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.]