Raptor at the Pub: Bird Report for 15/03/21 - 21/03/21

Another week has flown past - they're zooming by faster than I can keep up with at the moment! The start of the week was especially warm: a few species of bumblebee were buzzing about, a Peacock butterfly was basking in the sun and a Drinker Moth caterpillar wriggled along the path. Other non-avian sightings include up to three Roe Deer and a Brown Hare that was seen on three consecutive days.

Let's start off with the highlight that is also a new species for this blog: a Goshawk. While our UK birds are generally not true migrants, spring is nevertheless the best time to see them because Goshawks will often fly high above their woods when displaying. Despite being on the lookout for Goshawks at this time of year, it was still a surprise to see one flying over our local woods. It was most likely just passing through on its way to hunt, for they do not breed in our area and we haven't seen it since. The magnificent bird winged its way over the trees and seemed to be heading for the pub - I guess I know how to attract them in the future!

Other predatory species that we saw during the week included three Buzzards and a female Sparrowhawk. Two Tawny Owls were heard calling early in the week but later, when we went out after dark, this was reduced to just one lonely individual. Though unfortunately lacking in owls, that night we heard the calls of Mallards, Herons and a large number of Pink-footed Geese that flew directly overhead.

A female Sparrowhawk surveys her hunting ground.

Over 450 Pinkies were also at Loch Connell, alongside over 276 Greylag Geese. Indeed, Loch Connell was a great site to visit this week: with a Lapwing, two Oystercatchers, 148 Wigeon and eight Curlews feeding around the edges and abuttal fields. An adult and an immature Cormorant were present out on the water, alongside one male and three female Goldeneyes. A female Scaup was also spotted (unusual for a freshwater Loch) and a female Goosander was 'fishing': she had caught a large frog or toad that was putting up a struggle and was rather too big to be swallowed whole! The two Shelduck were, interestingly, both male (instead of a pair) and it was nice to see a female Pintail, for we don't get many records of this species in a year.

Back at the Wig, Curlews are decreasing in number (as they head off to their breeding grounds), with a highest day-count of 32. Other highest day-counts include 148 Oystercatchers, six Redshanks, 14 Ringed Plovers and 15 Turnstones. Two Bar-tailed Godwits made an appearance after having been missing for some weeks and two Knots were also spotted on the shore.

The Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock remained fairly constant throughout the week - with around 140 birds present. At the start of the week, seven Scaup and two male Long-tailed Ducks were seen swimming in Wig Bay. Shelducks and Common Scoters were seen more regularly throughout the week, with highest day-counts of ten and 116, respectively.

Out on Loch Ryan itself, we recorded a Black Guillemot, a total of seven Gannets and a Red-throated Diver still in full winter plumage. We saw highest day-counts of four Cormorants, seven Shags and 11 Slavonian Grebes. This week, three of the Slavonian Grebes that we saw were in complete breeding plumage.

A Shag shows off its green-hued plumage in the sunlight.

Moving on to our smaller birds, we had highest day-counts of 28 Chaffinches, 24 Goldfinches and five Rock Pipits. We saw totals of three Linnets, a Grey Wagtail, eight Meadow Pipits, four Nuthatches and approximately 40 Twite. Pied Wagtails were still moving through in decent numbers, with a total of 39 being seen over the course of the week (including days with 15 and 18 birds each). Two Siskins visited our garden, a pair of Stonechats were once again at the Pool Field and of the seven Goldcrests that were counted, two of them delighted us with their song.

One adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen twice in the week (it may or may not have been the same individual) and seven Shags were counted at a local breeding area. Shags are fairly early breeders and some pairs may have chicks already. Elsewhere, a pair of Mallards were at Rope Swing Bay and Woodpigeon Field was once again performing well - with a new high count of 203 Woodpigeons feeding there.

As always, that's only a short selection of some of the species that we've seen around the Wig and the surrounding area. With spring movements hopefully beginning to pick up, I'm getting excited by the prospect of birds to come.

[All photographs are taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

March Madness: Bird Report for 01/03/21 - 14/03/21

This post covers two weeks (instead of the usual one) and what a difference can two weeks make. Spring is definitely in the air now, with more flowers than ever bursting into bloom and we've even found our first frogspawn of the year. From the fields, hedges and woods: the sound of birdsong is all around. Over the last fortnight, we've had highest day-counts of five Song Thrushes, seven Skylarks and 13 Robins, alongside a total of six Nuthatches (with the majority of all these species singing). Perhaps not quite 'singing' but the "aoh-woo" calls of Eider can be heard clearly at this time of year as they begin their courtship display. These past two weeks have seen good numbers of Eider, with a high of over 410 birds counted. Great Spotted Woodpeckers forego using their voice, preferring instead to hammer out their territorial claims against the side of a tree - known as 'drumming'. We've counted a total of eight 'Great Spots' during the past two weeks (including a surprise visit from a female in our garden).

A female Great Spotted Woodpecker out to get some peanuts.

Other species have already paired up: a pair of Collared Doves were caught in the act of copulation and Rooks are regularly seen carrying nesting material. A male and female Stonechat have been seen frequently at the Pool Field - these birds may well have stayed together for the duration of the winter. Our local Ravens have quite likely started to breed already - for while we did see a pair together once during the past fortnight, mostly a lone individual has been seen. Ravens can start to breed quite early and they may already have chicks in the nest. Despite a highest day-count of 32 birds (including a flock of 20 at the Scar beach), Carrion Crows are - for the most part - being spotted in pairs. One of the 'hybrid' crows (of Carrion Crow and Hooded Crow descent) has paired up with a Carrion Crow, it will be interesting to see what the resulting young look like.

Many other species are preparing for the breeding season by moulting into their summer plumage, even if they don't breed locally. A Red-necked Grebe, male Long-tailed Duck (out of a high of eight individuals), a Great Northern Diver (out of a total of seven) and a Red-throated Diver (out of a highest day-count of seven) have all been spotted sporting their breeding finery. Whist no Slavonian Grebes have been seen in complete summer plumage, one day saw five out of seven birds being in a transitional state between their two plumages. Black Guillemots breed locally and while many are now in their breeding plumage we have also seen an increase in their numbers from the past few weeks - with a total of 19 birds being counted. Other species are preparing for breeding not by their presence but by their absence: Teal numbers are decreasing (with only six counted at the marsh) as they depart for better breeding areas.

To add to this, spring migrants are beginning to appear. Following on from our first Gannet, the first of the last two weeks also saw a single Gannet but the second week saw them increase dramatically - with a highest day-count of 17 birds. We also spotted our first Sandwich Tern of the year - hopefully there will be many more sightings of this elegant seabird to come. A single Linnet and six Rock Pipits were counted; at this time of year migrating groups of Rock Pipits may be the 'Scandinavian' sub-species. Other winter species that are being bolstered by migrants include Meadow Pipits (a total of 27 individuals, composed of three flocks with ten, seven and ten birds) and Pied Wagtails (total of 25). Male Pied Wagtails begin to migrate first and it is therefore no surprise that most of the birds that we are seeing at the moment are males.

A female pied wagtail.

Other migrants are our winter species that are now leaving. Pink-footed Geese have been heard calling at night and been seen flying overhead in small flocks. The Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock has varied considerably in number, with a high of 178 birds. A total of five Mistle Thrushes were sighted and two separate flocks of Redwings were counted (18 and 28), the latter of which had a Fieldfare with them. We also had a new species for the blog: a Smew swam past the Wig. Smews are quite often faithful to a site over the winter months, so perhaps this female was on her way back south. More of our winter species, however, are content to stick around for the time being. Four Twite put in an appearance, a single male Scaup lingered at the Wig and we had a highest day-count of 26 Goldeneyes. Some slightly more uncommon species include records of a male Velvet Scoter and a Purple Sandpiper that was at the Sailing Club Jetty.

Let's not forget our 'year-round' species! A selection of highest day-counts include 30 Chaffinches, 158 Common Scoters, 79 Curlews, three Goldcrests, three Treecreepers, three Herons, two Grey Wagtails, a Jay (we saw one bird each week), 200 Oystercatchers (all at the Scar), three Pheasants, 57 Red-breasted Mergansers, 20 Ringed Plovers, 16 Shags, 4 Shelducks, 9 Cormorants, 3 adult Great Black-backed Gulls and 43 Wigeon. Good numbers of gulls and waders were sighted, with highest day-counts of 308 Common Gulls, two Grey Plovers, seven Redshanks, a Knot, over 400 Herring Gulls, roughly 40 Turnstones and approximately 80 Golden Plovers. Singles of Long-tailed Tit, Peregrine (a male) and Siskin were present and, while not in as large numbers as last month, we counted 352 Starlings. Furthermore, both Guillemot (seven birds) and Razorbill (flocks of six and three) both put in an appearance after being absent for several weeks.

It's not just all happening at the Wig either, for the 'Woodpigeon Field' (mentioned in the previous post) once again produced results: 196 Woodpigeons were feeding in amongst some sheep. At the marsh, whilst the calls of Teal were less frequently heard there were a pair of Mallards, a male Wigeon and a Moorhen present. Our own garden has played host to a number of Sparrowhawks: two visits from each a male and a female (on one visit the male was successful in catching his dinner). Fortunately, with over 136 House Sparrows in our garden, there is plenty of prey to go around.

Canada Geese in a field by Loch Connell.

At Loch Connell, a surplus of 200 Common Gulls were joined by 22 Herring Gulls, six Black-headed Gulls, a first-winter Great Black-backed Gull and four adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (the first of this species that we've seen this year). Diving in the loch were six Goldeneyes, a Cormorant and ten Goosanders, while also out on the water were 15 Mallards, 60 Teal, 212 Wigeon and a Whooper Swan. Around the outskirts, two Herons were joined by a Curlew and two Oystercatchers. The fields around Loch Connell are still home to geese, with approximately 200 Greylag Geese, eight Canada Geese and roughly 1200 Pink-footed Geese feeding there. On different days, five Goosander flew overhead and the fields played host to a flock of roughly 500 Golden Plovers.

Quite a long post this time round - hopefully that makes up for covering two weeks instead of one! Finally, I have to finish off with a little bit of sad news for you. In just over two weeks, I'll be leaving the area for work for a few months. While I'm very excited, I won't be able to continue with writing this blog and (unless anybody local fancies writing up some short pieces??) it will have to go on hiatus until at least August. Sorry!

[All photographs are taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

Finishing February: Bird Report for 22/02/21 - 28/02/21

Another week been and gone - time is certainly flying by. Spring is definitely almost here and in the woods Lesser Celandines are beginning to come into flower. Whilst not a bird species and most certainly not everybody's favourite - I also picked up my first Tick of the year! Up in the treetops, we saw two Fieldfares, a total of three Mistle Thrushes and heard the calls of Long-tailed Tits and Nuthatches. So far, we have counted a total of eight singing Song Thrushes around the Wig and woodland route. Skylarks are also singing at the Wig, although in fewer numbers than they are present - for a hunting Merlin startled 14 Skylarks. A Linnet flew overhead along the Wig track and at the Pool Field a pair of Stonechats were seen. Later in the week this pair was joined by a second male - it looks like there is going to be some competition there!

At the Scar, we saw largest flock sizes of 98 Curlews and 276 Oystercatchers. We also had highest day-counts of six Grey Plovers, 45 Turnstones and roughly 40 Ringed Plovers (these little "moving pebbles", as I call them, can be remarkably difficult to count!). Whilst gulls often roost on the Scar, these birds were present in higher numbers at Loch Connell this week - with 100 Common Gulls, 196 Herring Gulls and approximately 20 Black-headed Gulls being counted.

Lesser Celandine flowers.

Over 1060 Pink-footed Geese were also at Loch Connell and some Whooper Swans were heard calling from this direction. A mixed flock of over 800 Pink-footed and Greylag Geese were feeding in the fields near Clachan Farm and a single Mute Swan was spotted near Stranraer Harbour. It is quite likely that this swan is one of the pair that nests at Agnew Park. Back at the Wig, we saw highest day-counts of 58 Wigeon, three Scaup, three Shelduck and roughly 150 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. The Brent Goose flock is highly variable in number day-by-day, indicating that our birds may have already started moving off and are being replaced by migrant individuals that wintered further south.

Out on Loch Ryan, we saw one Great Northern diver, single Back Guillemots thrice during the week and even spotted our first returning Gannet of the year. Common Scoter numbers decreased slightly from the previous week (highest day-count of 89), while Red-breasted Merganser numbers increased (highest day-count of 33). Alongside these, we also had highest day-counts of 18 Goldeneyes, 7 Red-throated Divers and 15 Shags. As we continue on around the Wig route, 11 Carrion Crows and a Grey Wagtail were present at the Fisher's Lane Outlet. At the marsh, three Wigeon and two Herons were present amidst the calls of the elusive Teal.

A Black-headed Gull in full breeding plumage.

Gill Deacon once again made her way out to the Wig - seeing two Long-tailed Ducks, one singing Skylark and about 50 Golden Plovers on the Scar. These plovers vanished later in the day, which just goes to show that you can never predict exactly what you are going to see when you go out. Gill also made count at Millburn Car Park: 3 Red-throated Divers, a Guillemot, eight Goldeneyes, two Slavonian Grebes, one Black Guillemot, eight Red-breasted Mergansers, a Great Crested Grebe, eight Scaup that were especially close in and lots of Wigeon. To finish off a great day of birding, Gill counted 60 Redshanks at Stranraer Harbour - this species is always present in higher numbers at the Stranraer end of the loch than at the Wig. Once more, thanks to Gill for submitting her sightings for the blog.

Finally, I'll finish off this week's round-up with a few "out-of-the way" locations. Our garden was once again visited by a male Sparrowhawk and a female also put in an appearance later in the week. A single field near the wood contained a feeding flock of over 100 Woodpigeons. The same field played host to a female and two male Pheasants - three of the five birds that were counted that day. At least, it started off as three, the two males soon got into an argument whilst the female wandered off in disgust!

All in all, another great week. Thankfully, we live in an area filled with natural life to delight in.

[All photographs are taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

A Warmer Spell: Bird Report 15/02/21 - 21/02/21

Finally, after the past few weeks of atrocious weather, the temperatures have gone up and we have been treated to some sunshine. We weren't the only ones celebrating the new warmth either - a Fox Moth caterpillar was seen wriggling along the ground. There is definitely a spring feeling to the air and the number of birds we've been seeing has increased as well.

Our first Great Crested Grebe for a few weeks made an appearance at Fisher's Lane Outlet and another individual was seen swimming in Wig Bay later in the week. The male Lesser Scaup was with three female Greater Scaup on Monday but was not seen for the rest of the week. It was possibly present amongst the six Scaup that were seen on Thursday but unfortunately they were too far out to tell. Our regular flock of Pale-bellied Brent Geese saw a highest day-count of 208 last week and Teal were once again heard, if not seen, in the marsh. A slightly more unusual location, six Mallards took advantage of all the rain water and were seen swimming around in the middle of a flooded field.

A particularly smart-looking Jackdaw of the many seen during the week.

The 'flash field' also was a favourite of some species this week; with 148 Oystercatchers being counted while feeding in this field one day. Another wader and another field: it was a pleasant surprise to see a Whimbrel feeding in the Twite fields. More typical waders stuck to their favourite haunts along the shore, with highest day-counts of roughly 40 of both Ringed Plovers and Turnstones. Scattered about along the tide line, a total of 5 Redshanks were also counted throughout the week.

Out on Loch Ryan itself, we've seen the most notable increases in numbers. We had highest day-counts of two Black Guillemots (coming into breeding plumage), 20 goldeneyes, seven Long-tailed Ducks, 23 Red-breasted Mergansers, 39 Shags and 28 Red-throated Divers. In amongst these divers was another species: an immature Great Northern Diver. Three Cormorants were seen during the week and the number of Eiders and Common Scoter remained fairly consistent from the previous week (highest day-counts of 115 and 168, respectively). On top of this, a Red-necked Grebe made the first appearance for this species this year.

We've not been the only birders taking our daily exercise at the Wig this week. Our regular contributor Gill has been out and saw Scoters, Eiders, Turnstones, Redshank and a large flock of Twite. Gill was also treated to hearing the delightful songs of a thrush and two Skylarks. I love to hear the song of a Skylark (I've not heard ay yet this year), so that must have been a lovely experience. Thanks again to Gill for sending us her sightings.

* If you don't like to see photos of dead birds then be warned that the following image is of a Sparrowhawk with its prey. *

A male Sparrowhawk clutches its hard-earned meal - we aren't quite sure what it has caught though!

While none of them were singing, we managed to see a highest day-count of 11 Skylarks, as well as approximately 120 Twite (perhaps the very same flock that Gill saw). We also counted highs of 24 Goldfinches, seven Meadow Pipits and singles of Bullfinch and Pied Wagtail during the week. Moving into the woods we saw a Treecreeper and heard the high-pitched call of a Goldcrest. A Great Spotted Woodpecker put in an appearance twice and we had another Jay for a second consecutive week. Some more day-counts include four Mistle Thrushes (all in the Corsewall Estate woods), two Nuthatches, three Buzzards, 12 Redwings and over 70 Jackdaws. Back in our garden again and a Sparrowhawk was seen thrice during the week. Our garden wall once again made a good perch, although this time it was after a successful hunt!

Finally, I'll finish off with some sightings from Loch Connell. Thirty-eight Canada Geese were grazing in the adjacent fields, alongside five Curlews, 2 Greylag Geese and a flock of 134 Lapwings. Out diving in the Loch were 17 Goosanders (five of which were males), six Tufted Ducks, a Goldeneye and a Cormorant. On the Loch Margins, 173 Teal, 288 Wigeon, 41 Mallards and three Herons were seen, while two Shelducks made their way out onto the middle of the water. Gulls were fairly sparse, with 46 Black-headed Gulls and a single Herring Gull being counted.

That's all for this week. Things are starting to look up and I can't wait for the arrival of spring!

[All photographs are taken by and belong to Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]

From the East to the West: Bird Report for 08/02/21 - 14/02/21

The less-than-ideal weather continued - anyone would think that it's winter! We were buffeted by strong and bitterly cold easterly winds for most of the week, only being let off the hook for some blinding snowfall that was rapidly washed away the next day by the onset of heavy rain. Despite these adverse conditions, we've still been making the most of our daily exercise to get out and about and see birds. Last week, our persistence paid off as we managed to find a new species for this blog.

While we only saw a total of three Rock Pipits this week, there was another bird with them that merited a closer look. Sure enough, it turned out to be a Water Pipit. The Water Pipit is a species that is similar in appearance to the Rock Pipit but it is a rarer winter visitor from the east that appears less than annually at the Wig. Perhaps the definition of a 'little brown job', it was nevertheless a lovely bird to see.

Other smaller species that were spotted around the Wig last week include a female Stonechat, two Meadow Pipits, seven Skylarks and three Linnets (the first time that this species has been sighted by us this year). Two Greenfinches were twice seen flying up the Wig track and 6 Pied Wagtails were one day feeding in the 'flash' field. Song Thrushes have begun to sing, both at the Wig and up into the woods.

Male Sparrowhawk after an unsuccessful hunt.

Also in the woods of Corsewall Estate we spotted two Goldcrests and a Jay. Five Long-tailed Tits were counted and, given that these lollipop-shaped birds tend to travel in family parties, these are likely to be different birds to the ones that we saw the week before. We saw a single Mistle Thrush and three Redwings and the air resounded with the songs of Blackbirds, Robins, Blue Tits and Great Tits. Robins have started to proclaim their territories within our garden itself - three individuals together soon dissolved into a scuffle! We've also had two flypasts of a Sparrowhawk. The second time, the unsuccessful male perched on our garden wall to get his breath back.

Another raptor that was recorded last week was the Buzzard, soaring majestically through the air - all the while trying hard not to get blown off course! Other large birds we saw included only one Grey Heron but we saw more Ravens - including three in one day (although in different locations). Ravens, indeed most corvids, are the species that seem to most enjoy windy weather. Jackdaws, Rooks and Carrion Crows were all diving and flipping through the air - performing their acrobatics for no reason other than pure enjoyment.

An adult Great Black-backed Gull soars by.

Back at the Wig, the gulls were having less fun. Over 300 Common Gulls huddled together on the Scar beach, while two Great Black-backed Gulls and an adult Mediterranean Gull were sighted earlier in the week. Despite also looking very windswept, we counted rather good numbers of waders during the week. We had highest day counts of 17 Bar-tailed Godwits, 116 Curlews, 5 Grey Plovers, 6 Redshanks, 32 Turnstones and 34 Ringed Plovers (most of which were in the fields alongside the Wig track).

Also in these fields, the Pale-bellied Brent Goose flock continued to graze. The dull weather conditions made it hard to count them but we managed a highest count of over 160. Floating close to shore in Wig Bay, nine Scaup were present throughout the week, being joined by highest counts of six Shelduck and 22 Wigeon. The male Lesser Scaup was with the other Scaup for the first few days but vanished during the latter part of the week.

Further out on Loch Ryan, a lonely Mute Swan put in an appearance near Stranraer Harbour. Strong winds and the resulting choppy seas can often be difficult for diving birds to feed in - perhaps this is why we have been seeing fewer of these species. In total, we spotted 2 Slavonian Grebes, 4 Long-tailed Ducks (all in one day) and 11 of both Goldeneyes and Red-breasted Mergansers (highest day-counts of 6 and 3, respectively). Common Scoter numbers were low, at a highest day-count of 29, while Eider numbers remained fairly high (highest day-count of 126).

That's it for another week - I look forward for what the upcoming days will bring.

[All photographs belong to and were taken by Stephen Grover, please ask for permission if you wish to use them.]