Wednesday 8th June Part II

Flowers by road

...Having devoted Saturday to other pursuits during we did manage to see some nice flowers (right), we decided on a couple of short walks on the Sunday. The Knowetops Loch short walk probably wasn't a brilliant idea as there weren't many flowers and aas a result very few butterlies in evidence. There was one large brown butterfly that flew across the path at one point (Grayling ???) and a several dragonflies that seemed to me be four spotted darters, plus signs that fish were around. Unfortunately I smashed the LCD on my camera the other week so could not get a decent photo.

So we moved on to the unofficial feeding station near Bogle Bridge, where nuthatch and the three main tits turned up immediately though interest in the nuts I fed them was halting.

Moving on to the Craigadam Woodland area we started to have better luck.  While driving the car along in low gear a willow tit paraded itself on the drystone dyke.  We got out for a brief walk and

Broom

noticed a couple of small heath butterflies floating around. There were also a few carder bees on this plant in the pathway (rubbish photo taken on phone) that I take to be a bit of broom that has spread.

Then to my pleasure, we heard the cuckoo again, probably four or five times. I had doubted but hoped that Malcolm would at least hear one but hereby lies a bit of a controversy as my understanding from the telly was that cuckoos are the earliest birds to leave the country and often do so by the end of May. The RSPB book suggests however that they may be around until August. Could there be a bit of a North South divide on this one? I don't think I've heard cuckoos after June at any rate.

Continuing the second gear journey through the Glenkilns, there was even better luck when we got a view of a brownish bird sitting on a fencepost that proved to be a whinchat, so it was good after the non-appearance of willow tit at Ken Dee Marshes that Malcolm had the chance to see a genuinely scarce bird.

This was quite near where I sighted the whinchat a couple of weeks ago so we stopped there again and there was another probable whinchat sitting on the fenceposts there but it was hard to make out against the light and the brown vegetation in the background.

Further along there were a good number of meadow pipits about but they wouldn't pose for long and weren't parachuting. The skylark was only heard fleetingly.

The other thing we didn't see on Friday or Sunday was very much evidence of birds of prey.  this perhaps confirms the message we got on the goshawk hunt last March, when the ranger pointed out that they tend not to be active  if the wind is low.

We made another brief excurdion along the path from Roukin Bridge as I reckoned it looked possible for redstarts.  We didn't see any but it does.  I may well return.

Thursday 19th May

It's amazing how interesting species can turn up all of a sudden in quick succession.

Last Wednesday I deliberately planned a bike route through Laurieston Forest that would give me a chance of seeing a cuckoo.  A couple of years ago one of the guys that cycle on Wednesday got a really good view of one just on the Forest edge.

Once up there, a cuckoo was about and easy enough to hear but obviously at a fair distance. On the way back from Twynholm I saw an orange tip butterfly for the second time (first was on a brief ride on the previous Sunday) plus a couple of goldfinches.

Bluebells at Castramon Woods

This Tuesday there were clear signs that the dry weather that had prevailed for over a week was on the way out, I decided on a trip to Castramon Woods in the hope of a pied flycatcher, wood warbler or redstart...

Frustratingly there was plenty of birdsong around but everything was up in the tree canopy and not really showing.  No wood warblers calling at all. Apart from various tits, the birds  I saw most were male blackcaps and interestingly in greater numbers than I've seen before and no females. The disappointment for the lack of sightings was partly made up for by the beautiful spread of bluebells that covered virtually the whole of the woods. Stunning!

On the point of leaving, I heard a cuckoo calling up the valley, but once again at some distance.

Yesterday's bike ride was to Crocketford.  To allow a bit of relaxation time, I decided on the shortest
way their via Lochfoot, not the most obvious choice for potential spottings.

But just after crossing the A75, I noticed a constant churring and grumbling sound coming from the hedgerow and stopped the bike parallel with what I fairly quickly worked out had to be a reed warbler, singing away twenty to the dozen. Of course it took fright when I made to get the camera out no more than three yards away but I was most surprised for it to turn up on agricultural land a good mile away from the loch.  Apparently newly arrived migrants can do this sometimes.

At the loch itself I saw a reed bunting in the reeds.  Although nothing new, it is a while since I saw one.

Part of the thinking in setting out late was to take time on the way back in an attempt to see a cuckoo coming through the Glenkilns where I saw one for the first time.  I duly stopped at the Craigadam Woodland, scene of my last success, and heard nothing.  Moving on to the eastern end of the Craigadam area, I stopped at the far track and found I could hear a cuckoo, again in the distance.  I stayed and it seemed to be geeting a bit nearer, though still back up the forest path.

Eventually moving on, I reckoned I could hear it again.  Looking up I saw a bird in flight that might well have been a cuckoo, probably moving round after the ladies.

Female Whinchat - honest!

At this point I stopped and happened to see another bird, playing around on the dead twigs in the moorland.  It looked very light in colour initially, so, discounting a pipit, I got the binoculars out for a closer look. It hung aroud, retiring to the fence posts and I noticed that it had a strong head pattern and a reddish breast that only showed when the light was on it.  So it dawned on me it was a whinchat, no rarity perhaps but not a common sighting either.

At this point, I heard cuckoo noises again and turned around just in time to see him, settling in a tree just down the road. It was only a brief sighting as it also fled quickly when I got the camera out, but it was a bit closer than when I've seen them before. All I had for a souvenir was a photo of the tree, but never mind...  

  

This tree had a cuckoo on it - honest!

Thursday 17th July

We finished off Malcolm's visit with an energetic walk right round Kirkconnel Flow. Although not as sunny as forecast, managed to see a few large heaths in flight, ringlet, meadow brown, meadow pipit, reed bunting and probable whinchat, mainly identified by call. No dragonflies or crossbills.

Wednesday 14th May

Rode out over the moors road to Corsock, an area I have often thought should produce bird sightings, but doesn't.  Today however got a second cuckoo sighting.  This bird was visibly calling from the top of an old tree in a deforested area and was being mobbed by a smaller bird.  Moreover, saw a whinchat on two separate occasions, only my second and third sightings.  Both were females.  Added to a jay messing around in the scrubland, you could say the area has at last produced.  Also two roe deer in Cairn Valley and numerous orange tip butterflies (first this year), but still no good pipit views. Did not hear skylark today.

At home swifts made their first appearance yesterday.

Wednesday 3rd July

Large Heath  butterfly

After my holiday and several bike rides with no major sightings plus some bad weather. Today's trip was to Kirkconnell Flow in pursuit of Large Heath butterfly.  Hard going as track onto raised bog covered in scrub but several large heath sighted as per photo. Not bad as this was only the second attempt.

Other sightings on the day were; a couple of small heath away from raised bog - they are mainly on the wing in August - red deer, meadow pipit, skylark, little white moths, several dragonflies and well-concealed dragonfly spotter, ringlet butterfly. 

Also a bird that I afterwards realise was a whinchat.

24th June

Day before yesterday bike ride to Penpont via Morrinton.  Bullfinch by station, first sighting for a long time.  Also whitethroat on minor road west of Cairn.  Return journey ruined by heavy rain.

Today RSPB Geltsdale, Stagsike/Woodland Walk.  Nice mixture of habitats.  Surprised to see linnet on farmland.  Black swan and canada geese on lake, then osprey being mobbed, seen from distance on way into woods.  Several meadow pipits and two kestrel.  Female stonechat and, saving best for last, female whinchats near Howgill Farm - another first sighting.