Some
pages have not been updated for quite some time due to
virus restrictions and John becoming much less able. Keep
this in mind when viewing.
May 2022
We have recently
been weeding out the hundreds of trees in our hedges planted
the past 3 years. Most are doing well though we have just
got 100 Blackthorn and Hawthorn to fill in the odd gap.
It has been a windy Autumn and Winter and clearing fallen
trees and branches has kept us all busy. We continue to
make changes to the path system replacing woodchipped
paths with local gravel/stone which will make it much
easier to maintain in the future. The paths are a bit
of a hybrid type with roughly half woodchipped and half
gravelled.
A pair of Greylag
Geese hatched goslings on the wetland area and took their
brood to the Community reserve which was a first and a
pair of Mute Swans have taken up residence on the wetland
and the female is sitting on a nest as we speak. Young
Moorhens can be seen and Mallard ducklings should appear
anytime. Summer migrants are back with Swallows in the
top shed and a few Sand Martins hopefully using the sand
bank. Local Ospreys are back on site and summer migrants
arrive every day. The nest boxes on the reserve are busy
with both Tree and House Sparrows and the usual tits and
Stock Dove and hopefully Barn Owl. While out delivering
papers a feature of the past weeks are regular sightings
of Brown Hare along Old Carlisle Road, Alton Road and
even in the top woodland area with some even feeding in
local gardens which is unusual. In our gardens the past
weeks has been an influx of Siskin, Redpoll and Goldfinch.
Apologies for
a complete lack of updates the past year....my fault entirely.....Iain
Anderson.
15 May
2021
2021 UPDATE
FROM JANUARY TO MID-MAY 2021
The Little Egret turned up early January in the Station
Park and the Great Egret has been a very popular bird
in the area on and off and has been seen by many locals....still
remarkable in my opinion. Red Kites were seen up the Golf
Course and Craigielands area. Green Woodpeckers were seen/heard
at Torthorwald wood and Beechwood. In early February there
were 6 Crossbill up East Field Rise and Oystercatchers
began to return inland. Two Red Legged Partridges were
seen in various gardens up Beechgrove/Hillside Terrace.
Two Hen Harrier were seen up Wanlockhead area with Red
Squirrel up Golf Hill and the Tree Sparrow numbers at
the Reserve were at least 36 birds which is great. Early
March brought the first Osprey sightings and Red Kites
were seen at Craigielands, Crooked road and the Greenhillstairs
which was all good and Great Spotted woodpeckers were
heard drumming at various locations. Red Squirrel at Birnock
Lodge while delivering was good. At the Community Reserve
and flooded part of the River Annan produced 16 Greylag
Geese, 14 Canada Geese, a Pinkfoot, 15 Mallard, 20 Teal,
3 Goldeneye, 3 Moorhen, 11 Oystercatcher and 9 Cormorant
and a calling Chiffchaff. At the Reserve on the 31st was
a male Goosander the first for many years, the Great Egret,
4 Sand Martin and 2 Willow Warbler. On the 5th April at
the Community Reserve were 14 Snipe and 5 Sand Martin
with 40 plus Meadow Pipits and 12 Pied Wagtails on the
adjacent much reduced flooded area on the Annan. Other
summer migrants began arriving such as Swallow, Blackcap,
Garden Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Wheatear, etc. A Whitethroat
was at the Reserve on the 28th with 6-8 hopefully breeding
pairs of Sand Martins. Cuckoos were reported from Archbank,
Selcoth and the Community/Dyke Farm reserves with a reeling
Grasshopper Warbler. House Martins are back and Swifts
from Monday 10th May.
Many apologies
for so little information over the past year...I will
try to improve this in the weeks/months coming up.
20th
January 2020
From Iain, an update from late October last year
-
On the 26th October at the Reserve were 2 Willow Tit,
male Reed Bunting,40 Fieldfare, 20-30 Redwing, 5 Mistle
Thrush and 3 Jays. While feeding the ducks at the Station
Park on Sunday 10th November my mum and sister saw 60
Mallard, a female Teal and a Grey Heron. On the 12th while
heading to Dumfries cash and carry I had great views of
a Red Kite while the same day Maurice Henderson saw another
Red Kite while working in the Daer Reservoir area. At
the Reserve on the 16th were a few Meadow Pipits moving
through and a mixed flock of 150 Siskin and Lesser Redpoll,
20 Teal, 2 Willow Tit and 2 Roe Deer. A few days later
on the 20th a female Merlin was hunting Meadow Pipits
and other small birds in the Reserve area. Andy Dickson
had
a Brambling in his garden at Braehead, Woodfoot on the
4th December. A Woodcock was at the Community Reserve
on the 8th. Judith Lill who lives at The Bield near Johnstonebridge
reported having 50 plus Goldfinch in her garden while
Alan Bevan at Craigielands also had dozens of Goldfinches
in his garden around the 13th. At the Reserve on the 14th
was a male Kestrel while on the 18th there were 2 Brambling
feeding on Beechmast with dozens of Chaffinch and over
80 Wood Pigeon with the regular 2 Willow Tit and 3 Roe
Deer. Once again at the Reserve on the 21st was a Reserve
first in the form of a Grey Squirrel feeding on Beechmast
with at least 19 Pheasants and at least 2,000 Pink Footed
Geese headed North to feeding grounds. Grace Saunders
saw a number of Pheasants on the Beattock roundabout on
the morning of the 22nd while Jon Haydon had up to 8 Goldfinch
in his garden. At the Reserve for the rest of the year
and heading into January were all the usual birds with
25 Pheasants on the 28th. Myself and Garry walked around
the Community Reserve on the 8th January and as the ground
was saturated there were at least 18 Snipe and 15 Teal
on the meadow. Not an abundance of birds in peoples gardens
in the local area though John Smith had a number of Brambling
within a large flock of Chaffinch mid January.
16th
January 2020
A real rarity
- a Little Egret was seen on our reserve yesterday
(15th) by Iain and Jon. The Wednesday Walkers Group also
reported seeing a small white heron which could only have
been the same bird. Little Egrets are uncommon in Scotland
at the best of times so for one to visit us is a real
treasure.
All
material for 2019 has now been moved to our archives and
can be accessed via the menu.
