Update (number 68) on 21st March 2008 (March 2008)

Wildfowl (and Gamebirds)

2nd March. At least 80 Barnacle Geese were at Fidden, Mull and pairs of Common Goldeneyes and Goosanders were at Loch Beg (Bryan Rains).

4th March. Two Ptarmigan in winter plumage were seen on Binnein an Fhidhleir, above Glen Kinglas, Cowal (John Fleming per Peter Woods). The first-winter female Surf Scoter was photographed at Hough Bay, Tiree (Bill Allan)

7th March. A super male Reeve’s Pheasant was seen at Ardtaraig, Cowal. Also, another very dark-green cock pheasant crossed in front of the car at the head of loch Scriven – very similar to a Green Pheasant (Steve Petty).

8th March. The WeBS count at Loch Melldalloch, Cowal found pairs of Eurasian Teal and Tufted Duck and nine Common Goldeneyes. A flock of 17 Whooper Swans were seen flying north over the Powder Dams, near Millhouse (Tom Callan).

9th March. The WeBS count at Kilfinan Bay, Cowal found 25 Greylag Geese, two Canada Geese, 58 Common Eiders and six Mallards, and seven Common Shelducks were at the head of Loch Striven (Tom Callan).

11th March. The WeBS count at Holy Loch, Cowal found four Mute Swans, six Common Shelducks, 98 Eurasian Wigeon, 35 Eurasian Teal, 30 Mallards, 76 Common Eiders, eight Common Goldeneyes and eight Red-breasted Mergansers (George Newall).

14th March. The WeBS count at Loch Sween, Mid-Argyll found three Mute Swans, 158 Greenland White-fronted Geese, 15 Greylag Geese, 13 Canada Geese, 23 Common Shelducks, 31 Eurasian Wigeon, 30 Eurasian Teal, 24 Mallards, nine Common Eiders, 46 Common Goldeneyes and 40 Red-breasted Mergansers (Paul Daw).

16th March. Ten Eurasian Wigeon and two drake Common Goldeneyes were on Upper Loch Creran, North Argyll (Robin Harvey). A Red Grouse and two Ptarmigan were seen on Beinn Bhreac, near Barcaldine, North Argyll (Debi Brennan per Robin Harvey).

17th March. A shore-based survey of seaducks, divers and grebes in upper Loch Fyne (Furnace–Largiemore south to Kilfinan Bay–Inverneil) found 269 Common Eiders, 79 Common Goldeneyes, and 43 Red-breasted Mergansers (Paul Daw). A total of 64 Whooper Swans were seen on Tiree during the goose count, including a group of 14 that dropped in at Loch an Eilein from the south (John Bowler).

18th March. The goose count on Tiree found a total of 80 Whooper Swans (plus four more headed north over Sandaig at 12.50hrs), four Pink-footed Geese at Middleton and two Pale-bellied Brent Geese. The first-winter female Surf Scoter was at Hough Bay again (John Bowler).

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Seabirds, Divers, Grebes, Shearwaters, Herons etc. (and other seawatch species)

4th March. Three Red-throated Divers off Otter Ferry were in partial breeding plumage (Tom Callan).

11th March. The WeBS count at Holy Loch, Cowal found a single Red-throated Diver, five Little Grebes, six Shags and four Grey Herons (George Newall).

12th March. Two Northern Gannets were seen from Tighnabruaich fishing in the Kyles of Bute (Daphne Campbell).

14th March. The WeBS count at Loch Sween, Mid-Argyll found two Red-throated Divers, three Great Northern Divers, five Little Grebes, 12 Shags and nine Grey Herons (Paul Daw). The first good morning for ages produced 80+ Northern Gannets (all flying south), 20+ Kittiwakes (all adults) and 70+ auks (mostly Common Guillemots) from the 08.30hrs Portavadie/Tarbert Ferry. Four Little Grebes and were found in Tarbert Harbour (Steve Petty).

17th March. A shore-based survey of seaducks, divers and grebes in upper Loch Fyne (Furnace–Largiemore south to Kilfinan Bay–Inverneil) found ten Red-throated Divers, two Black-throated Divers, four Great Northern Divers and just a single Little Grebe (Paul Daw). Thirty-two Great Cormorants were visible at the colony at Glas Eilean, Loch Fyne and 11 Black Guillemots were around Otter Ferry (Tom Callan).

19th March. A total of 23 Common Goldeneyes were counted at the head of Loch Feochan, near Oban (Paul Daw).

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Raptors, Rails etc

4th March. Three Common Kestrels were seen in the area around Otter Ferry (Tom Callan).

6th March. A male and a female Hen Harrier were seen hunting near Otter Ferry (Tom Callan).

7th March. A male Hen Harrier was hunting in the field in the front of the house at Tayness/Slockavullin, near Kilmartin (Brian John).

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Waders

1st March. A total of 22 Common Redshanks was sheltering from a south-west gale on the shore at Otter Ferry, Cowal (Tom Callan).

2nd March. Approximately 30 Ringed Plovers, 16 Dunlin, 24 Eurasian Curlews and c.40 Turnstones were on the shore at Otter Ferry (Tom Callan). Two Common Snipes, 64 Golden Plovers and 90 Northern Lapwings were at Fidden, Mull, and 24 Golden Plovers and 12 Ringed Plovers were at Loch Beg (Bryan Rains)

4th March. Five Bar-tailed Godwits were at Loch Gilp (Jim Dickson)

5th March. A Common Sandpiper flushed from the shore at Otter Ferry may have been an over wintering bird or, just possibly, a very early migrant (Tom Callan).

7th March. Totals of 32 Dunlin and 56 Turnstones were at the mouth of the burn at Kilail, Otter Ferry (Tom Callan).

8th March. A Woodcock was at Balemartine, Tiree and 165 Oystercatchers were at Loch a' Phuill (John Bowler).

11th March. The WeBS count at Holy Loch, Cowal found at least 315 Oystercatchers, 11 Ringed Plovers, 168 Eurasian Curlews, 25 Common Redshanks and 20 Turnstones (George Newall).

14th March. The WeBS count at Loch Sween, Mid-Argyll found 35 Oystercatchers, five Ringed Plovers, 44 Eurasian Curlews and eight Common Redshanks (Paul Daw).

16th March. Three Golden Plovers were seen on Beinn Bhreac, near Barcaldine, North Argyll (Debi Brennan per Robin Harvey).

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Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Auks

2nd March. Many hundreds of auks, almost all Razorbills, were feeding off the spit at Otter Ferry and at least eight Black Guillemots were in the same area (Tom Callan).

3rd March. The first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the spring was seen in Oban, on the roof of the Co-op supermarket (Stuart Gibson).

4th March. Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at Loch Gilp (Jim Dickson).

7th March. Three adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at Loch an Eilein, Tiree and seven Black-headed Gulls were at Sorobaidh Bay (John Bowler).

10th March. First-winter Glaucous Gulls were at Heanish and Gott Bay, Tiree. John suspects there may have been up to four Glaucous Gulls on the island at the time, as other first-winter birds were reported (per Bill Allan) at Balephetrish Bay on 3rd March and Loch Bhasapol on 8th March (John Bowler).

14th March. A very obliging first-winter Iceland Gull was seen in Tarbert Harbour (Steve Petty). Another, very bleached, first-winter Iceland Gull was with the usual throng of Herring Gulls at the George Street foreshore, Oban at lunchtime (Stuart Gibson).

17th March. During a shore-based survey of seaducks, divers and grebes in upper Loch Fyne an almost pure white, probably second-winter, Iceland Gull was found on the pier at Ardrishaig and a total of 16 Black Guillemots were recorded (Paul Daw). A first-winter Iceland Gull was at Loch an Eilein, Tiree (John Bowler).

18th March. The adult Ring-billed Gull was at roost with around 25 Common Gulls at the George Street foreshore, Oban (Stuart Gibson).

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Doves, Owls, Woodpeckers etc.

1st March. A Barn Owl was seen at Finchairn, Loch Awe-side (Karl Pipes).

11th March. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming at West Glen, near Tighnabruaich (Daphne Campbell).

12th March. A male Great Spotted Woodpecker at Eredine has found that it gets a unique sound by drumming on a galvanised steel cross member support, on the electricity transformer support poles in a garden. Last year (Karl assumes it was the same bird) it seemed to be drumming on, or close too, the bolt holding the cross member. This year it is the support that it strikes. Certainly, a more resonant sound, I think the tautly strung electricity lines must give it an extra timbre (Karl Pipes)! This is certainly a new one on me but on checking in Birds of the Western Palearctic I find, "favoured sites for drumming are dead branches or (mostly top of) trunk; also, not uncommonly, wooden or metal poles, weather vanes, metal parts of roofs, ceramic insulators etc.". Has anyone else encountered this behaviour locally (Paul Daw)?

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Passerines

15th January. A late record has recently been received of six Common Crossbills at Arichastlich, Glen Orchy, North Argyll (Judith Witts).

17th February. A Dipper was seen at Drimfern, Glen Aray, Mid-Argyll (Judith Witts).

20th February. At least 50 Fieldfares were seen passing through Glenbranter, Cowal (Peter Woods).

2nd March. Birds visiting the feeders at the back of the Pennyghael Stores, Mull included two Dunnocks, three Robins, three Blackbirds, a Song Thrush, two Coal Tits, three Blue Tits and four Great Tits. Eight House Sparrows, 45 Chaffinches, two Greenfinches, eight Siskins and at least 50 Sky Larks were seen at Fidden (Bryan Rains). A group of 11 Redwings was in a field at Otter Ferry with two Mistle Thrushes, late in the day (Tom Callan). Thrushes seen in roadside fields off B8025 near Drimnagall (Loch Sween) included two Blackbirds, seven Fieldfares and seven Song Thrushes. A flock of ten Pied Wagtails was also seen nearby (Karl Pipes).

3rd March. Flocks of c.20 and c.30 Sky Larks were feeding avidly in snow free fields north of Otter Ferry (Tom Callan). The male Black Redstart was seen again near Scarinish Pier, Tiree (Bill Allan).

7th March. A Goldfinch was in a garden at Drimfern, Glen Aray, Mid-Argyll (Judith Witts).

8th March. A flock of 16 Redwings was seen at Kilfinan, Cowal with 46 Common Starlings. Smaller groups of Redwings were seen nearby with Mistle Thrushes and Starlings (Tom Callan). Twenty Redwings were seen at Balinoe, Tiree (John Bowler).

9th March. Three Bramblings (two males and a female) were seen in a garden at Drimfern, Glen Aray, Mid-Argyll. Also in the garden were two Dunnocks, three Mistle Thrushes, up to 50 Chaffinches, eight Great Tits, at least six Blue Tits, two Greenfinches and four Siskins (Judith Witts).

11th March. Five Goldfinches were on a peanut feeder in a garden at Tullochgorm, Minard, Mid-Argyll (Paul Daw).

13th March. A male Grey Wagtail in almost complete breeding plumage was in the garden at Tullochgorm, Minard, Mid-Argyll (Paul Daw).

14th March. A Dipper was seen on the River Aray, Mid-Argyll at Linneghlutan. Two Common Crossbills were seen mating in the forest nearby in Glen Aray (Judith Witts).

15th March. Returning Pied Wagtails were seen in a garden at Drimfern, Glen Aray, Mid-Argyll for the first time this spring (Judith Witts).

16th March. Two Dippers were seen on the River Creran, North Argyll and a Eurasian Jay was found nearby (Robin Harvey).

17th March. Approximately 30 Meadow Pipits were seen near Millhouse, Cowal (Tom Callan). A Great Tit on a peanut feeder at Moss was a spring rarity for Tiree and a few dozen Pied Wagtails (all males so far) were seen around the island (John Bowler).

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Other

14th March. A Pine Marten ran through the garden at Otter Ferry this afternoon, followed less than a minute later, by a second individual (Tom Callan).