The Old and the Gold - October 2022 Bird report

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

Pale-bellied Brent Geese were seen more or less daily at the Scar, with numbers fluctuating widely - depending on the weather, the time of day, and the state of the tide.  Flocks of over 100 birds each were counted on 11 days, with a maximum of 180 geese on the 21st and 25th.  However, it was difficult to gauge the true number of birds passing through, or staying to overwinter, on account of their mobility.  They were seen frequently commuting between the Scar and Soleburn, and vice versa; and on the 25th, although the maximum flock size recorded was not exceeded, it is possible that upwards of 300 birds were utilising Loch Ryan that day.  More certain was the low number of juveniles present within the flocks: out of 150 Brents at the Scar on the 24th just one was a youngster.

Given the large feral population of Canada Geese in Britain you may find it surprising to learn that this species is, by and large, a seasonal visitor to my local patch: 110 at Loch Connell, on the 16th, was thus worthy of mention; likewise the three seen in mid-channel on the salt water of Loch Ryan, on the 17th.

This October witnessed an increase in the presence of Pink-footed Geese locally.  Over 1000 birds lifted off the Scar during the early morning of the 13th, making for a fine sight that was accompanied by the equally splendid and clamorous, pre-breakfast, chorus of these early risers.

The number of Mute Swans on Loch Ryan remained constant throughout the month, at a few over 100 birds; they mostly concentrated at the southern end of the shore-line, around Bishop Burn.  Whoopers Swans were frequently observed flying south down the sea-loch, the highest number winging over being 17 on the 24th.

Shelducks numbered three at the Scar on the 24th, constituting my only record of this species during the month.  Shovelers were equally scarce, with two ‘brown’ birds at the Wig on the 17th.  Teal were more numerous, at least at Loch Connell, where a high of 42 was observed on the 30th.  Numbers of Wigeon were low at the Wig (60 being my highest count, on the 30th) in comparison to the abundance of them at the southern end of the loch, but then that is nothing unusual.

Common Scoters were generally too distant for me to properly assess their status on Loch Ryan, but 112 were registered on the 8th and 93 on the 20th.  Even though the majority of Eiders I saw were conspicuous males in well-advanced breeding plumage, most days I logged very few; on the 8th I did manage to count 192.  Goldeneyes remained scarce about Wig Bay, with five drab, female types, appearing on the 24th.  My first Long-tailed Duck of the season was a male (still in breeding plumage) at the Wig, on the 12th; the three I saw on the 24th were also males but wearing predominantly winter dress.  Red-breasted Mergansers peaked at 154 on the 10th, whilst Scaup were totally absent from my log, despite other people having noted good numbers of them off Bishop Burn.  Unlike the congregations of Mute Swans at this site, which I am readily able to see and count from the Wig, Scaup are considerably smaller birds and their plumage patterning of black, brown, grey and white successfully breaks up their appearance over long distances - rendering them mostly invisible, or rarely identifiable with any certainty.

Male Red-breasted Merganser moulting into breeding plumage

On the 11th a pair of Black-throated Divers enriched the melee of birds at the Wig, whilst a splendid looking Great Northern Diver, in breeding apparel, graced the area on the 12th, 24th and the 30th.  A possible Pacific Diver (perhaps the returning bird from last winter?) - was viewed in the distance on both the 20th and 21st.  On the 23rd, and in the same area, a small diver in obvious distress was seen briefly before finally sinking beneath the waves, not to re-appear.  Whether this was the same bird that I took to be a Pacific, or just a fatally-ill Red-throat, will never be known. This is unfortunate as, if this was the returning bird, and followed the pattern of long-staying from last year, it’s presence would have given more chances for other birders’ observations. My highest count of Red-throated Divers on Loch Ryan was 56 on the 14th; also worthy of mention was the tightly-bunched raft of 44 birds that I saw on the 8th: their gleaming white necks (all winter plumaged adults) contrasting with the grey of the sea, impressing a memorable image in the archives of my mind.  How anyone can ever find nature dull is beyond my comprehension!

Great Crested Grebes are generally more abundant at the southern end of the sea-loch, so 39 about the Wig on the 14th was of delightful interest to me.  As indeed were the two Little Grebes, or Dabchicks, that I had the pleasure in seeing on the calm water of the harbour at Stranraer, on the 18th, and the nine I saw earlier, on the 16th, at Loch Connell.  Slavonian Grebes were present throughout the month on Loch Ryan; usually I saw them in groups of two or three, so a whole bushel of 15 birds at the Wig, on the 16th, was an extraordinary sight.

Scanning through this month’s log I noticed that I had five entries for Little Egret.  As the species becomes more widespread and commoner in Scotland it is likely that there will be more records from Loch Ryan.  Four of this month’s records referred to a singleton at Soleburn, whilst the fifth came from a Wetland Bird Survey count at Piltanton on the 11th, when ten birds were registered.

Winter is definitely approaching because the number of Gannets recorded fell appreciably as the month progressed.  The highest count was 19 on the 3rd, dropping to one on the 20th, which may well constitute the last sighting of the year from Loch Ryan.  Just three juveniles were noted, but I am sure that most readers will be aware of the catastrophic breeding failures at many seabird colonies this summer as a direct consequence of avian flu.

Five immature Cormorants were logged at Loch Connell, on the 8th - a noteworthy occurrence at this site.  Their cousins, Shags, are strictly sea-faring: 80 at the Scar was a good count.  Water Rails are elusive, best detected by listening for their peculiar calls, which are varied to say the least.  A vocal bird heard on the estate marsh was a welcome addition to the month’s log, on the 23rd.

Curlews are just one of a regular selection of waders that can be found about the Wig at this time of year.  They are just as likely to be seen feeding in nearby fields as they are on the shore-line.  My highest count of them, 64, came from one of those grasslands, on the 19th.  Dunlin were frequently observed on the tide-line: 50 were logged at the Scar on the 5th.  The great variability in the size of Golden Plover flocks recorded suggests that the passage of birds was continuous across the month.  There were counts of over 100 birds on 14 days and in excess of 500 birds on four days.  The largest single flock comprised 870 birds at the Scar on the 12th, although it is possible that an additional 450 birds were moving through that day.  On the 11th, a flock of 182 birds was put into flight by a dog intent upon chasing every bird that it saw on the beach.  In doing so it presented me with views of an additional bird, a marginally smaller plover of slighter build, sporting a predominantly black belly, breast and chin.  The Golden Plovers flashed their white underwings as they swirled in the sky; the accompanying bird, however, showed no such contrast to its uniformly grey toned underwings: it was a Lesser Golden Plover.  However, strictly speaking, this species no longer exists.  Taxonomy is forever changing and what was, until very recent times, labelled as this species has since been split into American Golden Plover (washed over with greyer tones) and Pacific Golden Plover (more obvious yellow tones); of course there are other key differences separating the two, which can be readily gleaned by consulting appropriate literature.  On this occasion the sighting was too brief to allow that distinction to be made, hence my reference to it as a ‘Lesser’.  American Golden Plover has become an annual visitor to the Wig in recent years, so it is more probable to be that species.  Also at the Scar on the 11th, stood a lonesome Grey Plover.  This species is rarely seen to mix with its more abundant cousins, the ‘goldies’.

Lesser Golden Plover (top left) in amongst a flock of regular "goldies"

The foreshore of Loch Ryan is a great place to see a variety of waders, but if it is Lapwings in particular that you seek then Loch Connell is as safe a bet as any locally: 47 there on the 23rd might not seem many but, as they say, it is quality not quantity that can make or break a day’s birding.  But if it is Ringed Plovers you require in order to quench your birding thirst, then look no further than Wig Bay, and in particular, the Scar.  I recorded flocks in excess of 100 birds on three days here in October, the largest comprising some 130 birds, on the 13th.  A wisp of nine Snipe at Loch Connell on the 30th was my only sighting of that species.  Turnstones were more plentiful, with a high of 60 at the Scar, on the 6th.

One of the grasslands beside the Wig hosted a Mediterranean Gull on the 12th and the 17th.  Presumably it was the same bird on both occasions because it wore a distinctive second-winter plumage.

Within the month I had just three sightings of Guillemots, with a pitiful two birds being the highest count.  Razorbills faired better, being registered on 12 days, although numbers were low with ten being my highest score on the 24th.

On my local patch, at least, October is the month when male Tawny Owls resume the proclamation of their territory by hooting.  It was not until the evening of the 26th that the familiar ‘hoo-hoo-hoo’ greeted my ears, shortly afterwards responded to by another male calling.

To see many of the species of bird that frequent the local patch - particularly small ones that typically occur outside the garden environment - a degree of effort is usually required on the part of the would-be observer.  And, as is the case with most species, the more times you go out and look, the greater are the chances of actually seeing them.  At this time of year Skylarks are not always as obvious as they can be in the summer, when their gay songs fill the air and attract attention to them.  During the autumn and winter they form roving flocks, sometimes of considerable size.  But here, on the outskirts of the village of Kirkcolm, such large congregations are rare.  A flock of 49 birds flighting over the Wig Fields, on the 8th, was the most I encountered this month.

Swallows are summer migrants and as such depart our shores for the winter.  I observed 40 birds on the 4th but that diminished to eight come the 31st.  My only record of a Willow Warbler was on the 12th, when one turned up in my garden.  And whilst those summer birds leave us, other birds arrive on our doorstep to over-winter.  October is often associated with the mass arrival of Fieldfares and Redwings into the country.  On my patch, however, influxes are typically on a small scale, so much so that the earliest arriving birds generally pass by largely unnoticed.  But this year - for unknown reason - a notable improvement occurred. Ten Fieldfares marked the beginning of a steady passage of birds; a flock of 80, on the 23rd, was the largest that I saw.  Redwings turned up on the 19th, with 12 birds present in my garden.  And like the preceding species, the passage appeared to be continuous, with a very respectable flock of 233 on the 26th.

A pair of Redwings

It was nice to get some Grey Wagtails under my belt, so to speak.  A succession of days saw a handful of birds passing over, including on the 14th a party of three above my garden. In last month’s blog I mentioned the possibility of White Wagtails appearing in October.  Alas, the space allocated to them in my summary log book remains empty.  But then the typical British race that you will know as the Pied Wagtail, was also significantly down in numbers compared to those of previous years’ passage.  Migrant Meadow Pipits were also at a low, with the largest flock I saw comprising just five birds.  Rock Pipits gave the impression of fairing better, although most of those the I saw were likely to have been of local origin redistributing for the winter: seven were noted on the 24th.  Tree Pipits are always scarce birds on my patch, so to bag two on the 8th was a small recompense for the dearth of their cousins and allied species.

A handsome male Greenfinch in my garden on the 4th was a pleasant addition to the tally of birds accrued during the month.  A few days later, on the 7th, the track alongside the Wig surprised me with seven more of these stocky-looking birds.  The Linnet and Twite conundrum presented itself again with flocks of ‘small brown jobs’, comprising some 200 birds, seen flittering above the Wig Fields on three days (4th - 6th) early in the month.  In the same area, on the 24th, I was confident with my assessment of several parties (79 birds total, largest flock 30) being all of the latter species.