07/20

This week has been a mixed bag, both in terms of the weather and the birds we have been seeing. Amongst the rain showers, bursts of sun and strong gusts we have been out and about this week, and so have a variety of records from across the north Rhins. Following on from last week's feature article, we made it out to Aldouran Glen, and so have an interesting selection of insects and amphibians alongside the many birds as well. 

Whilst many birds come and go with the seasons, gulls are ever-present on our shores. This week is no different and we have had plenty of Herring and Black-headed Gulls, including several juvenile birds. We also had regular records of Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls, alongside some Common Gulls which have not been as frequent of late. This is a good time of year for Mediterranean Gulls but so far we have seen none yet. Maybe with the upcoming movement of birds we will see some, perhaps with some Yellow-legged Gulls while we're at it!

A Common Gull rests on the seafront at Stranraer

Down on the Scar, amongst all the gulls we still have our summer terns. Most of our Sandwich Terns have finished breeding, evident by the presence of juvenile birds amongst the adult flocks (30 - 55 birds across the week). We also had a few Common Terns alongside them, though soon enough we will lose both species as they migrate back to their wintering grounds in Africa and Asia. 

As they go, so will other species arrive to winter on our shores. First to appear are normally the waders, and we are already seeing this with small flocks of Dunlin and Knot being recorded on the Wig. Another such species is the Redshank. Whilst not uncommon during the winter, they disappear during the summer and so this is our first record of the species since mid-April.

As mentioned earlier, this week we made the trek over to Leswalt to visit Aldouran Glen. With the sun shining brightly we were hoping to find all sorts of insects, so imagine our surprise when upon arrival there wasn't a fly to be seen! We did eventually find some Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies, but it seems we were too late for the many Dragonflies that they normally get.

Fortunately, there were still plenty of other interesting things to see, and we got great views of Spotted Flycatchers as they perched out in the open. Amongst the tall reeds we also heard Willow and Sedge Warblers, whilst Swallows and House Martins swooped low over the pond to catch flies. Within the pond itself, we were lucky enough to spot not one, but two newts! One was a Palmate newt sunning itself in a clear patch of mud, whilst the other we struggled to identify as it played hide and seek with us in the pondweed (the newt definitely won this game!). 

With the weather being so nice, we took the back roads between Leswalt and Kirkcolm, hoping to find some Yellowhammers. Whilst they managed to elude us, we did come across a couple of other surprises. In one seemingly empty field, an exposed sandbank revealed a colony of nesting Sand Martins. With at least 20 nesting holes, and over 50 Sand Martins flying to and from them, it was a hive of activity, and so is likely that many of these burrows were occupied. This was an exciting find, and explains where our large flocks over Loch Connell may be coming from. Further on down the road we came across a Greenfinch, and whilst not the yellow birds we were hoping for, a pair of Goldfinches were nice to see as well. 

You can see the small nesting holes in the side of this sandbank

Following the back roads you eventually have to pass Loch Connell, so we managed to get in two visits this week. There is still evidence of breeding here, including a Canada Goose with three juveniles, and a female Mallard with seven ducklings. Elsewhere other ducks are returning, including Teal and Tufted Ducks, whilst a small flock of 51 Greylag Geese (including one white farmyard goose) grazed in the fields. Not all activity was on the water, as in the hedgerows and above the fields we also had records of Pied Wagtail, Linnet, and even a Siskin. 

As always there is loads more going on. This week's miscellaneous species feature a female Sparrowhawk returning from a successful hunt, evident by the prey grasped in her talons. We've also had several Treecreepers, a trio of Jays, and a single Raven to supplement our corvid records. 

Finally, a quick highlight of some of the animals we've had this week. Despite the rain, we had a great selection of butterflies, including Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshells. Our mammals have also been very active this week, with sightings of Roe Deer, Brown Hare, and even a Red Fox. Lastly, a group of 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins were once again sighted in the loch - at this rate they might become a regular thing!

 

That's all for this week, and what another impressive haul it has been. Hopefully, we'll have nice weather going forwards into the rest of July, and lots more birds to see.

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