As we approach the end of June we reach the height of summer, for us at least. For many birds, this signals the end of the breeding season and that their autumn migration is just around the corner. Soon enough we will expect to see species leaving our area, so let's enjoy them whilst we still can. They will however be replaced with an influx of new species, and so there is always going to be something exciting to look forward to.
Many birds still have breeding very much on the mind, whether they are late arrivals or perhaps just on to their 2nd brood. This means that we are still seeing large amounts of juvenile and immature birds, evidence of their breeding success. This week alone we've had a juvenile Robin, Stonechat, Goldcrest, Coal Tit and Grey Herons is various stages of immaturity. Other birds are showing evidence of nesting, whilst a pair of Reed Buntings were seen carrying food, a sure sign of small hungry mouths hidden away somewhere.
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| Juvenile Stonechat in the Gorse |
This activity carries on out on the loch itself, where alongside the large flotilla's of male Eider, a sole female escorted four fluffy ducklings. Up on Loch Connell, the brood of Canada Geese seem to have done well, with all three goslings now almost fully grown immatures. Scaling up once more, and whilst we haven't seen any cygnets locally, there are still good numbers of Mute Swans scattered around the loch. From the caravan park to Bishop Burn and Leffnoll Point we've consistently had over 40 birds on an almost daily basis, though sadly not many make it up to the Wig itself.
For many birds that have finished breeding, it is time for them to start thinking about heading back to their wintering grounds. We have already seen this in a few species, perhaps the most obvious being the early return of waders. Many birds that fail to breed begin their migrations early, and so we often see some of our wintering wader species cropping up about now. This week it was a group of 12 Black-tailed Godwits which were recorded up at Loch Connell. Some species that are preparing to leave do so by forming large flocks in which they will migrate together. Most noticeably this is in our Swallows and Martins, of which we have seen flocks of 60+ and 130+ for House and Sand Martins respectively. It doesn't seem like its been that long since these summer visitors arrived, so we'd best enjoy them for the brief time we have remaining till they're gone for another year.
The Wig and surrounding areas never fail to deliver in its great diversity of species, ranging from the small to large, quiet to loud and dull brown to an array of dazzling plumages. This week's selection was as varied as ever, from Linnets to Red-breasted Mergansers. We've had Nuthatches, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Raven and even a Sparrowhawk. Whilst none of these could be considered rare, they aren't exactly common species either, and so they are always great to see. And they are only part of our record this week, truly a testament to the wide range of birds you can see at the Wig.
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| Nuthatches are often hidden away up in the canopy |
Round us off this week we have a quick look at our local mammals. As always we have had several Roe Deer from all over, I myself having startled a male (though he startled me in return) at least twice on my daily walks. It was in these local woods that I also saw a Red Squirrel, which whilst definitely are present locally, can be very elusive and so are rarely spotted. Finally, out in the Loch itself we had a Common Seal to complete the mammal collection.
That's another week finished off, and with that we're practically into July now. In the coming weeks we will start to see many birds migrate back to their wintering grounds. No doubt we will see plenty more exciting species as they pass us by on the way to their wintering grounds. Many will even winter here with us, so there is lots to look forward too!
[All photographs were taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]
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