A Warmer Spell: Bird Report 15/02/21 - 21/02/21

Finally, after the past few weeks of atrocious weather, the temperatures have gone up and we have been treated to some sunshine. We weren't the only ones celebrating the new warmth either - a Fox Moth caterpillar was seen wriggling along the ground. There is definitely a spring feeling to the air and the number of birds we've been seeing has increased as well.

Our first Great Crested Grebe for a few weeks made an appearance at Fisher's Lane Outlet and another individual was seen swimming in Wig Bay later in the week. The male Lesser Scaup was with three female Greater Scaup on Monday but was not seen for the rest of the week. It was possibly present amongst the six Scaup that were seen on Thursday but unfortunately they were too far out to tell. Our regular flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese saw a highest day-count of 208 last week and Teal were once again heard, if not seen, in the marsh. A slightly more unusual location, six Mallards took advantage of all the rain water and were seen swimming around in the middle of a flooded field.

A particularly smart-looking Jackdaw of the many seen during the week.

The 'flash field' also was a favourite of some species this week; with 148 Oystercatchers being counted while feeding in this field one day. Another wader and another field: it was a pleasant surprise to see a Whimbrel feeding in the Twite fields. More typical waders stuck to their favourite haunts along the shore, with highest day-counts of roughly 40 of both Ringed Plovers and Turnstones. Scattered about along the tide line, a total of 5 Redshanks were also counted throughout the week.

Out on Loch Ryan itself, we've seen the most notable increases in numbers. We had highest day-counts of two Black Guillemots (coming into breeding plumage), 20 goldeneyes, seven Long-tailed Ducks, 23 Red-breasted Mergansers, 39 Shags and 28 Red-throated Divers. In amongst these divers was another species: an immature Great Northern Diver. Three Cormorants were seen during the week and the number of Eiders and Common Scoter remained fairly consistent from the previous week (highest day-counts of 115 and 168, respectively). On top of this, a Red-necked Grebe made the first appearance for this species this year.

We've not been the only birders taking our daily exercise at the Wig this week. Our regular contributor Gill has been out and saw Scoters, Eiders, Turnstones, Redshank and a large flock of Twite. Gill was also treated to hearing the delightful songs of a thrush and two Skylarks. I love to hear the song of a Skylark (I've not heard ay yet this year), so that must have been a lovely experience. Thanks again to Gill for sending us her sightings.

* If you don't like to see photos of dead birds then be warned that the following image is of a Sparrowhawk with its prey. *

A male Sparrowhawk clutches its hard-earned meal - we aren't quite sure what it has caught though!

While none of them were singing, we managed to see a highest day-count of 11 Skylarks, as well as approximately 120 Twite (perhaps the very same flock that Gill saw). We also counted highs of 24 Goldfinches, seven Meadow Pipits and singles of Bullfinch and Pied Wagtail during the week. Moving into the woods we saw a Treecreeper and heard the high-pitched call of a Goldcrest. A Great Spotted Woodpecker put in an appearance twice and we had another Jay for a second consecutive week. Some more day-counts include four Mistle Thrushes (all in the Corsewall Estate woods), two Nuthatches, three Buzzards, 12 Redwings and over 70 Jackdaws. Back in our garden again and a Sparrowhawk was seen thrice during the week. Our garden wall once again made a good perch, although this time it was after a successful hunt!

Finally, I'll finish off with some sightings from Loch Connell. Thirty-eight Canada Geese were grazing in the adjacent fields, alongside five Curlews, 2 Greylag Geese and a flock of 134 Lapwings. Out diving in the Loch were 17 Goosanders (five of which were males), six Tufted Ducks, a Goldeneye and a Cormorant. On the Loch Margins, 173 Teal, 288 Wigeon, 41 Mallards and three Herons were seen, while two Shelducks made their way out onto the middle of the water. Gulls were fairly sparse, with 46 Black-headed Gulls and a single Herring Gull being counted.

That's all for this week. Things are starting to look up and I can't wait for the arrival of spring!

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

From the East to the West: Bird Report for 08/02/21 - 14/02/21

The less-than-ideal weather continued - anyone would think that it's winter! We were buffeted by strong and bitterly cold easterly winds for most of the week, only being let off the hook for some blinding snowfall that was rapidly washed away the next day by the onset of heavy rain. Despite these adverse conditions, we've still been making the most of our daily exercise to get out and about and see birds. Last week, our persistence paid off as we managed to find a new species for this blog.

While we only saw a total of three Rock Pipits this week, there was another bird with them that merited a closer look. Sure enough, it turned out to be a Water Pipit. The Water Pipit is a species that is similar in appearance to the Rock Pipit but it is a rarer winter visitor from the east that appears less than annually at the Wig. Perhaps the definition of a 'little brown job', it was nevertheless a lovely bird to see.

Other smaller species that were spotted around the Wig last week include a female Stonechat, two Meadow Pipits, seven Skylarks and three Linnets (the first time that this species has been sighted by us this year). Two Greenfinches were twice seen flying up the Wig track and 6 Pied Wagtails were one day feeding in the 'flash' field. Song Thrushes have begun to sing, both at the Wig and up into the woods.

Male Sparrowhawk after an unsuccessful hunt.

Also in the woods of Corsewall Estate we spotted two Goldcrests and a Jay. Five Long-tailed Tits were counted and, given that these lollipop-shaped birds tend to travel in family parties, these are likely to be different birds to the ones that we saw the week before. We saw a single Mistle Thrush and three Redwings and the air resounded with the songs of Blackbirds, Robins, Blue Tits and Great Tits. Robins have started to proclaim their territories within our garden itself - three individuals together soon dissolved into a scuffle! We've also had two flypasts of a Sparrowhawk. The second time, the unsuccessful male perched on our garden wall to get his breath back.

Another raptor that was recorded last week was the Buzzard, soaring majestically through the air - all the while trying hard not to get blown off course! Other large birds we saw included only one Grey Heron but we saw more Ravens - including three in one day (although in different locations). Ravens, indeed most corvids, are the species that seem to most enjoy windy weather. Jackdaws, Rooks and Carrion Crows were all diving and flipping through the air - performing their acrobatics for no reason other than pure enjoyment.

An adult Great Black-backed Gull soars by.

Back at the Wig, the gulls were having less fun. Over 300 Common Gulls huddled together on the Scar beach, while two Great Black-backed Gulls and an adult Mediterranean Gull were sighted earlier in the week. Despite also looking very windswept, we counted rather good numbers of waders during the week. We had highest day counts of 17 Bar-tailed Godwits, 116 Curlews, 5 Grey Plovers, 6 Redshanks, 32 Turnstones and 34 Ringed Plovers (most of which were in the fields alongside the Wig track).

Also in these fields, the Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock continued to graze. The dull weather conditions made it hard to count them but we managed a highest count of over 160. Floating close to shore in Wig Bay, nine Scaup were present throughout the week, being joined by highest counts of six Shelduck and 22 Wigeon. The male Lesser Scaup was with the other Scaup for the first few days but vanished during the latter part of the week.

Further out on Loch Ryan, a lonely Mute Swan put in an appearance near Stranraer Harbour. Strong winds and the resulting choppy seas can often be difficult for diving birds to feed in - perhaps this is why we have been seeing fewer of these species. In total, we spotted 2 Slavonian Grebes, 4 Long-tailed Ducks (all in one day) and 11 of both Goldeneyes and Red-breasted Mergansers (highest day-counts of 6 and 3, respectively). Common Scoter numbers were low, at a highest day-count of 29, while Eider numbers remained fairly high (highest day-count of 126).

That's it for another week - I look forward for what the upcoming days will bring.

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

The Cold Wind Doth Blow: Bird Report for 01/02/21 - 07/02/21

The winter weather continues: at the start of the week we had three days of continuous rain, which were quickly followed by a strong easterly wind and freezing temperatures. Given the conditions, it's no surprise that some days last week saw very few birds. The animals seem able to predict what is coming, for three Roe Deer were seen munching away furiously before the rain hit.

Despite the saying "nice weather for ducks" - I suspect they dislike it just as much as we do, however, it's a good a place as any to start! When the visibility cleared enough for us to be able to see down Loch Ryan, we actually managed to get some decent counts for ducks this week. We had highest day-counts of 87 Common Scoter, 8 Long-tailed Ducks and 15 Red-breasted Merganser. The 13 Scaup from the previous week decreased to around 8/9 but to make up for it they were joined by a male Lesser Scaup. A much rarer duck nationally, we've being seeing winter records of one or two (the same birds?) in amongst the Greater Scaup flock for the past couple of years. Joining the Scaup out on the loch, we saw weekly totals of 11 Shag, 3 Cormorants, 13 Slavonian Grebes and a Black-throated Diver. The latter species was also spotted when looking through the day's photographs - a prime example of just how easy it can be to miss things in poor weather conditions!

An artists impression of the Lesser Scaup (second from the left) in amongst Greater Scaup on a rainy day - note the peaked hind crown and slightly darker-looking back.

Another (or possibly one of the same birds) Cormorant was sighted at Loch Connell. Also on this freshwater loch were over 200 Wigeon and over 340 Teal (our highest count of Teal this year). 46 Black-headed Gulls were also paddling about, in amongst which were 2 Herring Gulls, 6 Common Gulls and an adult Mediterranean Gull. The fields surrounding Loch Connell are also an important feeing resource for many species and this week they played host to both geese and waders. A small number of Pink-footed Geese (roughly 20) were joined by approximately 100 Canada Geese and over 430 Greylag Geese. In amongst the Greylags was a leucistic individual (very 'bleached' in appearance but still with its markings faintly visible) and a bird with orange neck-collar that we were unfortunately unable to read. On the wader front, over 200 Golden Plovers and 154 Lapwings shared a field.

We also saw 2 Lapwings at the Wig. More wader counts include highest day-totals of 2 Grey Plovers, 9 Redshanks, approximately 60 Curlew, 1 Snipe, roughly 56 Turnstones and over 20 Ringed Plovers. These were joined on the beach by a different species: Twite. 66 birds alighted on the shingle, while a further 14 individuals decided it was not worth the effort and wheeled off back to the fields.

Part of a flock of Greylag Geese.

Other passerine (perching birds) sightings include a Grey Wagtail, 2 Long-tailed Tits (an irregular sighting in our area) and a female Reed Bunting and a Great Spotted Woodpecker made an appearance twice during the week. We made highest day-counts of 6 Rock Pipits, over 800 Starlings and 7 singing Robins. Decent numbers of thrushes were also seen, with a highest day-count of 16 Blackbirds (11 of which were together in a single flock), as well as totals of 3 Redwings and 6 Song Thrushes. 5 Fieldfares were seen early in the week and more were heard later in the week.

Finally, to finish of with some 'larger' species - perhaps they are not that greater in size but a even a little extra makes all the difference when trying to spot birds on dark and dull days. The Shelducks at the Wig decreased to just 2 birds, while the Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock remained fairly constant at a highest count of 204 individuals (including our returning colour-ringed bird). A surprise 2 Whooper Swans stopped by for a visit and one morning over 400 Pink-footed Geese lifted off from roosting on the Scar. Last but not least, we saw a total of 5 Great Black-backed Gulls during the week: 4 adults and one second/third winter bird.

That's it for another week - hopefully next week will bring some better weather with it!

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

Where Have All the Divers Gone? Bird Report for 25/01/21 - 31/01/21

The weather this last week has had a definite wintry feel, there has been a cold bite in the air and it rained on and off for most of the week. Dodging the rain showers (sometimes more successfully than others!), we still managed to get out for our daily exercise and in doing so managed to see some birds as well.

Starting off in the woods, throughout the week we saw 3 Goldcrests, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Nuthatch and a Treecreeper. A Roe Deer was also spotted - we haven't seen too many of these in recent weeks. Whilst walking towards and around the Wig we saw one Mistle Thrush and a total of 5 Meadow Pipits (all on the same day). On top of this, we had highest day-counts of 6 Greenfinches, 3 Skylarks and 22 Woodpigeons.

A nuthatch creeps along a tree branch.

Out on Loch Ryan itself, we are still seeing lower numbers of birds than we would expect for the time of year. Some of our highest day-counts include 10 Goldeneyes, 6 Long-tailed Ducks and 18 Red-breasted Mergansers. Divers and grebes especially seem to have vanished: we only saw 5 Slavonian Grebes and 2 Red-throated Divers over the entire week. On top of this, we didn't spot any auks at all last week. Contrary to all of this, Eiders are still being seen in good numbers, with a highest count of 192 during the week.

The 13 Scaup at the Wig (from the previous week) remained but the Shelducks decreased in number to 9 birds. Also in Wig Bay, we counted a maximum of 80 Wigeon in one day. Once again we have records of Teal out in the middle of Loch Ryan and this time there were over 200 of them. Our Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock saw a high of 204 birds grazing on the fields next to the Wig track last week. Another regularly seen goose species (or regularly heard, at least!) - the Pink-footed Goose - was seen in a flock of over 1500 heading for Loch Connell.

A handsome drake scaup.

Later in the week we visited Loch Connell itself, where over 860 Pink-footed Geese were grazing in the fields, along with 124 Canada Geese and approximately 130 Greylag Geese. Around the outskirts of the loch, we counted 2 Herons, 78 Lapwings and a Moorhen. Scattered about in smaller groups out on the water itself were 10 Goosanders, 1 Goldeneye, 30 Mallards, 278 Teals, 4 Tufted Ducks, 180 Wigeon and 7 Herring Gulls.

Gulls were present in much larger numbers at the Scar last week. One day there were over 600 gulls present; roughly 120 were Herring Gulls and the rest were mostly Common Gulls, with a few Black-headed Gulls mixed in. On separate days, there were also high counts of 300 Common Gulls and 4 Great Black-backed Gulls seated on the Scar. The Scar is also a favourite resting place for wader species and last week we had highest day-counts of 2 Bar-tailed Godwits (in fact they were the only 'barwits' we saw all week), 165 Curlews, 7 Redshanks and 43 Turnstones.

All in all, it has been a bit of a quiet week but we shall keep on looking regardless.

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