It's been quite a while since I've posted in this thread. The last couple of years, and the last year in particular, have been so busy with work and university that I haven't really had much chance to get out birding. In fact, I didn't get out birding at all in the whole of 2017, although I was still noting the birds I spotted in my day-to-day activities. But even then I spotted fewer than 50 species in the whole year.
Now that I've completed my degree I hope to be able to spend much more time out birding this year. I've been out on the last two Saturdays and already have seen more species seen that all of last year.
The following is a summary of those two Saturdays. While nothing I spotted is particularly unusual or noteworthy to most birders, to me they were and they amounted to a re-engagement with birding again and hopefully sets the template for the rest of the year. I don't have a car either, so all birding will be done using public transport which may limit some of the places I can visit.
Saturday 6 January - Lochwinnoch
Lochwinnoch is where I joined the RSPB. It's probably the reserve I visit more than any others, partly because of easy access by train, and it was the place I returned to to rekindle my birding. It used to have a reputation as quite a quiet place, but there seems to be a lot more activity at it now - many more birders visiting and therefore more species are being recorded. It is dominated by ducks, especially in winter, but all sorts can turn up throughout the year. Hen harriers seem to be seen quite regularly; they nest not too far away in a monitored location.
Anyway, this visit was on a dry, clear day, with a cold wind blowing through it. It barely rose above 3 degrees C, but the wind made it feel colder. Looking out from the visitor centre the distant Campsies were unusually clear being capped by snow that glistened in the sunlight, giving the impression of much bigger hills, something akin to the Cairngorms seen from Loch Morlich. Later in the afternoon, the lowering Sun cast a soft golden and red glow over the reserve which seemed to energise the goldfinch and chaffinch which burst into full voice. It's not something I've really heard before in winter - it sounded more like a dawn chorus in early spring! Robins were also calling, defending their territories and perhaps making an early advertisement for the breeding season, and young moorhens clustered around the bird feeders, the lack of red on their beaks compensated by the ruddy sun. A strong flock of 20+ House sparrows have taken up residence in a bush just outside the visitor centre and seem to have become used to people because they just perched on top of the bushes as people walked nearby.
On the water, ducks were showing reasonably well, with goldeneye, goosander, mallard, tufted duck and wigeon all showing well. There's normally a male and/or female smew at Lochwinnoch over winter, but I was too early. A redhead smew has been seen recently though on Barr Loch, so I'll need to go back to see it. There were no whooper swans either unusually, although they have been reported as flying over a few times. Perhaps it's not been cold enough further north for them to move on?
The highlight of the day was a stonechat in the reeds. I've normally seen these up in the hills above Lochwinnoch and in similar environments, so it was great to see one here on the reserve. I was surprised to realise that it was the first one I'd seen since 2010!
Saturday 13 January - Ayr
The weather had been quite miserable leading up to this Saturday, but it had been forecast to break on this Saturday, so I took advantage by getting the train down to Ayr. When I got there it was really quite windy with temperatures up to about 6 degrees C. Not quite the break in the weather I hoped for, but I was there and just had to make the most of it.
I normally follow the same path when in Ayr. I walk down to the harbour area and then along the shore to Doonfoot. Each end of the walk contains the highlights, although the walk is good for seawatching and the scrub along the beach can sometimes hold good birds.
Standing on the quay at the harbour I looked over at the cormorants and was lucky to spot some shags among them. Scuttering about nearby were purple sandpiper, turnstones and dunlin. It's also a reliable spot for black guillemot, and I did see one although it was flying out to sea from the harbour. There were a number of red-breasted merganser directly under the quay wall showing really well, while eider flew north towards Troon. Across the harbour there is an industrial area with huge rocks forming sea defences. I've seen otter there a couple of times, but wasn't lucky this time.
I spent a short time here hoping for an otter to appear, but it wasn't to be. I did however see a razorbill flying a bit further out to sea, and there were loads of great black-backed gulls cruising the surf.
I began my walk along the shore when a pied wagtail made me pause to look at it. As I did so, a small flock of birds rose up from the beach below. I spotted a reddish tinge to their backs and realised it was a group of 20 or so linnets. I had then convinced myself for an hour or two that they were twite, but I've definitely plumped for linnet. They actually accompanied me as I walked south along the shore. They would stop and forage and then as I got closer would move ahead a few metres, repeating this the whole way. At one point a second pied wagtail turned up, but the first one wasn't having it - the beach is only big enough for one!
One thing I noticed was that it got gradually less windy and the sea less violent as I wandered south. Over the sea, Goatfell began to peek out from above the clouds that had embraced Arran. As a geology graduate, it was interesting seeing the different coloured sediments at different parts of the beach and imagining how these might look as part of sandstones in the future.
As I approached Doonfoot, I heard the sound of curlew, an evocative sound of the coast if ever there was one. While I was thinking about how they symbolise wild open places, I came across four of them mingling with oystercatchers as dog walkers traipsed nearby - not quite the wild emblems I had been imagining!
A rock pipit rose up from among the group of linnets as a dog disturbed them, and I spotted a pied wagtail tip-toeing on a viscous river channel leading into the sea. A greenfinch calling gave itself away and on the shore at Doonfoot were redshank, teal and a little grebe among the gulls and mute swans. Unfortunately a couple of dogs were allowed to run about in this area that teems with gulls and waders and the birds were being continuously disturbed.
All in all, a good couple of days to get back into birding.