An abundance of interesting, wintering birds on Arran this January

Wintering wildfowl included: 48 pink-footed geese at Torbeg on 2nd, a female goldeneye on Mossend Pond on 3rd, 17 whooper swan flying over Newton on 7th, 200 greylag geese at Feorline on 8th, 50 wigeon and 130 teal at Cosyden on 12th, six white-fronted geese in Shiskine Valley on 14th and a barnacle goose with 12 Canada geese on Cleats Shore on 29th. The last record of barnacle goose, an occasional visitor, was in June 2023.

Other wintering species included: 30 redwing in Auchenhew on 1st, 20 fieldfare in East Bennan also on 1st, one rook on Sliddery Shore on 6th, one dunlin at Blackwaterfoot on 12th, nine purple sandpipers on Silver Sands on 31st and a merlin on Sliddery Shore, also on 31st.

Wintering flocks included: 150 woodpigeon in Glenkiln on 2nd, 100 herring gull in Pirnmill also on 2nd, 40 goldfinch in Machrie Forest also on 2nd, 15 long-tailed tit in North Sannox on 8th, 50 ringed plover in Blackwaterfoot on 12th, 20 pied wagtail on Shiskine Golf Course on also on 12th, 59 lapwing in Kilpatrick on 19th, 100 jackdaw in Pirnmill on also on 19th, 120 common gull on Fisherman’s Walk on 29th and 38 oystercatchers with 86 curlew on Sliddery Shore on 31st.

Interesting garden birds in January included: one great spotted woodpecker in Lagg on 14th, 15 common crossbill at Stron na Carraige on 26th, one treecreeper in North Newton also on 26th and a woodcock in a garden in Lamlash between 20th and 29th. In a future Bird Note, there will be a report on the Arran RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Weekend held over the last weekend in January.

In January there were no reports of returning gannet. There were a number of reports of returning shelduck on coastal territories including Auchenhew, Carlo, Clauchlands, Cleats Shore, Cosyden, Kildonan and Slidderywaterfoot. Other signs of approaching spring included 22 eider with many displaying males off Margnaheglish on 6th, a lesser black-backed gull in Kilpatrick on 11th, a grey heron nest building in Lagg on 27th and a song thrush singing in Sliddery on 31st. But the winter is not over yet.

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 2024” should be in outlets round Arran in time for Easter. Look out for it. The 2023 report was sold out. Plus visit the website www.arranbirding.co.uk/index.html