Caught up in the Counts - February 2023 Bird Report

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

Flock sizes of Pale-bellied Brent Geese about the Wig varied as much as the changeable weather that accompanied them. Even during the course of a single day the numbers of birds altered, suggesting an interchange of birds about Loch Ryan, or a continual passage of migrants.  A flock of 308 birds grazed the ‘Twite Field’ at the Wig, on the 15th; this represented the highest single count of them during the month. Perhaps another indication of the Brent migration was the ten birds logged at Piltanton during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 19th - the species is something of a rarity at this site, at least if my monthly counts are anything to go on, so any found here are an unusual occurrence and are likely indicative of a movement of birds. 

Pink-footed Geese were more often heard than seen, flying out to feed in the early hours of the morning and returning under the cover of darkness late in the night. I did manage to log over 400 birds lifting off from the Scar beach at dawn on the 22nd.

Shelducks remained Scarce all month at the Wig, with a maximum of three birds recorded on the 17th. Good numbers of Pintail are regularly seen on the Solway, such as at Caerlaveroc, but here on the Rhins of Galloway they are only ever few and sporadic in occurrence. Four at Loch Connell, on the 12th, were thus a welcome sight. Presumably they were the same birds still present here on the 26th: a gorgeous drake and another, younger, moulting male alongside two females. The same location hosted 198 Teal on the 5th. Numbers of Wigeon on my local patch were considerably down on last month.

Eiders are one of the most familiar sea ducks to birders acquainted with Loch Ryan. Their large size makes them more obvious than most, for sure; but when they are seen at any great distance that familiarity is all but lost and they appear as dark shapes. Then, they could be mistaken for scoters, mergansers, or some other species; only astute, patient observation and cognisance of jizz can confirm their presence. There were several such irresolute identification incidents this month! The opportune moment arrived on the 19th when I was successfully able to log 241 birds. 

Waterfowl on Loch Ryan, including distant Eiders, Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Scoters

Female and immature Goldeneyes are easily overlooked, especially when there are boldly marked drakes about to attract the viewer’s attention. The males have the habit of throwing back their heads and momentarily pointing their bills skywards when displaying - a performance they readily practice at this time of year. Although it is always my intent to count these birds, I all too easily become distracted by the ceremonies in which these birds engage. On the the 7th, however, I refrained from such diversion for long enough to tally 38 birds - only a small sample of those actually occupying Loch Ryan. It is equally easy for me to become absorbed by the activities of resplendent Long-tailed Ducks when I should be concentrating on the daily log. A flock of nine was the largest I registered, which included a male in nearly full breeding plumage - a very different dress from the typical winter attire. It is fortunate that this species can be readily observed at the Wig, unlike Scaup, which mostly reside at the southern end of Loch Ryan. During a brief stop at Bishop Burn, on the 19th, I registered 517 of the latter species. Curiously, a female Scaup was also present at the freshwater site of Loch Connell on the same day.

Common Scoters were observed daily on the sea-loch, with over 100 birds being registered on seven days, with a peak of 173 on the 18th. Velvet Scoters were noted on three days, with four on the 2nd, a male on the 4th, and a male and female on the 6th. These sightings, being close together, were probably the same birds. Loch Connell hosted a small number of Tufted Ducks, with seven being the highest count on the 12th. This site also held several Goosanders, with nine on the 19th. Red-breasted Mergansers were present throughout the month on Loch Ryan. They were mostly observed in small, highly mobile parties, which made it a tad tricky to ascertain their true numbers without the risk of double-counting. However, on the 7th, a confirmed tally of 66 was registered … with a further 38 probables, I might add!

Great Northern Divers are big birds: consequently they can be easier to spot a long way offshore. This probably accounts for them being logged on 16 days across the month, with a maximum of four birds on the 7th and the 16th. The smaller Red-throated Divers were considerably more abundant, with a peak of 63 on the 7th. In recent years Red-necked Grebes have become an expected sight about Wig Bay during the course of the winter, but this February they have been in short supply: a singleton on the 7th, and three on the 18th. It is likely that birds were present throughout the period but were occupying areas of Loch Ryan that were not visible from any of the stations I am able to observe from. Slavonian Grebes made up for the paucity of their cousins: 20 were noted on the 16th, including one bird in full summer plumage, sporting a brick-red neck and golden ear-tufts. Lovely!

Now is the time of year when small parties and larger flocks of Golden Plovers begin to pass through the area on their migration to their breeding grounds. The largest flock I encountered at the Scar was 44 birds, which isn’t big by any standards, but greater numbers will undoubtedly be recorded when the Spring passage gets properly underway. Grey Plovers, likewise, stop off here, though never in high numbers: three on both the 23rd and the 26th was my highest count. A single Lapwing at the Scar is summary enough of this species’ status on my local patch.

The trio of smaller waders - Dunlin, Turnstone and Ringed Plover - that frequent the shore-line of Wig Bay are easily missed whenever they hunker down amongst the pebbles, stones and seaweed. Only the latter species formed a flock worthy of mention, with 44 birds at the Scar on the 18th.

Numbers of Common Gulls appeared to be down on last month, with a flock of 275 being the largest I noted. The leucistic bird, mentioned in last months offering, turned up on the Wig Fields, on the 1st. It was a very white-looking bird indeed, which temporarily added to my confused state the following day, the 2nd, when a different white gull, the probable Ivory Gull (also referred to in the previous blog posting) reappeared at the Scar; I subsequently saw it there on the 5th and the 6th. I had just one record all month of Lesser Black-backed Gull: a solitary bird at the Scar on the 19th.

Some features of the probable Ivory Gull

An immature, female Merlin was seen coming in off the sea and then hunting over the Wig Fields, on the 22nd. A single Little Egret was a pleasant addition to the otherwise common species that I logged at the Wig on the 20th. Shags continued to be present in reasonable numbers about the sea loch, with a flock of 88 being registered at the Scar on the 10th.

The mild conditions that prevail on the Rhins of Galloway (a consequence of the warm Gulf Stream ocean current) means that signs of the Spring season are witnessed earlier in the year than more inland locations. A Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming in Corsewall Estate woods, on the 26th, is one such example. Rooks have been seen attending their nests for a while now, but winter flocks are still commonplace: some 400 birds in a grassland near Kirminnoch (just west of Loch Connell), on the 12th, was a healthy congregation. Like the woodpecker mentioned above, other birds have also been venting song, including Skylark, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock and Chaffinch; these sounds became a daily presence during the latter days of the month.

Regular followers of this blog may recall the House Sparrow X Tree Sparrow in the previous two postings. Well, one such bird was again in my garden, on the 1st. This, however, was a different bird, with a wholly brown cap just like a genuine Tree Sparrow. Alas, no further sightings of any of these unusual hybrids were made thereafter.

Grey Wagtails are one of those species that are probably more common than the number of sightings of them would suggest. It is usually by a lucky accident that I encounter one. A very handsome and spritely bird enriched my day when I happened across it at St. Columba’s Well on the Corsewall Estate, on the 17th. The lemon-yellow in its plumage seemed to act like a spotlight marking its position and enabling me to track its progress amongst the otherwise drab tones of the surroundings in which it foraged. Rock Pipits are widespread along the shoreline of Loch Ryan during the winter. The diffuse brown tones of their plumage serve well to conceal them in the places they inhabit. A bird I saw at the Corsewall Burn outlet, on the 22nd, was subtly different however. It was much cleaner in appearance, with a whiter belly and greyish, not brown, tones topside. There is much variation within the tones displayed by this species; the general appearance of this bird suggested to me that it might be of the Scandinavian race, littoralis. Some of these regularly overwinter in Britain, especially on the east coast, but they only become apparent at this time of year when their summer plumage begins to show through.

Rock Pipit as seen at the Corsewall Burn outlet.

In my summary log book I have always allocated space for each species I record; this follows a certain taxonomic order. That, however, has always proved problematical for some birds, in particular, the Linnet/Twite conundrum. With close views it is easy to separate these species but with more distant ones that identification becomes nigh impossible. As I become older, less active and less mobile, I find there is in increasing tendency for me to register such flocks in my notebook as Linnets/Twites, rather than making the distinction. And so to the dilemma - where to enter into the log such uncertainties - such as the 20 birds I saw on the 5th and the 18th of February? My preference, based upon past experience, would always err towards them being Twite … but we have to be accurate if the data generated is to be taken seriously; thus they are entered into my spreadsheet in the section reserved for such anomalies.

Quite the Conundrum - January 2023 Bird Report

Thanks to Jeni, Eleanor and Benjamin Grover for contributing records and much thoughtful discussion.  This article and the images contained within were provided courtesy of the author, S. Grover.

A remarkable month that presented three interesting identification challenges; alas, they were never satisfactorily resolved.  Read on to learn more!

Are not Brent Geese great?!  At this time of year they can be seen grazing the sward of the Wig Fields, fattening up in readiness for the journey that will take them back to their breeding grounds in arctic Canada.  Their guttural calls often reach my house and waft in through an open window.  A stirring sound to be sure, especially first thing in the morning when the dawn breaks and the first rays of daylight appear over the moor behind Cairnryan, on the far side of Loch Ryan, brightening swiftly to illuminate the day.  The Brents - pale-bellied ones, to be precise - have maintained a constant presence throughout the month, peaking at 238 birds on the 6th.  In fact, 200 or so birds were seen most days, feeding in the fields at high tide and then on the exposed algae and eel-grass when the tide turned.

An intervening hill separates my house from Loch Connell in the west.  Although my view of this site is thus effectively masked from home, my ears often inform me of a multitude of geese there.  On the 8th the presence of these birds was betrayed by the overwhelming chorus that came from over the hill.  The sound lured me to go and check them out.  Upon arrival I was not unduly surprised by the sight of 122 Canada Geese and in excess of 736 Pink-footed Geese feeding in the adjacent grasslands.

Shelduck were scarce about Loch Ryan, with five at the Scar being my highest count.  It was a different story at the Piltanton Estuary however when I carried out a Wetland Bird Survey there on the 23rd; in spite of the rain I logged 131 birds.

On my local patch I had just one record of a Shoveler: a female at Loch Connell on the 15th.  Teal were most numerous at this site, with a high of 443 on the 8th.  I sometimes find it interesting to gauge the ratio of males to females within flocks; on the 15th, I counted 430 together, 70% of which were males.  Seven of this small duck species rode the choppy water off of the Scar, Loch Ryan, on the 27th.  They bought to mind plastic ducks bobbing up and down on rough water such as you might see on a fast moving stream where a festival ‘duck race’ is being held.  Back to Loch Connell, where I was delighted to record 208 Wigeon on the 8th; lesser numbers are typically the norm’ here.

A pair of Wigeon looking rather splendid

Common Eiders are a staple of Loch Ryan.  I saw them in small, scattered flocks, but knew from experience that many more were actually present: thus, towards the end of the month I put in a bit more of an effort to discover their true numbers.  On the 27th I counted a respectable 204 birds but sensed that there were more out there.  Conditions for counting them were even better the following day, resulting in 339 being logged. 

A possible King Eider on the 8th presented the first challenge for the family.  During a routine scan of Wig Bay from the comfort of my home I noticed a smallish, dark-looking Eider just off the Scar.  Its head was somewhat truncated in appearance, lacking the obvious wedge shaped profile of a typical Common Eider.  To me, at least, its appearance suggested a first-winter male King Eider.  One by one each member of my family took a turn to view the bird through the spotting scope and formulate an opinion.  A closer look was required.  The rest of the family headed off to the Scar whilst I remained on station to monitor the bird’s whereabouts.  Upon their return each member recounted their experience of what they had seen of the bird resting on the Scar, floating on the water, and in flight.  The shape of the head, neck and bill, seen in profile, was agreed by the majority to be atypical compared to Common Eider;  but it was the consensus that several more features lacking needed to be satisfied, in order for a positive identification.  The conclusion was in limbo and that, alas, is where it shall remain.

Common Scoters on the sea loch were, as usual, active and mobile, which made counting them with any accuracy difficult: on the 26th I logged a mere 20 birds.  Entered into the records the following day, the 27th, was my only Velvet Scoter of the month: a female seen at the Wig.  Eight Scaup were also observed at this location on the 2nd, along with two on the 6th and a singleton male on the 27th.  The species faired considerably better at Bishop Burn where a rather low count of 87 birds was made, on the 5th; however, our family party may have been distracted by the presence of what we presumed were two hybrid Scaup X Tufted Duck.  These were a minor identification challenge compared to the ‘three main-event’ birds in this category.

Probable hybrid (2nd from right) in amongst regular Scaup

A handsome black and white (although they do have bottle-green heads, when seen close-to and in good light), male, Goosander was noted at Loch Connell on the 15th and the 23rd, whilst on the 27th a total of 101 Red-breasted Mergansers on Loch Ryan was logged.

Notable this month was the dearth of Cormorants about Loch Ryan.  Barely a handful were seen at the Scar.  Wintering birds seem to disperse from Loch Ryan early in the year.  Shags, on the other hand, linger longer; I counted 130 on the 26th, with 70 of these at the Scar.

Black-throated Divers were observed in Wig Bay on the 8th, 12th and 15th.  Great Northern Divers were more frequent in occurrence, being sighted on nine days across the month, with three birds registered on the 15th.  Red-throated Divers were considerably commoner than their cousins, with a creditable tally of 106 on the 26th.  A delightful trio of Little Grebes (Dabchicks) was seen in the harbour at Stranraer, on the 5th, and two sightings of Red-necked Grebe were registered at the Wig, comprising three birds on the 1st and a singleton on the 19th.  Slavonian Grebes were noted in small numbers, with a maximum of 29 logged, also on the 1st.

There is only ever a small presence of Bar-tailed Godwits about Loch Ryan.  We expect to find them on the shore but they are equally at home in the fields, especially when there has been flooding.  I regularly saw two birds on the Wig Fields, with three on the 26th.  Curlews are commonly found in grasslands: 116  at Clendrie was a good count, on the 18th.  Dunlins roosting on the stone revetments, forming the sea-wall alongside the railway station in Stranraer, provided good counting conditions on the 5th, when there were 88 birds.

Knot are becoming increasingly irregular visitors in my neighbourhood.  I have none to report from Loch Ryan this month, but the Piltanton Estuary surprised me with a flock of 330, during my monthly visit there on the 23rd.

Small parties of Golden Plovers were observed on several dates at the Scar, Loch Ryan; over 300 were present, on the 18th.  Their cousins, Grey Plovers, frequently go undetected because their generally solitary nature and the cold, dull, plumage tones combine to blend them in to their surroundings of pebbles, stones and sandy-mud which they favour hereabouts.  Three birds were seen here on the 26th.  A pleasant surprise find was a Greenshank at the Wig on the 18th; Piltanton has become a more regular place to see them, and four were logged there on the 23rd.  Redshank are one of several species that are more numerous at the southern end of Loch Ryan than at Wig Bay: nine was my highest count from the latter location, on the 26th, whereas I recorded 126 on the stonework of the railway and harbour walls in Stranraer on the 5th.

During the early part of the month I had been seeing reasonably sized gatherings of Common Gulls about Wig Bay but it was not until the 18th that I had a proper stab at counting them.  A flock amassed a short distance off-shore.  Although there was a continual movement of birds I managed to log a minimum of 500.  On the 28th, I again fancied my chances.  Fortunately the birds were all settled; this time I counted 809.  

A leucistic Common Gull was reported to me by several birdwatchers that I encountered on my excursions.  Enter the next challenging conundrum… The skies were clear, so to speak, of any ‘white-wingers’ until the 27th when I happened to spy an incoming bird to the Scar.  Yes, this bird was Common Gull sized but its overall appearance was distinctly different, having a markedly broad arm and a noticeably pointed hand compared to the other Common and Herring Gulls, which it accompanied.  Was this the returning Ivory Gull from 2019, thought I?  … Well, I beckoned my wife .. hoping that a fresh pair of eyes might help to resolve the issue.  Alas, the light was fading fast and the viewing distance too great for precise details to be examined; consequently, an open verdict was registered.  

I went out the following day in the hope of a further sighting but, sadly, the gulls did not gather, on account of there being too much human disturbance.  I did, however, come across another interesting-looking Gull in plain view, associating with a raft of Black-headed Gulls.  It was an immature bird that was already wearing a partial, black,  summer hood.  When it flapped its wings they showed the typical pattern of a similar aged ‘Black-headed’ on the upper sides, but also included a prominent black trailing edge; the underside of the wings were mostly dark: a feature associated with adult Little Gull.  In short, its plumage (markings and tones) and bare parts shared similarities to both Black-headed and Little Gull, though it was obviously smaller than the first mentioned species and a good deal larger than a typical example of the second mentioned.  Could it have been a hybrid?  Or was it just an aberrant bird?  Anyway, three tricky identification challenges in one month was more than enough for this observer.

Artists rendition of the unusual gull

With the decline in the presence and numbers of Twite on my local patch it is little wonder that Merlins have become irregular visitors.  A female on the 8th was the only record.  Jackdaws, being such common birds, rarely receive mention in the blog.  To amend that failing on my part I hereby offer to faithful readers my sighting of more than 200 birds that I watched going to roost on the 28th.  Blackbirds, similarly, receive little attention, but very occasionally it is necessary to count them in order to gauge their status within the area.  A walk through the estate woods on the 6th resulted in a total of 44 birds logged, with the largest group seen together being a mere five.  The flocking tendency of wintering Fieldfares makes them somewhat easier to spot, although at this time of year these thrushes are generally scarce on my local patch.  A party of 12 was the largest congregation seen, on the 2nd.  Mistle Thrushes are less sociable compared to the preceding species.  Just a single bird was noted for a few short days early in the month, briefly seen entering my garden, on the 4th.  Redwings were heard more often than they were seen; 81 were registered on the 6th and 116 on the 11th.  Like Blackbirds, the presence of Robins is noted, but generally without much effort to ascertain their population.  The estate woods harboured a minimum of 43 birds on the 6th.

Blackcaps were recorded in my garden on four occasions: a female on the 4th and a male thereafter on the 8th, 11th and 16th.  Indeed, on the latter date the bird was caught and ringed (under British Trust for Ornithology licence) by my daughter, hence the picture accompanying this article.  A hybrid House Sparrow x Tree Sparrow was again seen in my garden, on the 4th, whilst on the 13th and 14th a lone Tree Sparrow was present here.  Remarkably, normally scarce Bullfinches were recorded in my garden on three occasions, including a male and a female on the 15th and, presumably, the same female of the pair was caught and ringed the following day, on the 16th (see photo).

A selection of birds caught and ringed from our garden

A Christmas Gift - December 2022 Bird Report

Thanks to E, Jeni and Benjamin Grover for providing additional records of sightings used in this report, which was provided by courtesy of the author, S. Grover, along with artwork/photos.

Birdwatchers can be an amusing bunch (to me, anyway), with their own euphemisms, just like any other enthusiast.  Often when I am out and about on my local patch, I am approached by other persons carrying the paraphernalia that characterises a fellow birder.  A usual remark that greets my ears upon our meeting is: “Much about?”, or “Anything interesting?”  What they really mean, of course, is: “Are there any rare birds?” for them to see.  Should you be like me, everything is of interest, whether it be commonplace, a local rarity, or indeed a mega-rarity.  Who am I, to discern what others might consider interesting, or rare? After all, I have no way of knowing what their level of birding expertise is, what their expectations are from their trip, or what birds would differ from those found on the local patch they left to visit Loch Ryan. I do my best to answer, but probably fail to meet their expectations! Or amuse them, who knows?!

At a time when doom and gloom seems to hang over much of our wildlife, I take comfort from the annual increase of Pale-bellied Brent Geese wintering on Loch Ryan.  A count of 423 birds at the Scar and the Wig on the 9th was an impressive tally; weighed against this, and somewhat disconcerting, was that out of a good sized flock of 322 birds seen on the 26th, not a single juvenile was amongst them.

Only 17 adult Mute Swans were logged on the sea-loch during the month.  They were present up to and including the 10th, with none thereafter.  Two were at Loch Connell on the 4th, along with a couple of Whooper Swans.  Shelducks were scarce on Loch Ryan, with one at the Wig on the 5th and 10th, and four at Bishop Burn on the 8th.  They were considerably more plentiful at the Piltanton Estuary, with 147 logged there during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 12th.

It is not often that Loch Connell has a covering of ice but on the 11th I found it to be eighty percent frozen; thus, the few wildfowl that were present congregated on either the small patches of open water or at their icy margins.  Four Pintails were a notable find here; two males and two females were huddled together on the ice, their heads arched over their backs and bills tucked into their mantle feathers for comfort and warmth.  Beside them was a flock of 93 Wigeon, with feathers all fluffed up and the birds adopting the same stance as the Pintails.

Pintails gathering on the ice edge

For most of the month I was registering counts of 50, or less, Common Scoters on Loch Ryan, visible from the comfort of my house; but that changed on the 22nd when I noted 140 birds.  Numbers of Eiders fluctuated seemingly as often as did the weather, but a high of 304 were observed, also on the 22nd.  Goldeneye are small ducks that do not often form large flocks, unlike Scaup or Wigeon, for instance.  I was thus happy to register a total of 31 birds, again on the 22nd.  With this date cropping up time and again it is clear that conditions were in my favour that day.

Following on from last month’s report Goosanders were again at the Wig, with a male present on the 3rd and 4th.  Just up the road, at Loch Connell, 14 (seven males and seven redheads) were observed.  Of particular note was a female at the Piltanton Estuary, observed during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 12th; this constitutes my first site record for the species during ten years of WeBS recording.  My monthly maxima of Long-tailed Ducks at the Wig came on the 4th, when a party of 12 birds busied themselves and, seemingly, made the water boil with their frenzied activity.  The lack of Scaup at the Wig is normal; fortunately, I was able to reacquaint myself with the species when I stopped off at Bishop Burn, on the 8th.  Here I spied 254 birds, mostly close inshore.  I guessed there were many more that I didn’t see … but that, as they say, is the nature of sea-watching.

The Black-necked Grebe reported on last month continued to be seen about the Wig up until at least the 10th.  Here also, on the 27th, I saw a Great Crested Grebe that was already adorned in full breeding plumage.  Little Grebes numbered ten at Loch Connell on the 4th.  On the sea loch, Red-necked Grebes were seen sporadically across the month, with two together on the 7th and 10th.  The same loch hosted 47 Slavonian grebes on the 22nd.  Just a single record of a Black-throated Diver this month: one at the Wig on the 27th.  There were two Great Northern Divers on the 17th, with singletons on the 22nd and 26th.

Bar-tailed Godwits were noted on four occasions at the Wig, with a maximum of two birds on the 26th.  Dunlins were scarce at this location but faired better at Piltanton, when 63 were logged during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 12th.  Golden Plovers at the Scar peaked at 403 on the 8th, whereas the maximum number of Grey Plovers here was three, on the 13th.  The same site held 12 Lapwings on the 8th - a most unusual  and rare occurrence these days; as indeed was a high count of 114 birds at Loch Connell on the 24th.  The Wig regularly supported parties of Ringed Plovers, with a flock of 72 birds on the 23rd.  Groups of Turnstones were equally widespread along the shoreline of Loch Ryan, with 27 being the highest count of birds, on the 23rd, although the monthly Wetlands Birds Survey count at Piltanton logged 79 birds on the 12th.

These days we can expect to see a Little Egret at the Wig from time to time; one there on the 3rd was thus delightful but not extraordinary.  One at Loch Connell, however, on the morning of the 24th was enough to raise my heartbeat - my first ever record from this site since my recording here began fourteen years ago.

A first-winter Glaucous Gull at the Scar on the 25th and 26th was a noteworthy surprise, as was an ‘arctic type’ Herring Gull seen earlier in the month, on the 3rd.  Arctic ‘Herrings’ are typically large and powerful-looking and show a much reduced amount of black in their wingtips than do the familiar British race … this bird ticked all the right boxes!  The next day, on the 4th, the same location hosted another intriguing gull in the form of an immature ‘Viking Gull’ - a hybrid between Glaucous and Herring Gull.  Very nice!  A pit stop at Bishop Burn, on the 12th, revealed a smart-looking, adult Mediterranean Gull, in winter plumage.

Glaucous Gull (left) and a Mediterranean Gull

The only record I had of a Guillemot on Loch Ryan came on the 26th when I observed a singleton at the Wig.  Razorbills were hardly any commoner, with just one on the 1st and two on the 4th.  A lone Merlin was was observed about the Wig Fields on the 12th, 13th, 16th and 21st but whether it was the same bird on all occasions is unknown.  The larger sized Peregrine was sighted just once but involved a pair of birds, at Loch Connell on the 4th.

Carrion Crows rarely receive much attention from birdwatchers.  In many human societies crows are vilified; but in truth, they are no worse, or better, than most other species.  Like any other species on this planet they are what they are, including being intelligent and resourceful problem solvers.  We can anthropomorphise them as easily as we can as any cute, fluffy, duckling, or any bird showing seemingly tender affection.  It was this latter evocation that caught my eye when I saw two almost identical crows huddled up to one another in a heavy rain shower on the 25th.  They gave the appearance of looking sad and forlorn.  One bird reached over to the other with its bill and gently preened its companion’s chin and cheeks; the other seemed to receive the gesture affectionately, altering the position of its head incrementally to pleasure both birds simultaneously.  When finished, neither bird looked sad anymore but seemed content to sit snuggled next to each other in the pouring rain.

A Waxwing was a happy discovery by my wife when she drove past Seabank Road, in Stranraer, on the 5th.  Another stunning bird turned up briefly in our garden on the 10th.  A flock of plus 40 Skylarks on the Wig Fields, on the 13th, was a noteworthy addition to the log, whilst a female Blackcap was a surprise visitor to my garden on the 25th.  Had it not been caught (under licence) in a mist net by my daughter its presence would have gone undetected.

This Blackcap (f) in the hand was a surprise Christmas present!

The only entry for Mistle Thrush in the logbook was on the 23rd.  Song Thrushes faired better, with a tally of five birds on the 11th and six (mostly along the Wig track) on the 20th.  House Sparrows peaked at 56 in my garden on the 21st, whilst a Tree Sparrow here was recorded on the 1st and 2nd.  Curiously, a House Sparrow x Tree Sparrow hybrid was also observed in my garden on the 21st, 26th and 27th.  Like most hybrids this bird generated more questions amongst members of my household than there were definitive answers.

House Sparrow hybrid and House Sparrow side by side