Mersehead

Hen Harrier RSPB Mersehead

Rook, Mersehead

Curlews and a Black-tailed Godwit in flight - Mersehead

Leucistic Barnacle Geese, Mersehead

Ringed Barnacle Goose with tracking antenna, Mersehead

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I am currently enjoying a well earned break in Dumfries & Galloway. The trip very nearly didn't start too well though. Only a few miles up the M6 a Magpie flew out from the Parkside Colliery site carrying a large branch (large for a Magpie anyway). It was extremely windy and so half way over the motorway the Maggie dropped its branch - it then bounced off the middle of my windscreen! Fortunately no damage done.

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While travelling through the city of Dumfries and having stopped at some traffic lights, I spotted a white-winged gull flying round the grounds of a large building nearby. It turned out to be a leucistic Common gull - just a single black mark on one primary on the right wing. Interesting bird.

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Having driven up on Saturday I managed to get a pass out for an hour or so in the afternoon and headed off to RSPB Mersehead - one of my favourite reserves. The first thing I saw was a ring-tailed Hen Harrier flitting across the front of the hide. It flew over the back of the pool and then disappeared. Five minutes later it reappeared over the reedbed and dropped down into it.

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The Hen Harrier spooked the 1000 or so Barnacle geese which had been skulking in the fields beyond the back of the pool. One of the leucistic birds was seen in flight. Two Little Egrets were showing well in the flooded field behind the hide. The pool was busy with various wildfowl and plenty of Curlews and other waders. 3 Buzzards were also present.

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This morning I made a quick trip back to Mersehead and found the Barnacles showing much better. The two Leucistic birds were in the field by the farm. Nr the hide were three ringed birds, one of which had an a tracking antenna on its back. It will be interesting to get some feedback on the movements of this bird. The Little Egrets were present on the pool but out of sight for most of the time.

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Mid afternoon and we took Bill for a walk to Balcary Point at high tide. Seven Red-throated Divers were loafing about in the bay. Six Red-breasted Mergansers and a female Goldeneye were also present. Lots of waders, mainly Oystercatchers and Curlews with a pair of Ringed Plovers. The water around Hestan Island was full of auks - they were too far out to ID.