If you truly wish to appreciate the wonders that nature can offer then there is no substitute to going out and experiencing it first hand. This, however, is often easier said than done. But try we should, if only to momentarily bring relief from more dominating, pressing matters. But enough philosophical twaddle and on to life-enriching moments…
In store this month our highlights include Barnacle Goose, Kingfisher, probable Pacific Diver, Pintail, Red Kite, Red-necked Grebe, Velvet Scoter and Woodcock, plus other discoveries.
Barnacle Geese are scarce, if not rare, visitors to my local patch; they are certainly by no means annual. A singleton holding company with 102 Canada Geese at Loch Connell, on the 4th, was most welcomely received. The usual Pale-breasted Brent Geese milled about the Wig, with over 200 birds on the 1st and 24th. However, numbers of them seemed to vary daily, suggesting that a movement, or passage, of birds was underway. Pink-footed Geese also seemed to be on the move, with 1,000, or so, birds observed heading north on the 16th. Loch Connell harboured a lone Whooper Swan, on the 25th. This site also hosted a few Shelducks across the month, with a maximum of nine on the 18th.
Loch Connell nestled a pair of Pintail, from the 11th onwards, along with a high of 136 Wigeon on the aforesaid date. Common Scoters were observed in generally small flocks on Loch Ryan, though on the 16th a tally of 313 was registered. Eiders here numbered 270 on the 19th and some 250 birds gathered at the Scar, on the 24th. A peak count of 64 Goldeneyes (at least 50% males) were logged on the sea loch (on the 16th), whilst the highest count of Long-tailed Ducks was 19 at the Wig, on the 1st, and a notable flock of 15 here on the 29th. Records of Tufted Ducks came from Loch Connell only, with a high of 14 on the 25th. Velvet Scoters were observed on the sea loch on the 10th, 11th, 16th and 18th, presumably involving the same two males on each occasion. The freshwater site of Loch Connell supported Goosanders throughout the month, with a peak count of 24 on the 18th. The nearby sea loch accounted for all of my sightings of Red-breasted Mergansers, including 85 on the 16th.
Moorhens are more often heard than seen at Loch Connell, so it was good to be able to view five of them there, on the 18th, when a Great Crested Grebe was also encountered here, along with its smaller cousin, a Little Grebe. Most of my grebe records, however, emanate from the much larger Loch Ryan. It is from here that recent history tells of Red-necked Grebes being regular, annual visitors. But times change and the species is no longer as predictable here as it once was. It was thus gratifying to reunite with the species on eight days this month, including two birds at the Wig on the 1st, 15th and 16th. It was especially nice to be able to see this species side-by-side with Great Crested and Slavonian Grebes, for a direct comparison of their features. The latter species, of course, is a Loch Ryan stalwart: 21 were logged on the 16th, with birds showing a great variety of plumage transitions. The same site is favourable for spotting Black-throated Divers; alas, I only saw three birds all month, with individuals on the 13th, 16th and 18th. Great Northern Divers faired considerably better, being recorded on 13 days, including three on the 11th and four on the 16th. A probable Pacific Diver was seen a few hundred yards offshore of the Wig on the 7th and 14th. By comparison, Red-throated Divers were two-a-penny, although counts of them were generally low. However, 52 were registered on the 16th and a flock of 25 were noted on the 24th.
At the Scar Dunlins frequently mixed with Ringed Plovers. The highest count of the former was 90 on the 2nd, whilst of the latter there was 70 birds on the 4th. At the same site Golden Plovers peaked at 160 on the 3rd, whilst at Piltanton, during a Wetlands Bird Survey count on the 7th, an impressive 946 were logged. At the latter site and during the same survey a total of eight Greenshanks were noted, compared with just one bird all month at the Wig, on the 11th. Lapwings, ever scarce birds on my patch, tallied 28 at Loch Connell, on the18th, and six flew west across the Wig Fields on the 11th. These same fields were frequented by parties of Oystercatchers all month, with a peak count of 276 on the 16th.
On the 2nd, a night-time survey was carried out on Corsewall Estate, with consent of the landowner. During the course of the evening at least five Woodcock and three Snipe were noted using the area. Of particular curiosity, however, were not only the birds but, also, the number of Common Toads that were seen in the beams of our torches. The amphibians were all returning to their breeding pools in preparation for mating and spawning. Most of the 180 we counted were males, and their croaks were heard coming from far and wide.
February is typically the month when the first returning Gannets are spied over Loch Ryan. Unfortunately, their absence so far this year is perhaps an indication of avian influenza having impacted upon their population. The coming months should reveal the extent of that attrition, so we will all have to wait and see.
Little Egrets are not yet residents about Loch Ryan: just one bird at the Scar on the 16th and 24th were the only records on my patch this month.
The first of the year’s displaying Buzzards were observed on the 12th, and five were noted over the hillside above Cairnryan on the 26th. A rather handsome Peregrine stood sentinel at Loch Connell on the 11th and two Red Kites quartered the wooded slopes by Cairnryan on the 22nd. Hunters of the night sky are, for obvious reasons, less frequently recorded than their diurnal brethren. I was therefore delighted to hear two Tawny Owls calling during the evening of the 2nd, and on the 24th, a Barn Owl. The last mentioned species also provided me with an additional means of study and one which is eminently suitable for any budding nature detective: owl pellets. My daughter and I checked out a local roost site, from where we collected three wholesome, disgorged, pellets and numerous small skulls littering the floor. Back in the comfort of home the evidence was examined and analysed, giving an insight in to the diet of this particular Barn Owl. A total of 14 Field Voles, three Bank Voles, two Common Shrews, a Wood Mouse and a Chaffinch were identified from the remains.
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| Goodies obtained from a Barn Owl roost site |
A Kingfisher at Marian Jetty, Wig Bay, was glimpsed on the 13th. The first drumming of the year by a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard on the 26th. Two Nuthatches announced their presence on the 2nd and 11th, uttering their distinctive and far carrying whistles. Rock Pipits about the Wig are usually encountered in ones or twos so it was nice to register parties of eight birds on the 2nd and 13th of the month.
Goldcrests are very much birds for a younger generation of naturalists to record because their high-pitched calls are generally lost on us oldies, whilst trying to see such diminutive creatures amongst a tangle of twigs and foliage so favoured by them is likewise better suited to the keen eyes of younger members of our fraternity. In this respect my daughter has oneupmanship over me, allowing her to detect these fiery crested birds on numerous of our excursions together, including three birds on the 22nd. Parties of Goldfinches are forever roaming in search of food during the winter. A respectable 37 birds were encountered on the 17th. Siskins are similar in many respects to the preceding species, and often consort with them. 10 of these energetic green and yellow sprites were noted on the 8th. The pink-breasted Bullfinches are more often as not seen in pairs, so a party of eight, on the 17th, was a visual feast to behold.
I suspect that House Sparrows are a
familiar sight to many folk living in towns and villages in the Rhins of
Galloway, but further afield, especially in some other parts of the United
Kingdom, they are somewhat scarce … dare I say it .. rare! It is usually only
when I see a sizeable flock of them, such as the 100, or so, in my garden on
the 17th, that it occurs to me just how lucky - nay, privileged, I am to so
regularly witness their common audacity.
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