Busy month for birds as summer visitors depart and winter birds arrive

Winter visitors arriving included: 50 pink-footed geese flying over Kildonan on 2nd, six wigeon on Cleats Shore on 3rd, 20 teal in Sliddery on 7th, two brent geese in Kildonan on 12th, 100 greylag geese in the Shiskine Valley also on 12th, 15 rook on Cleats Shore on 13th, a male blackcap in Lagg on 15th, one brambling in Sliddery on 30th and 13 whooper swan resting on Mossend Pond on 31st, In October redwing and fieldfare both arrived in numbers. The first report of redwing was on 9th and the first report of fieldfare was later on 30th. The largest group of redwing reported was 800 at Sliddery on 30th and the largest group of fieldfare was 100 at Machriewaterfoot on 31st.

Migration was in full flow in October as birds were moving out of colder northern Europe to milder climes. These included: 45 meadow pipit on Cleats Shore on 3rd, three dunlin Blackwaterfoot on 4th, 170 ringed plover in Whiting Bay on 5th, one whimbrel in Pirnmill on 7th, seven twite, 60 skylark and 125 linnet on Cleats Shore on 13th, 150 lesser redpoll in Kilmory forest also on 13th, 50 golden plover in Sliddery on 17th, 100 kittiwake off Pirnmill on 21st, a black-tailed godwit at Torrylinnwater Foot on 23rd, a male merlin in Sliddery on 25th , 11 lapwing and 20 turnstone on Sliddery Shore on 30th.

There were some “last sightings” of summer visitors also moving south including: two lesser black-backed gull at Drumadoon Point on 3rd, one white wagtail on Cleats Shore also on 3rd, one wheatear in Machrie Bay on 7th, one chiffchaff in Sliddery also on 7th and gannet were reported throughout the month including one off Pirnmill on 31st. In addition, the last reports of house martin were both on 1st with four at Laigh Kilmory and one in Feorline. The largest group of swallow in October was 14 in Sliddery on 9th and the last report was one at Sliddery on 12th .

Other interesting records, from a month with over 100 species reported, included: one white-tailed eagle in Glen Rosa on 3rd, 12 red-breasted merganser in Catacol Bay on 8th, three little grebe in Loch Ranza on 11th, two goosander in Machriewaterfoot on 12th, one yellowhammer in Sliddery on 12th, one great spotted woodpecker in Lagg on 15th, two dipper in North Sannox burn on 18th, 28 shag at Drumadoon Point on 25th, one kingfisher in Brodick also on 25th, two little egret in Lamlash Bay on 28th and 14 common crossbill in High Kildonan on 31st. Increasingly as winter approaches, dipper can be seen at the mouth of rivers and burns. In addition, there were reports of all three divers in October including two great northen diver off Cleats Shore on 13th, three red-throated diver off Corrie on 18th and five black-throated diver off Blackwaterfoot on 29th. Not in time for the September Annual Clyde Eider Survey there were 40 eider off Pirnmill on 25th.

Finally, my thanks to all the volunteers who took part in the eider survey in late September. Coverage this year has again been excellent of not only the main island of Arran but also of Pladda and Holy Isle. As well as shores being walked, some participants did counts from various small boats and kayaks. In addition, for the first time COAST provided RV Coast Explorer to help count round Holy Isle and Lamlash Bay. The result of all these efforts was the lowest count in recent years, 22. In 2023 it was 58. In 2022 it was 55. In 2021 it was 45. In 2020 it was 75. In 2000, it was considerably more, at over 600. Eider are in decline. For the latest report from Chris Waltho who has been coordinating this research for 30-plus years, visit this website: www.arranbirding.co.uk/files/Firth-of-Clyde-Eider-News-No.22-Aug-2024.pdf

Enjoy your birding.

Please send any bird notes with “what, when, where” to me at Kilpatrick Kennels, Kilpatrick, Blackwaterfoot, KA27 8EY, or e mail me at jim@arranbirding.co.uk I look forward to hearing from you. For more information on birding on Arran purchase the annual bird report. The “Arran Bird Report 2023”. Plus visit the website www.arranbirding.co.uk/index.html