14th
November 2016
Latest update from Iain -
On 6th October, 20 Redwing flew over the High Street.
There was a Barn Owl over the rough meadow at the Community
Reserve the same day while on our Reserve were 11 Teal
and a Kingfisher with more Siskins in the woodland plus
a Raven passed overhead. In the sunshine were a few Common
and Black Darters. Janet McConnell from Commonside, Annan
Water watched a Sparrowhawk at close quarters. Near Hoppertitty
at Beattock a Kingfisher was seen on a stream by Don and
Jean Hunter-Grant on the 8th and Barnacle Geese moved
over the town at 5am. On the 15th at the Reserve was a
Willow Tit and over 450 Fieldfare and Redwing were moving
through. On the 19th Garry had a Kestrel in the Hunterheck
area and 2/3 Peregrines had also been seen and a further
Willow Tit was at the Reserve with 19 Teal. A Grey Partridge
was recorded by Andy Dickson near to his house on the
back road to Wamphray which was noteworthy. At the Community
Reserve on the 25th were 10 Little Grebe, 6 Cormorant,
2 Grey Heron, 4 Mallard and 2 Jays and Magpies. Garry
had 70 Fieldfare over his house on the 26th. On the 29th
the Reserve held 17 Teal, 2 Raven, 2 Jay, 3 Magpie and
a Kingfisher with good numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing
around. The following day Tom Thomson reported 7 undefined
Partridges in fields at Rogermoor and remarkably the following
day Sandra Dickson saw 8/9 Partridges at the Breconside
turn off but was not sure whether they were Grey or Red
Legged. After speaking to a local shooter I learned that
2 local shoots had released Red Legged Partridges with
Pheasants and 2 pairs of Grey Partridge had been in the
Craigbeck area so if anyone does see either species please
let me know. On the morning of the 5th November there
were 2 Raven over Meadowbank Rise and up at Harthope Place
I spotted 6 Waxwings and later Garry and Dave saw them.
The following day Dave Bradshaw photographed them and
by Monday there were 19 birds present but by Tuesday they
were gone though a rowan tree they had been feeding on
was occupied by 6 male Blackbird. I have noticed more
Goldcrests than usual the past few weeks so keep an eye
out for these lovely tiny birds. While creating a pool
at the Reserve on the 9th we saw a Common Shrew and another
Common Lizard.
13th
November 2016
Some photos from Dave Bradshaw. The top three
show some of the Waxwings that were around the old academy
last weekend. The lower three show the unusual sight of
a Treecreeper feeding on a fat ball, a Red Squirrel near
Beattock and a delightful pose by a Long-tailed Tit.
3rd October
2016
Latest update from Iain -
Down at the Reserve on the 7th September there were still
100 plus House Martins/Swallows moving through and still
Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff around.
In the morning I saw a flock of 40
Greylag Geese geese over the town which had been roosting
on the Community Reserve. The same site also held 10 Little
Grebe the following day while there were 11 Teal on our
Reserve. Jim Marrs had the first flocks of Pink Footed
Geese overhead on the 9th and I saw 14 the next day while
a Willow Tit was with a flock of Long Tailed Tits at the
Reserve. Another Willow Tit was at Jocks Hide on the Reserve
on the 14th and Garry had a Green Woodpecker up near the
Orchard area so a pretty good couple of sightings for
the Reserve. John Smith reported a Painted Lady butterfly
on the 16th, there have been very few records of them
this year. On the Community Reserve on the 17th one of
the ponds had dozens of Common Darters and large numbers,
if not hundreds, of Black Darters among them and another
Willow Tit was seen. Before 8am on the morning of the
20th in excess of 1000 Pink Footed Geese had flown over
Moffat. The next day 34 House Martins flew over Frenchland
Drive and Garry had calling Chiffchaff at 2 locations
while a further Willow Tit was on the Reserve and only
the second record of a Common Lizard on the Reserve was
spotted while putting in post holes for a new gate. Another
winter visitor was seen on the 23rd with about 20 Redwing
at the top of Dundanion Road and 2 Willow Tit watched
at close quarters at the Reserve on the 24th. At the Reserve
on the 28th were a Chiffchaff, 30 plus Meadow Pipit, 2
Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, 11 Teal, 2 Jay and a Raven.
Two Swallows over Crosslaw Burn on the 29th and a House
Martin over Frenchland Drive on the 30th while at least
49 Pied Wagtails left their roost from the trees on the
High Street and 5 Crossbills up Dundanion Road. There
were 2/3 Common Hawkers on the Middle Pond at the Reserve
on the 1st October with the usual Buzzards overhead, some
Pink Footed Geese passing over, 11 Teal and three Mallard
ducklings almost fully grown....not many but considering
there were none last year a welcome sign.
29th
September 2016
During August and September our Club, the Community Reserve
and the local Gallow Hill project have participated in
the Southern Scotland Bat Survey. This survey, commissioned
by SNH and carried out by the BTO in collaboration with
local groups, revealed that no less than 7 out of the
9 (or possibly 10 as Whiskered Bat and Brandt's Bat are
extremely difficult to tell apart) generally accepted
as being found in Scotland were confirmed as being present
around Moffat! Additionally, some recordings were made
of what may or may not have been either Whiskered or Brandt's
bat but could not be positively identified.
To set the background, each area surveyed was a 1km square
with monitoring carried out at three different locations
within the square on three separate nights. Three such
squares were monitored, one covering the Gallow Hill and
two adjoining squares covering both our reserve and the
Community one, the north/south boundary between the latter
two lying roughly between the Middle Pond on our reserve
and the Lint Pool on the community one, so together they
give a fair representation of the bat presence over both
the local reserves. The preliminary results for these
two should therefore be taken in conjunction. There are
three reports and all are available here for you to read
by clicking the appropriate link (you will need Abobe
Acrobat Reader or equivalent). Each report also contains
some useful information about the various bats. -
NT0806 - covering
the Gallow Hill
NT0803 - covering
the southern parts of both reserves
NT0804 - covering
the northern parts of both reserves
6th September
2016
Iain
reports -
A long overdue and sporadic update from the past two months.
Apologies if I have missed any sightings that you have
given me.
On July 3rd
Thelma Bevis from Moorlands House up Annan Water reported
a Grey Squirrel in her garden. Ken Hines reported a pair
of Bullfinch, a male Blackcap and a Spotted Flycatcher
on the 7th. Another Grey Squirrel was reported at Torr
Lodge, Alton Road by Ronald and Elinor Lewis-Smith while
around the same time another was reported by Tom Lane
up Beechgrove. While working at the Reserve on the 27th
July, John Smith spotted a Merlin pass by overhead. A
few days later on the 30th a young couple brought into
the shop a juvenile Merlin which had become entangled
on a barbed wire fence at the Community Reserve. On 1st
August up in the Orchard area on the Reserve Garry watched
a Tree Pipit family of 4 youngsters which was proof of
successful breeding. He also saw a Hobby in the Barnhill
area which is being recorded annually in the area now....possibly
breeding? A very exciting record from Ken Hines on the
2nd concerned another raptor....."while driving on
the M74, about a mile south of Junction 13 near Uddingston,
a White Tailed Sea Eagle about 100 yards from the road
was going into stoop on something out of sight, excellent
clear view and fantastic sight so close to home."
By this time the numbers of Mallard at the Reserve had
increased to over 50 for the first time for a while and
the number of Swifts began to fall quickly with my last
sightings on the 15th. A report of a Willow Tit by Andrew
Bramhall on the Community Nature Reserve was encouraging
that they are still present in the area. At the Reserve
on Saturday were 2 Kingfishers, 2 Grey Wagtail, a Raven
and 5 Teal. Over Crosslaw Burn and Meadowbank/Rise while
doing the paper deliveries on the 5th September were over
100 House Martins and Swallows as they begin to leave
us. After that I went to Dumfries Cash and Carry and while
heading over the River Nith near Cuckoo Bridge a Kingfisher
flew in front of me. Garry had 4 Swifts moving through
the same day which was a very late record.
And some sightings
by Dave Bradshaw -
17/07/16 Bankend Wood, Spotted flycatcher with fledged
young, pair of Willow Warblers showing agitated behaviour.
18/07/16 Juvenile Willow Warbler in my back garden.
22/07/16 in Station Park, singing Male Common Crossbill,
Chiff Chaff, Grey Heron, Moorhen with young.
23/07/16 Spotted Flycather at BT Exchange compound Beattock
Also some photos from Dave. From left to right, House
Martin, Juvenile Swallow and a young Swallow being fed
by a parent. On the original image, in higher resolution
than we can use on our website, that juicy morsel of food
appears to be a wasp (or a hornet?)! For a closer look,
click here.
1st July
2016
Latest
info from Iain -
On May 16th while up the Crooked Road with Lorna for an
evening visit we were fortunate to see a female Hen Harrier
over rough ground heading towards Stiddriggs and around
the Earshaig area were plenty Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher,
Willow Warbler, Siskin and Redpoll with at least 2 Cuckoo
calling. Little Grebes were nesting on one of the ponds
and a pair of Moorhen on another pond. A local postman
saw a Red Kite in the Beef Tub area on the 17th. A Raven
flew over Crosslaw Burn on the morning of the 19th.
From mid May a Redstart and 2 Pied Flycatcher were calling
in the Reserve area and one pair of Pied Flycatcher successfully
reared 3 young from one of the boxes which was good and
up the top end of the Reserve in the Orchard area 2 pairs
of Tree Pipit nested which were a new breeding species
for the Reserve. On May 31st and June 1st myself and Andy
Riches did some pond dipping with primary kids from Moffat
Academy with over 100 kids attending and having a great
time and the walk from the school through the Green Frog
and over the River Annan and through fields was a great
adventure for all of them. Anne Gibbard reported a calling
Grasshopper Warbler from the Reserve on the 4th June while
at the Community Reserve I saw 5 Greylag Geese and a female
Red Breasted
Merganser. One of the Primary classes were back at the
Reserve on 21st June for an extended visit and Jon Haydon
helped out on this occasion and once again was a great
success.
Last year we
were on the lookout for Tree Bumblebees with a few seen.
This year we had a substantial colony of them occupying
a nest box at our reserve!
Now
the latest info from Dave Bradshaw -
17/05/16 -
Crooked road - 5 Linnets
Earshaigs / southern upland way - Whitethroat, 11 Singing
male Willow Warblers. 9 Song thrushes (3 Juveniles), 5
Tree pipits, Spotted Flycatcher. 5 Redpolls, 3 Siskins,
Moorhen (Earshaigs south Lochan) and 2 Mallard, Cuckoo.
BBSsquare 14/06/16 -
Curlew 2, Cuckoo ,Reed bunting, Sand Martin 5, Raven 2,
Starlings 58, Redpoll 2, 3 Pairs of Whinchat
Earshaigs/ southern upland way 10/06/16 -
Tree pipits 9, Willow warblers 11, Pair of Whinchat, 4
Redpoll , Reed bunting, Buzzard, Crossbills 2, Wren, Chaffinch,
Coal Tit, Song thrush 4, Mistle thrush 2.
Crooked road - Linnets 4, Goldfinch 2
Sunday 26th June -
singing Chiff Chaff here in trees in Cornal Court, Juv
Robin, Juvenile Blue Tit and 2 Juvenile Blackbirds in
garden. Update on House Martins, 31 occupied nests BT
exchange with good numbers of young in nests.
Some more pictures taken recently by Dave at Bankend Wood
-
24th
May 2016
Some
recent photographs from Dave Bradshaw -
15th
May 2016
Latest update from Iain -
Ken Hines reported a Swallow at Hope Johnstone
Park on the 12th (April) and the following day at the
Reserve were a Kingfisher, a Sand Martin, 6 Teal, Jay,
2 Willow Warbler and 2 Chiffchaff. Billy Davidson reported
a male Black Grouse in the Craiks Craig area which was
a good sighting. Tom Thomson reported a pair of Lesser
Redpoll in his garden on the 17th. I watched a female
Sparrowhawk hunting in Crosslaw Burn on the 18th and while
out on my paper deliveries I was noticing several Song
Thrush around. There were 10 Cormorant at the Community
Reserve on the 19th and I saw an Orange Tip butterfly
along the Dumfries by pass. On the 20th at our Reserve
were Willow Warblers, Sand Martins and Swallows and a
Peacock butterfly while on the Community Reserve were
8 Cormorant, 3 Little Grebe, 2 Moorhen, 2 Canada Geese
and a Common Sandpiper. Garry had a singing Yellowhammer
just south of the Green Frog which was notable. Dave Bradshaw
had Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler singing around
Moffat Coop and along the River Annan at the Station Park
were another Blackcap and singing Chiffchaff. The following
day Dave also had a male Redstart and a Willow Warbler
at Bankend Wood and another Willow Warbler at Cornal Court
in Beattock while Ken Hines had a House Martin over Smiths
Way in Beattock. Another report from the Beattock area
came from Alan Beaven who reported a Peregrine and a Common
Sandpiper feeding on mud at the pond edge of Craigielands
Pond/Moffat Manor Country Park and Dave had 4/6 House
Martins over Beattock village. A Sedge Warbler was singing
at the Reserve on the 30th and there were 2 Linnet in
a garden at Crosslaw Burn. On the 1st May Dave had a Swift
over Beattock and 2 House Martins while Tom Thomson was
now getting up to 8 Lesser Redpoll. Dave reported 2 Willow
Warbler and a Redstart in Bankend Wood on the 3rd May
and the following day in and around a field along the
Barnhill road he saw 5 male and a female Wheatear, 6 Meadow
Pipt, Pied Wagtail, Sand Marin and a House Martin. Ken
Hines had 4 Swift over Telford House, Beattock and Dave
had 10 House Martin over Beattock Village and I saw 40
Pink Footed Geese over Moffat while doing my paper deliveries.
Pat McWhan reported that an Otter had cleaned out her
pond of Koi carp along Ballplay Road and a lady at the
top of St Ninians Road had also reported lost fish to
Otter and a few days later Ron Lewis-Smith from Torr Lodge,
Alton Road, also had his pond cleaned out by Otter too.
Dave saw in and around the Evan Water at Beattock a male
Goosander, Grey Wagtail and a Dipper feeding young under
the bridge. At our Reserve he also saw 2 Willow Warbler,
Grey Heron, male Pied Flycatcher and 2 Sand Martin. A
single Greylag Goose flew over Moffat early in the morning.
The first 2 Spotted Flycatchers of the year were on the
Reserve on the evening of the 8th. On the 9th Dave reported
the following around Beattock bridge/Evan Water area :
2 Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler,
Siskin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Nuthatch, Swallow, 7 Swift
and a female Lesser Redpoll. At Moffat Manor CP Dave also
had 2 Mute Swan, Moorhen, Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warbler,
4 Long tailed Tit, Blackcap and Robin. John Smith reported
a female Pied Flycatcher on Greenwood Hall side of his
fenceline and Mrs Ross reported both Red Squirrel and
young Brown Hare which was good to know. Ken Hines saw
a Green Woodpecker and 2 Wheatear near Barntimpin, Raehills,
which was really good and also a Common Sandpiper and
2 Spotted Flycatcher along River Evan at Beattock. While
heading down to the Reserve on the 14th I spottted 2 Tree
Sparrow at the feeding station at Jocks Hide. Also on
the Reserve were 3 Treecreeper, 3 Sedge Warbler, Pied
Flycatcher, quite a few Sand Martins and the 1st young
Moorhens.
- and a P.S. later - Ann Gibbard was up Carrifran valley
yesterday (14th May) and reported hearing a Cuckoo which
was good. Two other records were a brief one heard at
the Community Reserve from Darren Flint and Alan Henderson
heard one near Ae village where he is working.
And an additional
comment from John regarding his Italy visit - forgot to
include Cuckoo on the list of birds, they were heard frequently.
Also, Jean Kirk reports that just after we left she found
Porcupine quills on her patio right beside the house,
so confirming that they are still there/
10th
May 2016
From John -
Not long returned from 10 days or so in Italy. Those of
you who have followed my previous reports will be happy
to hear that there was a dramatic increase in the number
of birds seen there compared to previous years. Weather
could have been kinder - they had an unusually mild winter
and quite a warm start to spring. We soon put paid to
that, temperatures went down (even frost one morning),
wind got up and rain showers quite often! Nevertheless,
plants have taken full advantage of the previously good
weather and were well on, trees in full leaf and apple
blossom on a good show. Not the best for nature watching
but the list of sightings includes: Buzzard, Kestrel,
Hooded Crow, Magpie, Jay, Cattle Egret, Wood Pigeon, Collared
Dove, Turtle Dove, Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Golden Oriole,
Blackbird, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin,
Wren. Nightingale, Starling, Scops Owl, Swift, Swallow,
House Martin. Also a brief sighting of possibly a Redstart.
Quite a few butterflies about, mainly small brownish-orange
types that remains unidentified but also, very occasionally,
Red Admiral, Scarce Swallowtail and a yellow one, possibly
a Brimstone. Only a few Bumblebees about, including the
all-black Carpenter Bee. Creatures with four feet are,
of course, very scarce and are mainly lizards, mice, moles
and the occasional unwelcome rat. No signs of porcupine
this year though, nor of fox. Jean Kirk, the neighbour
with the magic woodland, has Nutria (Koypu) busy damming
the stream just outside her boundary fence and, from the
muddy water, must have been active just before we passed
by. She assures me that she still has porcupine on her
property.
I took my night camera with me and set it up behind our
house, setting it to take a picture approximately every
minute. Last year I recorded what appeared to be a young
boar and a hedgehog. My son, with a similar camera, has
also recorded fox and porcupine in the past. I recorded
another hedgehog again this year but didn't really expect
much beyond that and the local cats and dogs. However,
bingo!! One night, over a period of about an hour and
a half, I got something like 35 images of a considerable
family, adults and young, of Wild Boar! Images taken using
infrared flash and a slow shutter speed are seldom all
that sharp. I have selected eight of the better ones and
have posted them on a page on my own personal webspace.
You can see them by clicking here.
9th May
2016
Our Coffee Morning raised a grand, very grand,
total of £1425. With no carving being raffled
this year, this greatly exceeded all expectations. Our
usual thanks go to all involved, whether by manning the
stalls, providing teas and coffees or by making donations
to the sales and raffles. The continuing support from
you, the public, is very much appreciated.
12th
April 2016
Updates
from Iain covering from late January to present -
On the 30th January, Margaret Povall had a Red
Squirrel at The Whins which was the first for many months
and Muriel Scott also had one at Wamphray after a long
absence. An Oystercatcher on the raft at the Community
Reserve on February 6th and 2 Goldcrest at the Reserve.
Garry Tait had 40 plus Crossbill over the Greenhillstairs
on the 12th and three Red Kites in the Lockerbie area
where there are apparently 5 birds. At the Community Reserve
on the 20th were 15 Oystercatcher, 9 Little Grebe, 28
Mallard and 2 Canada Geese and John Smith had a male Brambling
in his garden. On the 24th at the Community Reserve were
21 Oystercatcher, 8 Little Grebe, 15 Mallard, 4 Teal and
a Grey Heron while the following day Sandra Wilson saw
a Grey Squirrel at Newbank. A pair of Brambling in John's
garden on the 26th and I saw a Magpie over the PISSC the
following day. A Snipe was seen in a field at Rogermoor
by Tom Thomson on the 28th and while I was out delivering
papers on the 29th a male Goosander flew over Meadowbank
Rise. To start off March on the 1st, Roger Grant reported
a Cormorant, 8 Canada Geese and a Greylag Goose on the
pond at Burrance of Courance. Garry had 7 Snow Bunting
near Elvanfoot on the 2nd while a Curlew was heard by
John Smith he following day and a singing Song Thrush.
Lesley Robson from Hillside Terrace reported having a
Red Legged Partridge in the garden and three in early
December. An influx of Siskins was noted and I saw over
50 at Meadowbank Rise and over 100 on the trees at the
bottom of Dundanion Road. A number of Skylarks were heard
at the Community Reserve by Garry on the 6th. Janet McConnell
reported a male Bullfinch and a female Brambling in her
garden on the 8th and Garry reported a good wader passage
with many Oystercatcher, good numbers of Curlew and a
few Golden Plover. The Oystercatcher flock at the Community
Reserve had increased to 27 birds by the 9th and Don and
Jean Hunter-Grant had 53 Frogs in their two ponds on the
11th. At the Reserve on the 12th were a Cormorant, 10
Teal, 3 Goldcrest and a Grey Wagtail. There were 19 Whooper
Swans on the Community Reserve on the 14th and a Magpie
at Meadowbank Rise. At the Reserve on the 16th were 25
Teal while on the Community Reserve were 6 Canada Geese,
2 Mute Swans, 10 Mallard, 2 Tufted Duck, 7 Little Grebe
and 25 Oystercatcher. A count of 8 Oystercatcher on the
Reserve was noteworthy on the 19th. While on a wee road
trip on the 29th myself and Lorna saw 2 Wheatear at the
Grey Mares Tail, at St Mays Loch were 10 Oystercatcher
and 2 Mute Swan, Megget reservoir had over 100 Common
Gull and 20 Oystercatcher, while Talla had 16 Whooper
Swans and 2 Goldeneye. While working at the Reserve on
the 30th we all heard a Chiffchaff calling and earlier
in the morning 20 Whooper Swans and 11 Canada Geese flew
over Moffat and I saw my first Brambling of the winter
at Craig Ghelt, Reid Street among dozens of Siskins. John
Smith spotted a Swallow over the Reserve on the 6th April
with up to 3 calling Chiffchaff and 2 Canada Geese and
Alan Beaven had a Pergrine mobbing a Buzzard over Craigielands
Wood. Up to 14 Sand Martin were over the Community Reserve
lochan too. The Ospreys have also returned to Moffat Water
valley. At the Reserve on the 9th were calling Chiffchaff
and returning Willow Warbler with a Kingfisher on the
wetland and 2 Canada Geese. John had a probable Blackcap
in his garden. Dave Bradshaw had a Swallow at Milton Farm
and had 3 Golden Plover, 16 Sand Martin, a Peregrine Falcon
and good numbers of Common Gulls on DaerReservoir/Watermeetings
area. While down at the Community Reserve on the evening
of the 10th with Lorna, we saw 11 Cormorants roosting
in one of the big fir trees and 14 Teal, 2 Tufted Duck,
2 Goldeneye, 2 Mallard, 1 Pink Footed Goose, 9 Oystercatcher,
4 Little Grebe, 2 Moorhen, Sand Martins and 5 Swallows
over the Lochan, singing Willow Warbler and an Osprey
flying over and up Moffat Water was good.
5th
April 2016 (2)
A message from D.Lindsay to say a Red Kite seen
near the 'Beeftub' today. Also a Kingfisher seen on the
Community Reserve.
5th April
2016
Two annual reports from Andy Riches, always worth
a good read:
Castle
& Hightae Loch Report for 2015
County
Mammal Report for 2015
DGERC - This summer DGERC and the Galloway and
Southern Ayrshire Biosphere natural heritage staff are
looking for volunteers to help find water voles in the
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere (GSAB). If you
would like register an interest (no commitment) and find
out more please email Wendy Fenton at wendy@gsabiosphere.org.uk.
From Darren Flint, Community Nature Reserve events
for your calendar:
16 April: 10-1pm, Reserve Spring Clean - volunteer
event to start signing up people to help out. Paint the
bird hides, tidy paths, cut back undergrowth by hides
etc.
7 May: 8.45pm, Bat talk and walk
10 Aug: 11-12.30pm, Butterfly count and make a
butterfly - bring along a picnic
10 Sept: 7.15pm, Bat walk and talk
Assistance will be needed in setting up and manning some
of the events. If anyone is available to help out, Darren
can be contacted on Tel:(01683)
221471, Mob:07971790847,
Email: moffatcommunitynaturereserve@gmail.com
or contact John and your details will be passed on.
28th
February 2016
Dave Bradshaw visited the Community Reserve on
23rd Feb and sighted 3 Canada Geese, 20 Mallard, 7 Little
grebes & 19 Oystercatchers. He got some superb photographs
too and a small selection is shown below. The first shows
the Canada Geese in courtship mode. The second shows a
few of the Oystercatchers on one of the rafts, just returned
from feeding in the fields as the rather dirty bills show!
The third is a typical view of an Oystercatcher in flight
but, if you look carefully, it apears to be carrying something,
possibly a worm, in its beak. The last picture shows a
Little Grebe just resurfaced after a successful fishing
dive - you can see the small fish hanging from its beak.
13th
February 2016
From Dave Bradshaw - with the sunshine in the
morning on Wednesday (3rd Feb) got over to the caravan
park (Craigielands) to try and get a close shot of the
Little Grebes but they stay in the distance knowing your
there. The swan has started building her nest and the
4 Little Gebes were making a lot of noise. Attached the
best images of what I took. The cob Mute Swan and a Lttle
Grebe. The Bramblings got up to 3 birds but have not seen
any the last couple of days.
29th
January 2016
From Iain, update on sightings so far this year
-
Goosander's have been seen on the River Annan
and the Millburn on a number of occasions by various people.
A returning Song Thrush was seen by Garry Tait on the
road down to the Community Reserve on the 6th, while the
same location had 22 Mallard, a male Tufted Duck and 5
Little Grebe on the 9th with a number of Redwing on Dyke
Farm Nature Reserve and upwards of 1000 Pinkfeet moving
southwards. Local shooters were reporting very low numbers
of Mallard, Teal, Snipe and Woodcock in the region this
Winter. Two Otters were seen by Alistair Hepburn near
his garage beside the River Annan. At the Community Reserve
on the 13th were 25 Mallard, 6 Teal, female Tufted Duck,
2 Little Grebe and 3 Moorhen. There was a belated report
of a pair of Red Kite and a pair of Golden Eagle in the
Earshaig area up the Crooked Road which was most interesting.
At our Reserve on the 16th were 7 Moorhen, 12 Mallard
and 2 Buzzard while on the Community Reserve were 33 Mallard,
5 Teal, male Tufted Duck, female Goldeneye, 4 Moorhen
and 5 Little Grebe. A male Reed Bunting was photographed
by Tom Thomson in his garden at Meadowbank on the 17th.
Another Red Kite was seen by Garry on the 19th in the
Dyke Farm and Barnhill area. Andy Dickson at Woodfoot
is regularly getting upwards of 25 Tree Sparrows in his
garden according to Garry after paying Andy a visit. Down
at the Reserve on the 20th were a flock in excess of 100
Siskin, 28 Mallard, 8 Teal and a Mute Swan while over
on the Community Reserve were a pair of Tufted Duck, male
Goldeneye and 3 Mute Swan. At Dyke Farm Nature Reserve
on the 23rd were 2 Buzzard, male Sparrowhawk, 2 Grey Heron,
7 Moorhen, 27 Teal and 24 Mallard with over 1200 Pinkfeet
overhead. Over on the Community Reserve were 12 Snipe,
24 Mallard, 8 Little Grebe and 2 Meadow Pipit. A Barn
Owl was reported by Jimmy Aitchison at Raecleuch which
was an interesting report. While coming out of Claudios
Restaurant with Lorna on the 24th we heard an Oystercatcher
overhead about 9.30pm. At our Reserve on the 27th were
2 Kingfisher, 2 Reed Bunting, 4 Grey Heron, 28 Mallard
and 9 Teal.
20th
January 2016
Another quiet winter for migrants so far. However,
there seems to be an increase in numbers of our commoner
birds coming into our gardens. John, for example, has
seen quite significant numbers of Blue, Coal and Great
Tits coming to the feeders, far more than in previous
years.
Dave Bradshaw had 3 Bullfinches in the front garden
just before the end of last year with another in the backgarden
next day. 3 Redwings on New Years day in Cornal court,
Beattock, 7 Longtailed Tits by the
railwaybridge
and 4 Little Grebes on the lake in the caravan site. On
11th January, he managed to photograph this Nuthatch in
the back garden. On 19th January, a male Brambling (photo)
with the Chaffinchs in Craigie Avenue/Cornal Court, 14
Redwings on the cycle track and a Grey Wagtail at the
Caravan park lake outflow.
