The Essence of Light. Bird Report March 2025

Good numbers of Pale-bellied Brent Geese were present at the Wig throughout the month, peaking at 306 on the 1st, with the lowest count being 80 on the 31st. And for those readers with a penchant for more statistics, I throw in the daily average of 175 birds. There were 256 Greylag Geese at Loch Connell on the 23rd. Pink-footed Geese were clearly on the move: a high of 1800 plus, were noted flying north on the 12th, whilst 142 were observed roosting at the Scar on the 13th, with 20 there on the the 30th and a feeding flock of 600 birds in a grassland beside Loch Connell later the same morning.

A general lack of Mute Swans on Loch Ryan was notable: I saw a single bird out in mid-channel on the 1st. Loch Connell faired little better, with two birds present on the 23rd. Whooper Swans made up for their cousins absence on both sea and freshwater lochs, being recorded on ten days across the month. My highest count was of 47 birds resting at the Wig on the 31st. An improvement upon last month was the number of observations of Shelduck, although few birds were involved: just three at the Scar, on the 5th, was the best showing.

A drake and duck Gadwall was a nice find at Loch Connell on the 30th. The same site held a very smart-looking male Pintail and his duck, on the 2nd, 9th and 16th. Teal were also present here, with a peak count of 95 being registered on the 9th, whereas for Wigeon it was the 16th, when 138 were logged. Few of the latter species were seen at the Wig this month: 19 on the 12th being the largest assembly.

Very respectable counts of Common Scoter were made at Loch Ryan on the 1st and 16th, when entries in the log read 160 and 111, respectively. Goldeneye peaked at 33 on the 1st but after mid-month their numbers reduced considerably. Eider also peaked on the 1st, at 293. Long-tailed Duck at the Wig were few: my highest tally was 11 on the 7th; towards the end of the month (26th) I logged just a singleton. Tufted Duck were staple on my visits to Loch Connell this month. This of course is not always the case because the species is predominantly a winter visitor to this body of freshwater; come late-spring or early-summer they will likely have all gone. The numbers of birds involved was relatively consistent across my five visits here, with 11 being my highest count on the 30th. Also recorded at this site were Goosander. They however decreased in number as the month progressed, starting at a high of 13 birds on the 2nd, reducing to a singleton on the 30th. Of particular note was the sighting of a drake on the sea-loch, beside the Scar, on the 13th - an unusual location for this species. Red-breasted Merganser, on the other hand, favour these saline conditions, as supported by their near daily entry in my logbook and a peak count of 93 on the 26th.

Pair of Slavonian Grebes dancing

It was Loch Ryan, again, that held my only Red-necked Grebe of the month: an adult in fine breeding plumage at the Wig on the 9th. Slavonian Grebes were more common, although the low numbers present in the bay was a sure sign of their imminent departure to breeding grounds elsewhere. 13 birds on the 10th was my highest tally. A rare treat (on the 19th) was of two birds in nuptial plumage that engaged in a delightful courtship dance. That act, coupled with good viewing conditions, and aided by the use of a powerful ‘scope, enabled me to register their striking plumage in stunning detail. Is it not amazing how a drop of sunlight can transform a special encounter into an extraordinary and unforgettable one?

My only sighting of a Black-throated Diver on the sea-loch was of a singleton on the 1st. A Great Northern Diver was logged on five occasions up to and including the 14th, but not thereafter. Red-throated Divers were more frequently seen, with a high of 35 on the 1st. Although the majority of birds were still in winter dress, a few wore immaculate summer apparel, with rich, deep terracotta throat patches contrasting with silvery grey heads and hind necks and icy cold, stark white breasts. A sumptuous delight to gladden any sullen or weary heart!

Four sightings of Bar-tailed Godwit at the Wig might not seem to indicate much at all but I like to think they hint at the beginning of a passage of birds, especially when a party of five (on the 24th) graced the tidal mud, eagerly feeding in preparation for their long journey ahead to remote breeding grounds. From a distance they were uniform grey-looking, but closer inspection through a field scope revealed some warm brown feathering, especially on their underparts, where pale winter tones mixed with dappled brick-red plumage of emerging summer tones. Curlew, too, seemed to be on the move - indicated by the considerable variation in the number of birds I saw across the month. Some days they were absent from my log, but on most a handful or so were usual. A peak count of 42 at the Wig and Scar was registered on the 4th. A flock of 20 Golden Plover were at the Scar on the 2nd, with none thereafter until the 22nd when three birds were seen. A singleton Grey Plover was also at the Scar, on the 2nd and 4th of the month. The same location held a flock of 80 Knot on the 24th. They were there from first light ’til dusk, but were gone come the next day.

Four Lapwing were displaying at Loch Connell on the 9th. They flashed iridescent green, black and white in the morning sun which highlighted their forms as they tumbled earthwards before swooping up, only to tumble again and again. Presumably it was the same four birds I saw there throughout the month, although on the 24th an additional four birds (all female) swelled their ranks. In many ways, Oystercatcher at the Wig are like House Sparrow, Starling and Herring Gull in that to laypersons I speak to there seems to be a perception that they are ‘common’ and abundant everywhere they occur. The truth reveals otherwise, should people choose to accept, or contradict, it. Seeing lots of anything may give the impression of commonness, but, for instance, just how many is a lot - 10, 50, 100, or more? It is all a matter of qualification and interpretation, and in this respect everyone has their own opinion. The devil lies in the detail, as it is said. In the case of our black and white friend here, there are relatively few pairs of breeding Oyc’s (as some refer to them as) on my patch compared with, say, sparrows and Blackbirds, even though ‘a lot’(?) may seemingly occupy the fields and beaches. This surfeit of birds is likely to comprise of non-breeding residents, immatures, and visitors (birds of passage and/or wintering). Context here is all important. I would expect to see fewer birds during the summer months than at other times. A peak count of over 200 (which some might consider to be a lot) at the Scar on the 4th raised within me the very queries hinted to in my initial address to this pink legged, orange beaked wader.

Male Lapwing in display flight

It is rare - if not unheard of - for the highest number of Redshank recorded to exceed that of Ringed Plover at the Wig but that was exactly the case this month. The first mentioned species peaked at five (on the 13th), whilst the latter reached only four (on the 4th). It is likely that there were more of the latter species at large, which went undetected by yours truly. Snipe was recorded from within a parched grassland (on the 4th), a roadside verge (on the 13th), and at Loch Connell on the 16th (three birds) and 23rd.

I confess that I am rather partial towards gulls, and in my opinion there are few more handsome than Lesser Black-backs in full summer dress. What a delight therefore to see nine of them at Loch Connell, on the 16th, followed by 12 there on the 23rd. As any keen artist or photographer will tell you, ‘light is everything’, capable of turning the ordinary into something special. Sunshine certainly enhanced my appreciation of those birds that paraded in the adjacent field or paddled and drank at the freshwater pool. Compared with the aforementioned, Sandwich Terns are predominantly sea-faring birds, so to see them it is on Loch Ryan that one’s eyes must be focused. After a tern-free winter, I saw my first returning birds of the spring on the 23rd when three were at the Scar, rising to 12 birds on the 26th.

I had just two records of Razorbill: a singleton on the 10th, and two on the 16th. Gannets were a little late in arriving this year, with the first - a single bird - on the 11th. Barely a handful of bird followed thereafter until the 31st when I logged 41 over Loch Ryan. A usual amount of Cormorant were seen about the Scar (plus a few regulars at Loch Connell). One bird (on the 14th), however, stood out from the rest, being almost totally white headed. It is known that old birds in breeding plumage frequently show a greater amount of white feathering compared to younger ones - and this is feature is also typical characteristic of the continental form - but this particular bird outshone all others I had ever seen.

A rather special Cormorant

My first spring Blackcap of the year was heard singing from within shrubbery on the Corsewall Estate, on the 31st. A bit later than is usual, admittedly, but better late than never, ay! Chiffchaff were heard earlier in the month, with my first on the 19th, rising to five songsters on the 31st. It is not often for me to add a new bird species to my local patch list but that happened on the 30th, when I witnessed a party of five Crossbill passing low overhead, when I walked to Loch Connell for my usual weekly gander here. Quite why these finches were heading into a strong westerly wind, I know not … but then, perhaps, they were thinking the very same about my sluggish advance. Given the reasonable amount of suitable woodland within the locality you might wonder why I had not connected with the species until now, especially given my 15, plus, years tenure at Kirkcolm. One of life’s mysteries, I guess. All I know is that it felt good to finally lay to rest one bogey species that had eluded my endeavours for so long.

I had two sightings of Fieldfare this month (an indication, perhaps, of their irregular and somewhat haphazard occurrence on my local patch): 38 birds, on the 1st and two, on the 29th. Numbers of Goldfinch were up on last month - a consequence, no doubt, of a spring passage of birds, which seemed to be most evident in the latter half of March, when highs of 53 on the 23rd, 59 on the 26th and 58 the following day (the 27th) were logged. Great Spotted Woodpeckers made their presence known to me by ‘drumming’. On a still day the sound can carry a considerable distance. Sometimes a neighbouring bird would ‘knock’ in reply upon hearing the percussion of the first. Sometimes not. Either way, their advertisement through this action heralds the prospect of an advancing summer and marks the close of winter’s reign. Local folk had commented to me that they had birds drumming early on in the month but it was not until the 11th that I heard the sound for myself, when two birds pitched against one another, each responding in turn to the other drummer’s call.

It is not only bird song that signifies the arrival of spring, there are also visual clues, made by passerines such as the boldly marked Pied Wagtail. A sudden increase in their numbers is a sure sign that a change of season is upon us. The appearance on the 11th of a party of 13 birds in the Wig fields was a tell tale indication, and further supported by the presence of a stunning-looking White Wagtail compatriot. Northward moving Redwing were logged the 1st, 11th and 13th, with six, two, and four birds, respectively - not many, for sure, but better than none. Typically, March receives a boost in the number of Rock Pipits passing through. Alas, this year did not live up to expectation, with just a single bird observed on the shore of the Wig, on the 4th. I had to wait until the 23rd of the month to see my first returning Sand Martin of the year on my local patch; not unexpectedly, it was at Loch Connell. The first Swallow didn’t arrive ’til the 29th (above Kirranrae Farm) - the same day as my first Wheatear of the season (at the Wig). A different wheatear was seen at the same location as the first, on the 31st.

This article and the images were supplied courtesy of the author, S. Grover.