A marked change was evident in the numbers of Pale-bellied Brent Geese seen about the Wig this month compared to last. A peak count of 408 (this itself is a sure sign of a passage of birds) on the 4th quickly curtailed thereafter to 42 on the 9th, then to a final count of 10, or so, birds on the 11th. Ordinarily I would expect a few birds to linger on into late April, with a scattering of sightings extending into in early May. For the latter month we will all just have to wait and see what transpires. A Dark-bellied Brent was with a handful of its paler cousins at the Scar on the 5th. Over 280 Pink-footed Geese were seen flying north on the 4th, whilst 364 were observed grazing in a field adjacent Loch Connell, on the 6th, and my final sighting of this wintering species being a noisy gaggle of 80 northward bound birds, on the 10th.
Presumably I was seeing the same three Whooper Swans on each of my visits to Loch Connell during the month, although on the 13th they were boosted by an additional four birds, making the peak tally 7. The same body of freshwater also played host to an unusually high count of 13 Shelducks on the 6th, whereas at the Scar, Loch Ryan, the peak was just two birds on the 22nd.
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| Siesta in the shade for a Shoveler |
A drake Shoveler was a nice find at Loch Connell on the 27th. He half-slept at the water’s edge in the shade of an overhanging Sallow on the far side of the pool. On the near side, an energetic male Green-winged Teal dabbled in the company of six of its more common (on this side of the Atlantic, at least) Eurasian companions, Teal, and two drake Wigeon. What a splendid sight they all made. Earlier in the month there were considerably more Teal, and a few Wigeon, at Loch Connell, with highs of 107 and 18, respectively, on the 6th.
Given the present season there was, understandably, a considerable range in the number of Common Scoters on Loch Ryan. The peak count of 85 was logged early in the month on the 5th, with a very respectable 76 on the 29th. Goldeneyes were few, the majority having already departed for their breeding grounds. My highest count was just 14 birds on the 6th and a final singleton on the 8th. Even scarcer about the Wig than the aforementioned species was Long-tailed Duck, with just a single on the 3rd and another on the 23rd. Most years a few of these delightful waterfowl linger, to be seen in May, but given the relatively few birds that I have noted so far this year this year I shall not be holding my breath on that expectation. The general paucity of sea-faring ducks on Loch Ryan this month was made up for by an excellent showing of Red-breasted Mergansers. The 11th proved especially rewarding when out of a hazy morning mist I saw emerge two rafts of birds, one 144 strong, the other 77, making for an impressive total of 217. Scenes such as that are hardly ever bettered on my local patch - they are as rare as hen’s teeth or pots of gold that are said to be found at the ends of a rainbow. The sighting added to an existing catalogue of lasting memories, which I can call upon in times when I need to invigorate my spirit.
Not unexpectedly I saw few Slavonian Grebes about the Wig this month. I recorded the species on seven days up to and including the 23rd. Fortunately for me, just about all of the birds were in handsome breeding attire. Two, on the 11th and 18th, was my highest tally. I observed Great Northern Divers on three dates across the month: two on the 11th and 23rd, and a full summer-plumaged adult on the 29th. Red-throated Divers were of course more common and abundant than either of the two preceding species; their spring passage on Loch Ryan is noticeably protracted. High counts of 75 (including a tightly knit raft of 35) and 99 birds were logged on the 5th and 23rd, respectively.
Although a diversity of waders was recorded this month, they were generally low in numbers. Lone Bar-tailed Godwits were noted on five dates at the Wig, and a party of three was registered there on the 23rd. Close views of birds, on the 11th and 14th, allowed me to enjoy their stunning summer attire: sporting rich, brick-red underparts from chin to tail. The paucity of Curlews was notable, though not unexpected; birds typically vacate their wintering quarters for breeding grounds early in the year. 28 birds was my highest count (on the 1st), with my last sighting of the month being a singleton on the 13th. A smattering of Dunlin records punctuated the month. 10 seen in breeding plumage at the Scar (on the 24th) were a lively bunch, jostling within their ranks as they pressed ever forward along the beach at the edge of the tidal flow. Those few, however, were not the largest flock I encountered: that came a couple of days later, on the 26th, when a party of 40 paused momentarily at the Wig before heading northwards up the loch.
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| Gorgeous in summer plumage: Bar-tailed Godwit at the Scar |
On the morning of the 15th, there assembled at the Scar 49 Golden Plovers. I presumed them to be ‘Northern’ birds, judging by the extensive amount of black on their underparts, but either way, they were very striking in appearance, and a delight to mine eyes. A Greenshank at the same locality, but on the 8th, was a welcome visitor. A few Lapwings continued to grace the freshwater shoreline of Loch Connell, with six being my highest count on the 13th. Ringed Plovers frequented the beach of the Wig; the largest flock I recorded was 70 birds strong, on the 30th. Also on this date, I unfortunately startled a Snipe into flight from the Estate marsh whilst out photographing some of the many yellow blooms of Mayblobs (Marsh Marigolds) which inhabit this rich environment. I am not quite sure which of us was shocked the most: usually it is Jack Snipe that flush underfoot, whereas Snipe typically flee many yards ahead of potential approaching danger. It was a sunny day so perhaps I caught it napping, dozing in the warm solar rays.
It seems to me that for some species no two years are ever quite the same - a genuine air of unpredictability and uncertainty as to whether a bird may turn up, or not. And on my patch I have always granted that particular niche to be the preserve of that northerly curlew, the Whimbrel. My first sighting of the month was a singleton at the Wig on the 19th. A few days later, on the 22nd, there was 18, followed by a lull of several days until the 29th when a high of 32 birds were registered along the shore.
Kittiwakes are true sea-faring gulls and as such they usually only ever turn up on Loch Ryan when they are blown through the comparatively narrow mouth of the loch by strong offshore winds from the west. Very occasionally however they are observed here at times of the utmost calm, such as occurred on the 24th of this month when I saw four adults birds passing the Scar. To explain this unusual happening I can only assume that they, like so many casual human road users, veer off course on a whim to see where the route may take them. Thus, the birds flying down the loch get to its southern end, at Stranraer, then turn back upon realising that the watery road they have been travelling has run out. (Kittiwakes, apparently, are not fond of journeying over land and hence rarely occur inland). Arctic Terns are also sea-going birds. Their arrival at the Scar was early this year, with me seeing four birds on the 17th. I had to wait until the 27th to encounter the next one here. Sandwich Terns were regularly observed onwards of the 3rd. I frequently counted 30 plus birds, with a peak of 40 on the 22nd and 30th.
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| Kittiwake fly-past |
Gannets, on account of their size, whiteness, and habit of diving for fish from a great height, are conspicuous birds above Loch Ryan. As such I reckon this makes them prime candidates for more intensive study. Alas, there are ever only so many hours in a day and never enough time for a person to do all they may so desire; such a study, therefore, was always going to be beyond my scope, if you pardon the pun. Lets us hope, Gannets, that I shall see you tomorrow… for there is always another day when fresh opportunities may present themselves. In connection with such a study, I hypothesise - or, at least like to think - that the Gannets I see within a given day are all different birds and, thus, am never double counting any, so falsifying my data. Whether or not this be true, I shall probably never know. But such thoughts do invariably cross my mind, especially when, for example, I review the tally of 76 of these (heraldic) angels that I noted on the 14th and 19th of the month. Another thought, reader, you might consider: ‘if a bird has already visited the loch once in search for food will it do so again later the same day, or does it constantly move on to new pastures, so to speak?’
Next up, I report to you upon warblers - a distinct group, which in Britain at least has strong associations with springtime. A walk through the Corsewall Estate grounds and woodlands revealed to me a single Blackcap in song on the 6th; this rose to 5 on the 23rd, then to 10 on the 29th. The same area held 12 singing Chiffchaffs, also on the 29th. A Grasshopper Warbler was heard ‘reeling’ at the Estate marsh on the 20th. There may have been others but these days I struggle with hearing their high-pitched sounds unless they are close-to. Two Lesser Whitethroats (still a rarity on my patch) were heard singing from within scrub beside the shore of the sea-loch, on the 29th, whilst in a nearby wetland area my first Sedge Warblers (5 birds) of the season also heartily sang. I did not hear a Whitethroat until the 27th when, presumably, a returning bird occupied a known favoured site and proclaimed his stake to territory with a characteristic scratchy voice. Willow Warblers are always fewer in number in my neighbourhood than the similar-looking Chiffchaff; their descending fluty songs are however more pleasing to the ear than the monotonous namesake repetition of the latter. Six songsters were logged during the same walk that resulted in the fine chorus of birds which so marked the 29th.
The following selection are all what might best be described as common or garden birds. Generally, in this blog (and to which I have made reference in past posts) they do not receive the degree of attention by this author as those species which characterise either the Wig itself, or Loch Connell. They are just as important however for everyone’s consideration. From a ‘conservation’ perspective, I have always held the belief that by protecting the ‘everyday and commonplace’ the rare will automatically be saved as well. This concept will of course be alien to many folk and will undoubtedly be refuted by even more, but the principle truths are often the hardest to grasp. Does the phrase “you cannot see the wood for the trees” sound at all familiar and have any bearing to you? But ,I digress. Where was I?… Ah, yes, those common birds… and in this instance I focus your attention upon a few songsters. The entry into my logbook of 25 Blackbirds on the 29th may only be a small representation of those actually present in my neighbourhood but it was my peak count of the species during the month. For Chaffinches, the peak was 14 (which included 10 singing birds) on the 9th. Robins, which are generally silent and inconspicuous at this time of year (unless a person is prepared to rise early enough listen to the dawn chorus!) when they have offspring to feed it is best for them to keep a low profile. A tally of four on the 15th was my best count - and undoubtedly a case of gross under-recording on my part. On the 29th my entries for Song Thrushes was 13 (8 singing), and 19 singing Wrens.
This brings us to the final assortment of birds that I happened upon this April, and perhaps what better a species to introduce this section than a Corncrake, seen and heard singing on the 15th in the very same grassland that my last record of this species emanated, back on the 3rd of May 2022. Another rare encounter on my local patch was with a Cuckoo, heard calling on the 20th. Records of House Martins were few, the first being two birds observed on the 7th, with a maximum of four on the 28th. A Kestrel seen flying above the hill at Clachan Heughs, on the 29th, was a welcome sight of a species that is now scarce in the locality. My first Sand Martins of the month were logged on the 4th, when three were seen flying in over the sea, at the Wig; 10 was my highest count, at Loch Connell, on the 27th. The fields beside the Wig held 12 Skylarks on the 7th, five of which were in towering song flights. Three Swallows were noted on the 5th, with a peak of just six birds on the 23rd. A singleton Tree Sparrow visited my garden on the 9th but, alas, was not seen thereafter. Records of spring Wheatears at the Wig are no longer a sure thing; I am thus glad to be able report sightings of single birds on eight days, from the 3rd to the 17th. At least two different birds (based on plumage variations) are known to be attributable for these records, while the possibility of them all being separate is strong and should not be discounted, either. Three White Wagtails at Loch Connell on the 13th, and another seen on the Wig fields on the 22nd were my only records of this visiting species from abroad.
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| To Round-up : Teal, including a Green-winged, at Loch Connell |
This article and the images were supplied courtesy of S. Grover.
