A Ghost in the Woods - August 2022 Bird Report

This article and the images contained within were provided courtesy of the author, S. Grover

The two Pink-footed Geese reported on in July’s issue of this blog were still present at Loch Connell until at least the 14th.  The assembly of Mute Swans on Loch Ryan continued to rise as the month progressed, reaching 86 birds on the 30th.

The first Shoveler of the autumn period was observed at the Wig, on the 26th, in the company of a single Teal.  The latter species was present at Loch Connell from the 14th onwards, with the highest count being 14 on the 28th.  The first returning Wigeon - to the Wig, at least - was on the 27th when two birds were observed.  The largest count of Common Scoters was later in the month, with 32 on the 29th.  One of Loch Ryan’s main-stay species, the Eider, peaked earlier on at 242 on the 6th.  Parties of Red-breasted Mergansers were, as usual, highly mobile making it difficult to ascertain their true numbers.  However, a raft of 65 was noted at Soleburn on the 21st and 79 loafed off-shore of the beach at Kirkcolm on the 29th.

Small numbers of Red-throated Divers were spread across the month, beginning with two on the 6th, rising to 11 on the 30th.  A Red-necked Grebe was seen pretty much daily at the Wig.  An adult was certainly present but a juvenile seen there on the 12th indicated that more than one bird was attributable for the sightings; indeed, two birds together were observed on the 31st. Slavonian grebes typically arrive during September, but there could be no mistaking the two handsome, summer-plumaged birds at the Wig on the 31st.

I had just one sighting of a Little Egret: a singleton at the Wig on the morning of the 14th.  An interesting record in itself but made more so by the fact that it was a juvenile bird.  This raises the question: was it the consequence of a local breeding pair or had it come from outside of the region?  The species is known to be steadily increasing its occupancy of Britain but as yet there have been few confirmed breeding records in Scotland.

A young little Egret on the wing

Cormorants, on account of their large size and tendency to form linear gatherings when on land - reminiscent of a locomotive and it’s carriages on a railway - are often a conspicuous feature on the Scar and the derelict pier at Cairnryan.  The first mentioned site held 72 birds on the 24th, whilst the second mentioned was strung with 60 Shags on the same day.

Manx Shearwaters are generally scarce visitors to Loch Ryan during August.  This year proved to be no exception: just a single bird on the 1st. Gannets were recorded daily, with a high of 128 on the 3rd.  Like the shearwaters, the sea-going auks are also scarce at this time.  The resident Tysties, or Black Guillemots, are seen more often, for sure, but can be elusive away from their breeding stations: just 18 was the largest count, on the 30th. Guillemots were noted at the month’s end, with four on the 29th and a singleton on the 30th.  A lone Razorbill was observed on the 24th and five on the 30th.

In my youth I grew up with vociferous Moorhens on every field pond and in every wet ditch about my home.  The move to Kirkcolm, some decades later, mooted a re-evaluation in my perception because here they are seemingly scarce, shy and elusive.  A juvenile spied on the pool at the outlet of the Corsewall Burn was a joyous occasion on the 17th.  But even this event was surpassed by the sighting of seven Grey Partridges on the Wig Fields during the early hours of the morning of the 15th.  Once a common farmland bird it has since been consigned to the pages of history in many parts of Britain.

There was a smattering of records of godwits this month, following the established pattern of previous years.  First up were two Bar-tailed Godwits at Bishop Burn, on the 4th, then a couple of Black-tailed Godwits at the Wig, on the 6th.  At this latter site, on the 27th, two birds each of both species were seen feeding side-by-side, making for a delightful comparison between the lanky, elegant, Black-tailed’ and the more compact form of the the Bar-tail’.  There was a good passage of Curlews with notably fewer birds (60 on 24th) about the Wig compared to at the southern end of the sea-loch (110 seen from Bishop Burn on the the 4th).  A Wetland Bird Survey count at Piltanton, on the 21st, registered 146 birds.  Dunlin tended to be seen in small groups, with a high of 34 at Bishop Burn on the 4th.  The only observation of a Greenshank came from Loch Connell, on the 14th, when a lone bird was present.  Also from this site came the only records of Lapwings on the local patch, with the highest count of 14, on the 14th, no less.  Knot were observed at the Scar on several dates across the month, appearing in small parties, with a maximum of nine birds on the 15th.  A surprise visitor here on the evening of the 22nd was a Little Stint.

A Little Stint among a small flock of Ringed Plover

The smaller number of birds seen about the Wig and Scar compared to the shore-line at Stranraer (from the railway station round to Low Balyett) is mirrored by numerous species and is not peculiar to Curlews alone.  Oystercatchers are amongst the most conspicuous of these.  As an example, on the 4th of the month, 54 were recorded on the Scar whilst a whopping 687 were registered in a count made at Bishop Burn; the distance between the two locations being approximately six miles. This dominance does not always work in favour of the the southern end of Loch Ryan.  The pebbly spit of land known as the Scar tends to harbour many more Ringed Plovers than do the sandy flats at the seafront on the edge of town.  That said, August is not always the best month for seeing what I would consider to be good numbers of these plovers, although 84 at the Scar on the 19th and 72 there on the 24th were respectable enough counts.

Even without trying (read: concerted effort) I registered six sightings of Ruff during the month, from the 16th onwards.  Five of these were from the house.  Now there’s lazy for you!  The 19th was especially rewarding with a fine party of eight birds assembled on the Scar.  A close run of Sanderlings over a six day period at the Wig produced a veritable range of plumages to ogle - and these sandpipers are very oglable(!), it has to be said - ranging from glorious summer-plumaged adults alongside more dishevelled-looking birds, to fresh, crisply marked juveniles.  My highest count for the species may only have been 16 birds, on the 20th, but what a wondrous feast they were to behold.  Snipe are no less delectable birds to see; the difficulty is in getting a decent view that allows an appreciation of their plumage.  When they tower and fly high - like all of those I saw at the Scar, Loch Connell, and over my house - the intricate markings and patterns on their feathers can rarely be observed and the only recourse is to consult an illustration in a bird book.

Turnstones are generally easier to observe at the Wig than Snipe.  However, their very different tones and markings are equally adept at hiding them from view when amongst the sea-weed and pebbles of their preferred haunts.  My highest count for the month was of 18 birds on the 19th.  Whimbrel are scarce on autumn passage at Loch Ryan: just a single bird was noted, on the 4th.

Much as I prefer to study gulls there are times when they must take a back-seat, and this month is one of them.  However, I would be remiss in my authoring duties if I did not mention the juvenile Kittiwake nestled amongst its more abundant cousins at Bishop Burn on the 4th.  Likewise, I must skimp over Sandwich Terns, though not without proffering the 14 at the same location, also on the 4th, and the 13 resting on the Scar on the 24th.

Kittiwake (front left) alongside a Common, Black-headed and Herring Gull

Time now to introduce this month’s ‘hooked beaks and claws’ section: alias, birds of prey.  Not that there were many sightings but each was notable in its own way.  My wife and I enjoyed the view of an Osprey flying low over the house and heading towards Loch Connell, shortly after tea-time, on the 23rd.  Always a scarce bird in these parts and forever a treat to regard.  Buzzards: I had feared that something amiss might have happened to our local birds because I hadn’t seen, or heard, them for quite some while.  Fortunately, those qualms were misplaced when I happened upon a very noisy juvenile, on the 17th.  Its persistent begging calls reminded me of an incident on the 6th that my wife recounted to me after visiting Castle Kennedy Gardens: ‘squeaking gate sounds’, she described, coming from the top of a conifer.  The bird in question could only have been a hungry, young, Long-eared Owl.  The final incident involved a Tawny Owl on the Corsewall Estate.  Over the years I have been fortunate to encounter many of these birds on my travels, in both the brown and grey phases of their plumage.  Nothing I had witnessed before, however, prepared me for the extraordinary sight that confronted my gaze on the 17th: a leucistic ‘Tawny’.  Not just a bird with a few pale feathers dotted here and there, but a wholly pale bird with piercing black eyes - its plumage marked and patterned as you would expect a ‘Tawny’ to be, but lacking any dark tones. Wow!

A ghostly pale Tawny Owl looks down from above

If you have read thus far you will realise that there have been no major rarities on report.  That now changes, thanks to my wife. Her keen senses picked out a Bee-eater, which she probably never would have been alerted to had she not recently experienced the species breeding in Norfolk this year.  For our part it was just a routine WeBS count at Piltanton, on the 21st, made remarkable by the all too brief observations of a resplendent and beautiful bird.

The number of hirundines passing over the village of Kirkcolm should increase during September if previous years are anything to go by.  Until then, I can only report on those observed in August.  Swallows showed no significant passage: 65 being the largest flock, on the 15th.  House Martins, however, showed a marked increase with 16 on the 12th, rising to 28 on the 17th, then 42 on the 25th, in excess of 140 on the 26th, and some 600 on the 31st.

Warblers, when they are not in song - and sometimes even when they are - can be an elusive bunch of birds.  At migration hot-spots, where birds are often concentrated, they are usually easier to pick out than when they pass through the broader landscape where they frequently go undetected.  The Wig and its surrounds are not renowned for warblers.  I was just grateful to record a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, two Sedge Warblers, a Whitethroat and a couple of Willow Warblers during a walk on the 17th.

A party of three Spotted Flycatchers on the edge of a copse, not one hundred yards from my house, was a most pleasant surprise on the 7th.  The first of the autumn’s Wheatears was spied at the Wig on the 24th.  On the same day two migrating Tree Pipits were detected near the shore-line - a place I would ordinarily expect to find a Rock Pipit.  Indeed, five of the latter species were noted on this stretch of beach several days earlier, on the 17th.

Every year in early autumn I eagerly anticipate logging 100 plus House Sparrows in my garden.  It is a human thing, I guess: to feel secure in the predictable. This was duly fulfilled, this autumn, on the 18th.

Flocks of twittering Goldfinches are always a delight to see and hear.  Upon encountering 20 birds at the Wig, on the 8th, it was not difficult to understand how the phrase ‘a charm of Goldfinch’ came into being.  No less gratifying was a flock of 400 Linnets on the same day.  And finally, once again thanks are due to my wife for reporting to me another scarcity in these parts - a Yellowhammer, which she glimpsed in a hedgerow whilst driving past Soleburn, on the 6th.

Happy birding!

Better Late than Never - July 2022 Bird Report

This article and the images contained within were provided courtesy of the author, S. Grover

The mixed family party of Canada Geese (adult pair with two juveniles of their type plus four adopted Greylags) mentioned in the previous blog post remained intact at Loch Connell until at least the 24th of the month.  Parties of other Greylags built up in number at the same site, to a high of 164 on the 31st.  Also here, the two Pink-footed Geese of last month were still present on the 17th.

Numbers of Mute Swans on Loch Ryan remained pretty constant throughout the month at 30, or so, birds. Splinter groups could be seen around the shore-line, from the Rhins of Galloway Hotel on the eastern side, to Soleburn and the Wig, on the west. These offshoot groups were regularly observed paddling across the width of the loch, whilst when moving between northern and southerly stations they were just as likely to be seen commuting the distance by flying. Presumably the pull of the tide influenced the birds chosen mode of travel. Either way, the why’s and wherefores of their movements engaged me intently for the month’s duration.

Seven adult Shelducks at the Wig, on the 6th, were probably birds that had briefly halted their journey to their moulting grounds elsewhere.  The party of three juveniles accompanied by an adult at Bishop Burn, on the 17th, were more than likely to have been of local origin, however. Loch Connell held two Teal on the 10th and, surprisingly, three Gadwall on the 17th. On Loch Ryan Common Scoters were noted on just two occasions: six on the 19th and 14 on the 27th. At the same site, on the 1st, a count of 236 male Eiders was made, reducing to 169 on the 28th. The only young of this species were on the 2nd, when a party of six females was observed accompanying a recently hatched duckling at the Wig. The largest assemblies of Red-breasted Mergansers here were 69 on the 9th and 68 on the 27th; all of the birds were male, either moulting into, or already in eclipse plumage.

Juvenile Shelducks are a stark contrast to their parents

Records of Red-throated Divers were few, as is expected at this time of year. There were two adults in breeding dress on the 16th, one on the 27th, and 13 birds on the 28th.  Great Crested Grebes were more frequent visitors with the first seen on the 14th, rising to 12 at the Wig on the 27th. The only Little Grebe was a singleton at Loch Connell on the 31st. July is typically witness to the arrival on Loch Ryan of post-breeding Red-necked Grebes.  A fine summer plumage adult was present at the Wig from the 12th to the 15th.

Red-necked Grebe (and Great-crested Grebe in the background)

The appeal of Gannets is easy to understand: they are large and spectacular; these characteristics guarantee them attention from birdwatchers and non-birdwatchers, alike. They are daily visitors to Loch Ryan at this time of year and no matter whatever the hour in the daylight, when my gaze is drawn towards the loch, I am assured of seeing at least one of these awesome creatures.  A count of 53 on the 6th and 51 on the 30th were likely representative of the numbers visiting daily.  However, given that the large Gannetry (in excess of 30,000 nesting pairs) on Ailsa Craig lies just nine miles to the north, I often wonder in amazement where the rest of the colony find food for breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner and supper!  Assessing the true number of birds visiting Loch Ryan is .. ultimately … informed guesswork, with a little data extrapolation thrown in for verisimilitude.  The same rules that apply to estimating the abundance of Gannets are valid for most other species, too, including Cormorants: 45 was my peak actual count for the month, on the 22nd.  In comparison, the maximum for Shags was 11, on the 25th.

July typically marks the start of the return passage of waders, supplementing those that have summered closer to home.  A single Bar-tailed Godwit was at the Wig on the 27th.  Loch Connell held two Common Sandpipers on the morning of the 10th, and three were present at the Corsewall  Burn outlet at the bottom of Fisher’s Lane on the 18th.  Curlews were widespread throughout the month, with 37 about Wig Bay on the 2nd and 47 there on the 27th.  Only a small number of Dunlins were observed at the Scar, with a maximum of six on the 19th.  Two Greenshanks beside the Wig Car Park on the 27th were a welcome addition to the month’s tally of waders.  The only Lapwings observed were at Loch Connell, with four on the 9th and 31st and a singleton on the 17th.  Oystercatchers were ever present: a high of 103 at the Scar on the 20th, whilst a downy chick was seen at the Wig on the 27th.  Also from this location came a smattering of observed Redshanks, with the highest count being eight on the 27th.  More numerous were Ringed Plovers, although flock sizes were small, peaking at 20 birds at the Scar on the 24th.  A pleasant surprise was the sighting of five chicks at the Wig on the 27th. An early Ruff made an appearance at the Scar on the 24th.  Here also, and on the same date, were two ‘red-coloured’ Sanderlings (adults in stunning breeding apparel); 10 more were seen on the 28th dashing along the shore between the pulsing surf that washed over the flats of the Wig.  The first Snipe of the ‘autumn passage’ was seen at Loch Connell on the 9th; another was there on the 17th.  Turnstones are all too easy to overlook as they rest amongst the pebbles and seaweed on the beach of the Wig; two dapper birds, in crisp breeding plumage, caught my eye as they foraged at the tide-line, on the 24th.  On the same date, but at Loch Connell, the seven-note whistle of a Whimbrel gave away that bird’s presence to me.

Greenshanks helpfully live up to their moniker

As with the increase in waders about the Wig, July also saw a rise in the number of Common Gulls passing through, evidenced by a flock of 38 at the Scar on the 21st.  Sightings of Lesser Black-backed Gulls also rose, as expected, although this is not reflected in the highest count of just four birds at the Wig, on the 20th.  The number of Great Black-backed Gulls was small: the largest gathering was seven on the 12th and 30th; however, the range of plumages and variations shown by all of the individuals I assessed across the month suggested to me that many more birds were in fact passing through.  Mediterranean Gulls have become a regular component of the July avifauna in recent years.  Unfortunately I rarely travel in to Stranraer - where most of this species of small gulls seem to congregate - so have to content myself with the few that turn up on my doorstep.  A second year bird seen following a tractor and plough was thus a nice find on the 20th.  A couple of days later, on the 22nd, a more notable species in the form of a Yellow-legged Gull graced the Scar.  I say ‘more notable’ because the identification of this species is fraught with difficulties, and detailed observations and clear photographs of key features are needed by the Scottish Rare Birds Committee.  Common Terns have been distinctly absent about the Wig, even though they are known to breed at Stranraer, a small flight away for them.  Just two birds were seen on the 4th.  Sandwich Terns were observed daily about the Scar, with 28 there on the 9th and 23 on the 21st.

A Yellow-legged Gull, sporting its titular appendages

Razorbills are typically scarce on Loch Ryan in July: just two on the 3rd were noted.  Black Guillemots, however, are more frequently observed, especially around their breeding haunts at the Cairnryan Pier and the former Stena Port in Stranraer.  Away from these areas they can be elusive, a consequence of their small size making them difficult to spot against the sun-glare reflecting on the water of the sea-loch.  Good viewing conditions and an obliging juvenile close in-shore at the Wig secured me a record of one bird, on the 27th.

Owls, too, are generally inconspicuous at this time.  A desire to snap a night-time photo’ of the docked P&O Ferry, with all its lights and the illumination from the Terminal reflected in the loch, had me out in the garden on several occasions with my camera pointed in the appropriate direction.  On one evening, the 13th, a Tawny Owl came and perched nearby, followed minutes later by a Barn Owl on the shed roof; the latter made a raucous hissing sound which I can only assume was a response to the pulsing emissions of coloured lights emanating from my camera’s LCD screen as it continually updated a preview of the digital image being captured.  A very different record of events in more than one sense!

Kestrels used to be one-a-penny, everyday birds when I was a lad.  A lone bird hunting over the estate marsh, on the 18th, was a stark reminder of how very different their circumstances are today.

The world is also a changing place for Swallows and House Martins.  Their fortunes do not look promising, at least not at the local level.  There have been very few about the village of Kirkcolm this year.  A flock of 21 juvenile and adult Swallows was witnessed on the 2nd, whereas House Martins mustered just 15 birds, on the 30th.  As for Swifts … a singleton over the Scar, on the 6th, sums up their woeful state.

Young Siskins lack some of the colour of the adult birds

An unexpected visitor in my garden on the 6th was a Spotted Flycatcher, which made a few aerial sallies after insects from the top of the leafless birch.  In greater supply, fortunately, were Robins, with birds heard calling and singing from both gardens and copses.  It was a welcome relief from their near silent state of the previous month. Siskins, also, have become more vocal of late - mostly streaky adolescents engaged in acrobatic searches of the outer branches and twigs of many different species of trees that are found within the village.

Next month should see a more pronounced passage of birds as the autumn migration gets underway in earnest … we hope!