Opportune October - 2024 Monthly Bird Report

It was only towards the end of the month that I logged a reasonable sized flock of Canada Geese: on the 27th, in fact, when 112 were at Loch Connell. In comparison, Pale-bellied Brent Geese were common about the Wig, with the largest assemblies being 140 on the 6th and 150 on the 28th. These were however outdone by flocks of Pink-footed Geese roosting at the Scar (unusual for the time of year), including over 380 observed lifting off in the early morning of the 26th and some 522 doing the same on the 27th. Larger skeins were occasionally noted coming from the direction of Castle Kennedy Gardens (a well known roost site), including 900 plus birds on the 29th, passing over the village of Kirkcolm and heading in a north-westerly direction.

In October Mute Swans on Loch Ryan tend to favour the stretch of shoreline running from Low Balyett round to the Stranraer Railway Station. Usually there are two to three main flocks of variable size (there is much interchange between the general population) but occasionally they all come together, such as the 137 I saw at Bishop Burn on the 7th. Whooper Swans are primarily passage visitors, occurring in small flocks that hardly warrants the use of the term ‘herds’, which is the typical collective-noun granted them. Unusually, for the time of year, a party of eight were at Loch Connell on the 21st. The largest flock that I recorded, however, was 27 birds at the Wig on the 25th.

A single Shelduck at the Wig on the 1st was my only record of this species all month but, as it is said, one is better than none at all. The same might be said of Garganey but to be fair this species is very much a rarity on my patch, thus I was extremely appreciative of the female bird at Loch Connell on the 21st. Also at this site, but on the 7th, I logged the respectable number of 76 Mallards, whilst back to the 21st a welcome gathering of 238 Teal made a fine sight. At the Wig, Wigeon numbered 118 on the 22nd, only to be exceeded on the 25th by 123; on both days the majority of birds were males still wearing an eclipse plumage, showing sumptuous, rich-brown flanks and hints of yellow crowns.

Common Scoters often occupy the water out in the middle of the sea-loch, a consequence of this being that it can be difficult to make an accurate count of them because the distance also hinders their identification. I succeeded in logging 110 on the 30th. Eiders are generally more obvious (the males especially so, on account of their clear-cut, black and white apparel - the vast majority of the birds on Loch Ryan are this sex): 208 was my highest count, on the 30th. Goldeneyes seem to have been late arriving on my patch this autumn. It wasn’t until the month’s end that numbers of them in Wig Bay hit double figures (30 birds on the 30th). At Loch Connell there were two female type birds on the 21st and 27th. The first Long-tailed Duck of the season appeared at the Wig on the 17th. It was a male still in brown summer plumage. Thereafter, I noted birds on an additional seven days, including a party of four (the highest count) on the 22nd. An immature male Goosander was at Loch Connell on the 21st, followed by four birds there on the 27th. Good numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers were on the sea-loch, with the highest count of 154 (including a raft of 138 at the Wig) on the 11th.

It is only in very recent years, since the the relocation of the Stena Port from Stranraer to Cairnryan, and the subsequent reduction in both noise levels underwater (caused by the pounding of Ferry engines) and bow waves (causing water disturbance and wash), that numbers of Great Crested Grebes have risen in Wig Bay. I counted 34 on the 30th of the month. The same locality held a Red-necked Grebe on the 17th, and 46 Slavonian Grebes on the 30th. Also here, I logged a Great Northern Diver on the 28th and the 30th. Double figures of Red-throated Divers rose from 20, on the 10th, to a peak of 54 on the 30th.

There was at least one Bar-tailed Godwit about the Wig for most of the month. It was joined by a friend on the 30th. Curlews peaked at 66 in the fields beside the Wig, on the 25th. Dunlin were few, with eight on the 1st being the largest flock; however, they were likely under-recorded. The aforementioned may have been lacking but were made up for by a strong passage of Golden Plovers. Counts of over 400 birds were made on several days across the month, with a peak of 620 (minimum) on the 30th. A juvenile American Golden Plover was amongst its commoner cousins on the 27th and 30th and, amazingly, a juvenile and an adult (still in breeding plumage) on the 31st. For many birders, alas, the thought of painstakingly working through large flocks just to fine something different is incomprehensible, but the payoff in doing so can at times be utterly rewarding. Perhaps not quite as exciting as the discovery of an American vagrant, but noteworthy just the same, was the presence of eight Lapwings at the Scar on the 29th, and four there the following day (the 30th). To help put this exclamation into perspective, during my 15 years of being resident in Kirkcolm, I have seen American Golden Plover become an annual visitor to the Scar whereas Lapwings have declined and become less than annual here - intermittent visitors at best; they are of course more commonly occurring at Loch Connell, though high numbers of them are a thing of the past, being consigned to history only. Redshank are never abundant about Wig Bay: eight birds was a good find on the 22nd. Ringed Plovers on the other hand are two a penny, so to speak. A flock of 60 was recorded at the Scar on the 14th, 22nd, 23rd and the 30th of the month. My highest count of Turnstones was 38, also at the same spit of land (the Scar) on the 14th.

Regular readers of this blog will be aware that Lesser Black-backed Gulls are not the commonest of birds on my local patch: one on the 7th, 12th and 30th were my only records. Likewise, Mediterranean Gulls are scarce. There was an adult (in winter attire) at the Wig, on the 22nd.

Singleton Guillemots were recorded on the 19th, 25th and 30th. A Razorbill was noted on the 17th and the 22nd. All in all a poor showing of auks: possibly a reflection of the impact of avian flu on local populations, such as at Ailsa Craig. Observations of Gannets, also, were sparse, having been recorded on just six days, with the last record (one bird) falling on the 23rd. Shags seemed to have faired better than any other colony forming seabird mentioned. There were notable counts of 150 (including 110 on Cairnryan Pier) on the 1st and 212 (including 192 also on the pier at Cairnryan) on the 30th.

I logged eight counts of Little Egrets, spread across the month, including a party of three birds at the Wig on the 30th.

It was only a few short years ago when Buzzards were a regular breeding species on my local patch. Unfortunately, in an attempt to encourage visitors to the area and improve access to the wider countryside via a network of paths, Buzzards, along with other species, seem to have suffered as a result of more frequent disturbance. Consequently, they are fewer in number and not so readily seen. Three birds above the estate woods on the 1st was thus notable. Equally noteworthy was a Kestrel - another less common bird these days - seen hunting over the Wig fields on the 21st.

Feral Pigeons do not normally feature in this blog but this month proves to be an exception. Why? Well, a flock of over 100 seen feeding in fallow land on the outskirts of the village of Kirkcolm was a most unusual sight on the 1st. And as for the Kingfisher I saw on the same day, down at the Corsewall Burn outlet at the bottom of Fisher’s Lane … well .. its brilliant-sapphire back and sunset-orange breast were almost enough to defy description other than to say a big, sumptuous, wow! Late afternoon sunlight can be remarkable in adding sparkle and colour intensity to a scene: a fact, which on that occasion I could not argue otherwise.

The two Swallows I saw over the village on the 9th made me stop and think: they might be my last sighting of the year. I had heard it rumoured and said in almost silent whispers that there had been an influx of Yellow-browed Warblers into Britain this autumn. I confess, that whenever I see one on my local patch it usually coincides with a known influx. I was not thus unduly surprised to see one on the 29th as I travelled along Fisher’s Lane. It is often the calls of Fieldfares that that first alert me to their presence. I had to wait until the month’s end (the 30th) to hear those familiar ‘chacks and chuckles’ and looked up to see 70 birds passing overhead. The high pitched, thin calls of Redwings are mostly beyond my hearing these days so I know only too well that I under-record the species. I did see a couple of birds on the 2nd but, again, it was at the close of the month (the 31st) that I happened to notice a fine formation of 108 birds eagerly making their way south. I suspect that the majority laypersons think that the Robins they see during the spring and summer are the same birds they encounter during the autumn and winter, especially within the garden. But like so many typical, so-called residents, they are also migrants. It is likely that a good proportion of the 21 birds I recorded on a walk through the local woods on the 30th were not native to the area.

This year has certainly been better than last for Wheatears stopping off at the Wig during times of passage. The three I saw along the track on the 1st included a smart-looking bird of the Greenland race. Another bird was in the same locality on the 8th. It is always nice to see spritely Grey Wagtails. One was at Fisher’s Lane on the 8th and the 28th. I noted in my mind just how their gorgeous yellow vents attract attention in the gloom of a shaded stream.

Where do they come from, where do they go, why is there only ever a few of them and why is there no apparent pattern to their occurrence? I am of course talking about Tree Sparrows that turn up in my garden from time to time: one on the 19th set in motion these very thoughts, the answers to which I still have no satisfactory explanation for. I guess the same queries could be applied to Twite, which were once a familiar sight down at the Wig. I saw three of them there on the 14th and a flock of 120 ‘small brown jobs’ (which may have included Twite) on the 12th.

The contents of this article are courtesy of the author, S Grover.