Winter Weather: Bird Report for 04/01/21 - 17/01/21

As the title suggests, this report covers our bird sightings for the past fortnight (instead of the usual weekly review). The weather has not been ideal for bird-watching these past two weeks; what with it being icy cold one day to pouring it down with rain the next, topped off with a helping of strong gusts of wind. It is no surprise, therefore, that many of our species have been seen in lower numbers than usual. On one day of particularly heavy rain we only saw 9 species - that must surely be a new low.

We made our regular trip to Loch Connell during the cold spells and were shocked to find that it was 98% frozen over, with only a small puddle in the middle remaining. It is not uncommon to find ice around the edge of the loch in the winter but we've never seen quite that much before. Surrounding this one tiny patch of water huddled 16 Common Gulls, 30 Herring Gulls, 170 Teal and 262 Wigeon. Around the margins of the loch were 5 Mallards, a Snipe, 11 Lapwings, a Moorhen and a further 7 Teal (paddling about on the burn). Perhaps more sensibly, 22 Greylag Geese and an additional 66 Wigeon were grazing in the abuttal fields.

An icy Loch Connell.

With the lack of available fishing opportunities at Loch Connell, it is perhaps unsurprising that 3 Goosanders instead turned up at the Wig. We have done quite well for waterfowl sightings in the past fortnight, with 1 Whooper Swan, a high of 14 Shelduck and a total of 11 Scaup (highest day-count of 4) being seen at the Wig. 2 Wigeon from the regular flock decided to pay a visit to the Flash Field, where we also counted a high of 210 Pale-bellied Brent Geese (including 16 juveniles and our returning colour-ringed individual). On the Scar, a male Teal and a single Pink-footed Goose were seen. We often hear the Pink-footed Geese at night as they go down to roost at the Scar and Pool Field but they normally fly off to their feeding grounds before dawn. However, one morning we were lucky enough to see over 1000 Pinkies lifting off the Scar.

Further out on Loch Ryan, 6 Mute Swans were seen off Lefnoll Point. Many of our seagoing species were down in number during the last fortnight. We had highest day-counts of 3 Great Crested Grebes, 25 Red-breasted Mergansers and 7 Red-throated Divers. Very few Shags were spotted, building up to a high of 12, alongside a highest day-count of 3 Cormorants. We saw a total of 4 Great Northern Divers over the last two weeks (3 were on one day), a total of 4 Black Guillemots (all on the same day; although these are likely to be under-counted) and a highest day-count of 177 Eiders. However, we did have highest day-counts of 177 Common Scoters, 29 Slavonian Grebes and 52 Goldeneyes. Goldeneye often frequent freshwater sites, so perhaps some of our birds came to Loch Ryan after their favoured ponds and lakes froze over. On top of this, we also had another potential sighting of a first-winter King Eider. Given that this is our second possible sighting, it seems fair to suggest that it could be correct but unfortunately the bird was just too far out to confirm the species.

A summer-plumaged cormorant.

On the shores of the loch, we saw 4 adult Great Black-backed Gulls and 200 Common Gulls on the Scar and another Little Egret made an appearance at Soleburn. We had highest day-counts of 5 Grey Plovers, 70 Ringed Plovers, 44 Turnstones and 120 Curlews. Two flocks of Lapwings (2 and 10 birds) and Knots (10 and 16 birds) also made an appearance during the past fortnight. Bar-tailed Godwit numbers have fluctuated during the last two weeks (normally they are fairly constant around 2-3 birds, quite likely the same individuals). We counted 6, 9, 5, 3, 1 and finally 4 'Barwits' around the Wig on different days.

Keeping a keen eye on the waders were 2 Sparrowhawks - one for each week. Also out hunting, a Barn Owl was heard from our house during the night and although they are not hunters themselves, per se, our regular Raven pair certainly wouldn't say no to a nice drop of carrion. Woodpigeons (highest day-count of 24) are on the upper size limit for a Sparrowhawk's meal but the neatly plucked feathers found in the woods suggest that they are definitely on the menu! For other potential prey items, we had highest day-counts of 5 Meadow Pipits, 12 Robins, 7 Song Thrushes, circa 60 Twite, over 1000 Starlings, 2 Skylarks, 3 Rock Pipits and 2 Mistle Thrushes (our local bird and another in the Corsewall Estate Woods). During the last fortnight we have seen a total of 3 Greenfinches, 2 Fieldfares, 1 Goldcrest, 16 Redwing, a Treecreeper, 1 Siskin, 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers and 2 Grey Wagtails. We also had 2 records of Dipper but these are probably the same individual that seems to have made itself at home on Fisher's Lane Pool.

Red, red robin.

Another local birder, Gill Deacon, also made a trip down Fisher's Lane and although she did not see the Dipper she was able to find a Grey Wagtail bobbing around in its place. Gill has also been over to Soulseat Loch and West Freugh, seeing 4 Shoveler, 20 Tufted Ducks, 4 Coots, 6 Little Grebes, 4 Goldeneye, 4 Greylag Geese and 1000 Wigeon on and around Soulseat Loch. Having made several trips out to West Freugh, Gill tells us that the number of Pink-footed Geese present varies from 5000 to 50, along with at least 20 Golden Plover and several hundred Lapwing. Gill also found a Barnacle Goose in amongst some Pinkies - nice one! Thanks again to Gill for sharing your records with us.

We have also been out to West Freugh recently but we did not see very many birds, having more luck at Piltanton where we did our local WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) count. While the number of gulls at Piltanton was rather low (6 Herring Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 10 Common Gulls and 2 Black-headed Gulls), there were fortunately other birds to see. We counted 6 Turnstones, 80 Shelduck, 1 Red-breasted Merganser, 15 Mallards, 3 Little Grebes, 3 Little Egrets, 7 Golden Plovers, 1 Goldeneye and 108 Dunlins. 59 Redshanks were scattered about and in amongst them was a single Greenshank. It was also great to see a Whimbrel amidst the Curlews and Oystercatchers, for we don't get very many winter records of Whimbrel. While not 'Wetland' species, we also saw a Stonechat, 2 Rock Pipits, 6 Redwing, 8 Pied Wagtails, 6 Skylarks and 83 (!) Carrion Crows.

Time to finish off, for this has been a bit of a longer round-up than usual (although I did have 2 weeks to cover!). All in all, the last fortnight has seen both excitement and disappointment - but that's birding for you.

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