MARCH 2011 BIRD NOTES

March Highlights: Whooper Swan, ‘Wild’ Barnacle Goose, Rock Pipit, Black Redstart, Snow Bunting, and early summer migrants return.

Generally March has been a calm dry month with some good birds and good finds giving a monthly species count of 106, just below the best ever March of 107 species in 2005. The Great Northern Diver count was 2 juveniles at the start of the month, then 3 on 6^th and 4 on 14^th including 1 seen flying in at dusk on 14^th. This number quickly reduced to 3, but included an adult bird not previously noted, and one was seen eating a crayfish on 28^th. A national Whooper Swan movement northwards brought in flocks of 6 and 16 on 1^st and 2 on 3^rd. There was a Pink-footed Goose on Stones Island on 9^th and 3 on 30-31^st. A Barnacle Goose with an orange leg ring was found with the feral flock on 9^th and stayed for the rest of the month. The leg ring letters ADZ were traced to it being ringed on 8/2/99 at Caerlaverock as a first year bird, so was hatched in 1998 and has been seen on the Solway most winters since. Maximum counts this month; 4 Little Grebe on 23^rd, 38 Great Crested Grebe on 13^th, 6 Greylag on 21^st and 23^rd, 36 Barnacle on 1^st, 2 Shelduck on 20^th, a pair of Mandarin on 21^st, 24 Wigeon on 21^st, 2 Gadwall on 3^rd and 16^th, 104 Teal on 7^th, 81 Mallard on 13^th, 2 Pintail on 1^st-13^th, 4 drake Shoveler on 13^th, 12 Pochard on 1^st, 270 Tufted Duck on 13^th, 2 drake Common Scoter on 22^nd, 15 Goldeneye on 7^th, a drake Red-breasted Merganser on 27^th, 3 Goosander on 28^th, 8 Moorhen on 13^th and 116 Coot on 13^th.

A Red Kite was seen by several observers on 13^th, 6 Common Buzzard were up over Carsington village on 11^th and a pair of Peregrine were in flight together on 21^st. At least 12 Oystercatchers were noted on 21^st, many as pairs on their breeding islands. A Ringed Plover was around Stones Island on 25^th and the first Little Ringed Plover of the year landed at Watersports on 26^th. The remnants of the wintering Lapwing flock totalled 39 on 1^st, 3 Dunlin were noted on 9^th and there were 6 Snipe at the Wildlife Centre on 21^st. Curlew were pouring through early in the month with flocks of 24 on 1^st, 25 on 5^th, 36 on 6^th, 50 on 9^th and 40 on 10^th. At least 6 Redshank were present on 20^th and probably all month, but spread around the site.

An adult Mediterranean Gull was in the roost on 7^th. Counts of the gull roost proved difficult due to the spread of birds across the whole water, but include 900 Black-headed Gull on 28^th, 200 Common Gull on 6^th, 63 Lesser Black-backed Gull on 28^th, 4 Herring Gull mid-morning on 27^th and 11 Great Black-backed on 1^st. There was an adult Yellow-legged Gull on 2^nd and 9^th, thankfully not the little grebe killer which has not been seen since the end of February.

The Barn Owl was hunting at Sheepwash again on 2^nd and 14^th. Good finds this month were a Rock Pipit on Sheepwash Spit on 7^th, a female Black Redstart (fourth site record) in Wildlife Centre Creek on 29^th and still there on 30^th for several observers to catch up with this species, and a male Snow Bunting (second site record) on Sheepwash Spit early on 8^th, staying only minutes but long enough for a record photograph. Spring migrant arrivals were; 6 Sand Martin on 26^th and 25 on 30^th, 2 Swallows on 29^th, a male Common Redstart on 28^th, a Blackcap on 30^th, a Chiffchaff on 12^th and 19 on 21^st and a Willow Warbler on 30^th. Other counts were; 24 Wood Pigeon on 3^rd, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker on 21^st, 4 Skylark on 23^rd, 23 Meadow Pipit on 28^th, 23 Pied Wagtail on 11^th, 100 Fieldfare on 28^th, 61 Redwing on 10^th, 160 Starling on 14^th, 28 Tree Sparrow on 25^th, 2 Brambling on 21^st, 1 Linnet on 28^th, 4 Lesser Redpoll on 16^th, 6 Bullfinch on 7^th, 1 Yellowhammer on 19^th and 6 male Reed Bunting on 1^st.

106 Species recorded this March compared with101 in March 2010, 102 in 2009, 104 in 2008, 95 in 2007, 100 in 2006, 107 in 2005 and 98 in 2004.