Crystal Clear day

Pink footed Geese

Another day in Galloway and this one was so different to yesterday.  Crystal clear and bright, with a cold breeze to keep you on your toes in more exposed areas.

Take-off

We headed out on a wild goose-chase, looking for Barnacle geese in particular. We decided to try the Rhins of Galloway and struck lucky almost at once. We were diverted from the Drummore road along the side of the West Freugh MOD site, and discovered a large flock of geese grazing there. 
 

Brent geese in front of the ferry (across the bay!)

Brent Geese

The road was very straight allowing us to stop on the side and use the car as a mobile hide.   The geese were still nervous, and eventually took off and moved a few hundred yards further on, but not before I got a few shots off to show they were (I believe)  pink footed geese.
The Mull of Galloway itself was majestic as ever, but windy, and there were no birds in view apart from the usual cruising gulls - it is winter after all!
We headed to port Logan for lunch only to find the pub there was under some major reconstruction. The bay was pretty as usual, but only oyster catchers were there in any number.

Our final goal of the day was a fair bet for wildlife, with the added bonus of a garden centre for us to stock up on food for our pond fish (if it ever thaws before we leave!) We headed to Wigg bay aand started to walk to the spit. The tide was rising, and curlew and oystercatchers were heading off the beach to the fields.

Turnstone

Flock of Sanderling with ringed plover and turnstone

The place has changed a bit - at long last the new Stena ferry terminal had opened right opposite the spit and I had wondered if it would affect the birds. Not to worry - there were plenty in view, including grazing mute swans.  At first glance I thought the birds I noticed in the field were more oyster catchers, but closer inspection revealed more geese.  These were Brent geese, which unlike the earlier bean geese were way happier to allow us to look at them as we wallked past- the only concession was turning their backs in case they needed a quick take off.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Once at the spit we were rewarded with a wide range of waders - redshank, bar-tailed Godwit, sanderling, turnstones ringed plover, curlew, and knot. The turnstones were the stars, worrying at every bit of weed like minature bull dozers in their relentless search for food.
Along the beach a small group of shellduck wandered away, just keeping their safety margin from the walkers.

As the sun went down we headed back home, stopping for a treat - takeaway fish and chips from the Star in Stranraer - great day!

Curlew

Widgeon grazing the tide line

Loch Ryan drive by, 31/1



 More odd jobs round the house and a steady stream of visitors to the feeders - Yesterday's tally joined by the Great Tits and Coal Tits, but no sign at all of the goldcrest :-(. 
The day was grey and dull, and most of all COLD.  The pond had frozen and showed no sign of thawing.

We had to go into Stranraer in the afternoon, so we made a point of leaving along the shore road, so we could see what was about. 


Swirling gulls (mostly blackheaded)

The extremely dull weather meant that photography was a challenge - either a very under exposed black image or slightly blurry aperture shots as the birds never stopped hunting for food.

Redshank

The tide was pretty full- had just started to fall, leaving a narrow feeding strip for the birds.  The Bishop Burn area, where fresh water flows into the loch was crowded with gulls of several species.  I'm not very good at gull identification, but there were blackheaded gulls, common gulls, and herring gulls.


Never slow to spot an opportunity, they quickly noticed the toddlers feeding the mute swans, and swarmed around looking for their share.

Bishop Burn and shell banks

This human windfall however is not the reason the birds gather here.  The shallow loch is covered in weed and large expanses of it can be seen at low tide, while the sand and silt supports a large number of shell fish, as the banks of shells along the shore and round the Burn testify.

Redshanks in plenty were trotting along the shore, and the distictive behaviour of the turnstone drew attention to it, accompanied by a common companion, the ringed plover.

Turnstone and Ringed plover

Out on the water there were huge rafts of ducks. Most were too far off for the lens, but among others I spotted pintail, eider and the more unusual (to this southerner) scaup.
Finaally, in flocks, groups and singly, the whole shore echoed to the calls of the Oystercatchers.


Oystercatcher



Male Scaup





Female Scaup