Having recently reviewed quantities of images that I had taken in previous years during the month of May there seemed one constant - a preponderance of Bluebells, suggesting fine weather and sunshine. This year, although I snapped a few similar images, I recall the season of these plants being somewhat short and the opportunity to capture their glory restricted on account of the changeable weather which characterised the month. These same conditions had a direct impact on my recording of other wildlife on my local patch, as it also did upon the very subjects of those observations. In spite of the many frustrations these conditions applied, I am pleased to report here that on most days there was usually something of natural history interest to help carry me through, even if the ‘traditional idea of spring’ was left disrupted and wanting in my mind.
I was anticipating seeing more Pale-bellied Brent Geese than I did. My only record was of a singleton at the Scar on the 24th. Had I not been up and scanning Loch Ryan at 0540hrs then this sighting would have escaped me. But I was lucky. The solitary record, however, is perhaps a sign of the changing times and of things to come!
At Loch Connell, on the 3rd, there were two pairs of Mute Swan: one had already built a nest and was ‘sitting’, and the other was still in the process of nest construction. By the time of my next visit, on the 10th, that platform had been completed and was occupied, with the consequence that there were now two breeding pairs - a first for the site, to the best of my knowledge. However, come the 17th the second pair had abandoned their attempt, leaving the first still sitting tight for the remainder of the month. On the sea-loch I saw two Mutes at the caravan park, Low Balyett, on the 12th. They remained along this stretch of shoreline thereafter, to be joined by three others on the 27th. A lone Whooper Swan, seen at the Scar on the 29th, was my only record of this species throughout the month.
Within the space of just a few short years Shelduck, once a regular breeding bird about Loch Ryan, has shown a marked decline. On my local patch I had just four sightings of this species across the month, each involving singletons only: the first was at Loch Connell on the 10th, the second at the Scar on the 14th, then the third in the Pool Field (close-by the Wig) on the 20th, and the last a bird observed flying down the length of the sea-loch on the 27th. Such paucity does not bode well for their prospects here but my own history with this species has taught me that the situation may not be as grave as might first appear. Another case of ‘watch this space’ springs to mind. Alas, as for the Mandarin pair, which I reported upon last month, I have since had neither sight nor sound of them; nor have any reports of them from other quarters come my way…yet!
On the 3rd of the month at Loch Connell, I observed my first ducklings of the year. There was an adult female Mallard with three tiny youngsters - recently hatched, I shouldn’t wonder - on one side of the pool and another duck with just a single offspring on the other side. On the 8th, I saw what I presumed was the same unit of four birds (the young noticeably larger now) and a separate duck tending eight ‘balls of fluff’ at the margins. I saw no other ducklings thereafter, but with only five visits made to the site it is perhaps not surprising that other broods might have escaped my notice. Certainly, a few would have been nice to see, and log, but to have hope both fulfilled and satisfied is unrealistic…and besides, if such was to be made redundant then what would there be left to hope for? But back to the real world…the same body of freshwater held a rather sumptuous-looking drake Shoveler on the 3rd along with just four Teal and, presumably, the same male Wigeon from the previous month; the latter bird incidentally remained throughout May.
Not surprisingly (given the time of year), I saw few Common Scoter on Loch Ryan: six on the 3rd and two on the 8th and 12th. The number of drake Eider present at the Scar steadily increased from 34 on the 7th to 98 on the 15th, 113 on the 28th, 182 on the 30th, to a peak on the 31st of 265. This last sighting was particularly satisfying to my eyes, with the densely packed flock assembled on the spit revealing constantly changing patterns of black and white as the birds shuffled and waddled to find a suitable place for each of them to occupy before slumbering. My only observation of Tufted Duck during the month was a male at Loch Connell on the 10th. Red-breasted Merganser about the Wig were few, with a peak of just 14 birds on the 15th. Whether others had vacated Loch Ryan or just moved further down the loch and out of my view, I do not know. The blank spaces left in my logbook, where they would ordinarily have been registered, was almost heart-felt…certainly, sorely missed.
May is generally the last month in which to spy Great Northern Diver on Loch Ryan until their return in early winter and thereon. In this respect some years are better than others. The six sightings I had this month make it one of the best years, with two birds (one in full summer plumage) on the 3rd, three on the 8th and the 11th, one on the 18th, three (including two in stunning breeding attire) on the 20th and, lastly, another handsome ‘breeder’ on the 27th. Sightings of Red-throated Diver were near daily, with a peak count of 97 on the 3rd. The following day, the 4th, saw 85 of them registered in the records diary. Number declined thereafter but a significant 74 (all winter plumaged adults) was logged on the 13th and 49 (which, surprisingly, included 300 birds in breeding plumage) on the 20th. The last record of the month was a singleton on the 31st. At Loch Connell, on the 10th, two pairs of Great Crested Grebe were in residence, with one ‘sitting’ and the second pair still in the process of constructing their nest. Both nests were occupied on my next visit (on the 17th), constituting a new ‘first’ in my 18 years familiarity with the site.
A clear indication that Curlew had pretty much vacated my local patch for pastures elsewhere was the one and only sighting I had of this species during the month - a party of four birds at the Scar on the 18th. The same location held two Knot on the 9th, whilst the largest concentration of Oystercatcher that I observed here was 54 birds on the 11th. This spit of land also harboured the majority of Ringed Plover that I saw, with a peak count of 62 on the 15th. Sanderling also favoured this spot of shingle beach although their numbers were considerably fewer than the preceding species: four on the 5th, six on the 7th, 9th and 13th, and four on the 15th. I had nine sightings of Whimbrel at the Wig, the largest party comprising 16 birds on the 9th. My last entry of this species into the logbook was three birds on the 18th. All in all it was an unremarkable spring passage of waders.
As mentioned in several previous postings of this blog so-called common species - in this instance Black-headed and Common Gull - are not always as ubiquitous as they might seem. Wintering and breeding requirements put different demands on birds and hence their appearance at any given location. Thus, I had very few observations of the aforementioned species’ during this May. I did manage a count of a bit over 80 of the first mentioned species, on the 4th, which I took to be a flock on passage. As for the second mentioned species I had just two records of singletons on the 3rd and the 10th. I know of two pairs of Great Black-backed Gull locally; they range widely, it must be said. I logged seven birds at the Scar on the 9th. A disappointing two adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, spied on the 1st, was my sum total of this species during the month. I noted Sandwich Terns over Loch Ryan on several occasions across the month. My highest tally of them at the Scar was 22 on both the 6th and the 9th.
Viewing conditions over the sea-loch never seemed to be in my favour whenever I made efforts to try and count any Black Guillemot (also known as Tysties) in Wig Bay, as evidenced by just three birds recorded on the the 3rd and two on the 27th. I must make a mental note to myself to try harder! Guillemot were even fewer, though given the season and this bird’s more oceanic lifestyle, the singleton that I logged on the 4th might be regarded as something as a bonus rather than a disappointment. It was certainly better than none, to be sure. I had no such issues with a bigger seabird, the Gannet: 66 on the 7th was a very reasonable entry into my logbook. I rarely encounter immatures of this species so early on in the year but whensoever they turn up their details are duly noted: a bird in its second calendar year (that is, still predominantly brown in plumage) was observed on the 13th and a third calendar year bird on the 23rd.
On the 23rd and 24th of the month it was nice to reaffirm the continuing presence of Kestrel in the neighbourhood where I reside. This species is certainly not an everyday bird in the same way that House Sparrow and Collared Dove are, so sightings are generally few, as my records of them will bear witness to. The fact that this falcon can still be seen on my patch is comfort enough for me. Merlin, on the other hand, have always bee scarce visitors to my neck of the woods, though are typically expected during the late-autumn or winter period. Thus, the one I saw on the 8th, speeding low over the Wig fields, made an especially welcome entry into the logbook.
There was no significant improvement in the tally of House Martins this month over that of the last. I counted a party of 10 on the 22nd but few nesting pairs were observed. All records of Sand Martin came from Loch Connell. I say all, but that seems to suggest there were quite a few more than the really was: a mere two was the highest count, on the 3rd and the 10th. The Swallow situation was not improved upon, either, with just nine birds making up the largest party on the 20th. The first Swift of the year that I saw over my local patch was on the 22nd. It was joined by a second bird on the 31st but whether or not there will be a breeding attempt remains to be seen.
The very changeable weather - often wet, damp and murky - greatly affected my recording of many species this month. That influence was particularly marked where warblers were concerned, limiting the zones that I could effectively cover between downpours, as well as - especially -the number of birds in song that could be heard. Consequently, my largest counts of these birds was pitiful, to say the least: two Blackcap on the the 4th and 28th; five Chiffchaff, also on the 28th; a single Sedge Warbler at the estate marsh on the 24th; three Whitethroat and two Willow Warbler on the 3rd. It is perhaps best not for the reader to allude much significance to limited data set. It should be noted that (perhaps for the first time) Grasshopper Warbler was absent from this May’s log and although this might be attributable to the weather, as mentioned earlier, it is also likely that one of the hazards associated with increasing human age - less sensitive hearing - was in part responsible.
I round-up this month’s report with several observations which I myself find of interest at the local level. Four Coot were present at Loch Connell on the 10th. From a field beside the aforementioned pool I heard calling a Red-legged Partridge, on the 3rd. Although this game bird was once commonly released on some sporting estates its presence on my local patch has been rare for as long as I can recall; this record represents the first in many years. At least seven Skylark were heard singing over the Wig fields on the 20th. A singleton Tree Sparrow was still visiting my garden on the 2nd and 3rd but not thereafter. One Wheatear was at the Wig on the 1st and three were there on the 9th; alas, I couldn’t get close enough to see whether any of them were of the larger Greenland race.
This article was provided courtesy of the author S. Grover
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