I was just about to leave North Carse for home when I received Gavin's message. Took to the bench at the "bad corner" and quickly dropped onto the bird, due to it's standout supercilium. How Gavin found it though is testimony to looking through the Redshank closely, as if you didn't know it was there, I doubt most lookers would have noticed it! At c11am, I found Mr Ahmed's 2 Scaup but they were away round the Carse Gut corner and so distant. Probably opposite Drummains Reedbed. A Whimbrel and 4 Black-tailed Godwit were on the rocky foreshore, where there was also a Snipe. Together with 6 birds flying over that made 7. The image of the Spot Red is poor due to distance and has had a fair old processing. Great find for Gavin!

1 Water Rail, 1 Kingfisher, 40 Twite & 2 Redwing at RSPB Mersehead. Slav Grebe & RTD plus P-b Brents at Loch Ryan. 2 Greenshank & a Merlin seen Kirkconnell Merse side of Nith from near Glencaple.

Spotted Redshank feeding with Common Redshank at low tide out from old pier currently. Gavin. 

Male Blackcap in Great Eastern Drive, Glencaple 10.30 today; 30/10/2025. Possible winter visitor from Continental Europe. Duncan Irving. 

It's the same observer, not sure if the same bird he saw previously but he's spent more time scrutinising today. It's a female type and he's shared some distant photos on whatsapp group which look OK for Lesser Scaup, but couldn't rule hybrid out. I see Birdguides have it as a question mark. Gavin. 

The September report was published yesterday. See; https://awanderroundthewig.blogspot.com/2025/10/on-move-bird-report-for-september-2025.html?m=1 .

Still calling, heard from the Meida Hide at RSPB Mersehead.

Greater Scaup  (2), Long-tailed Duck (1),  Black-tailed Godwit  (25), Greenshank (3), Peregrine (1), Reported Oct 28, 2025 11:07 by Ross Ahmed, Carsethorn. Red-throated Diver (1), Reported Oct 29, 2025 09:42 by Fraser McConnell, Knockinaam.  Greater Scaup  (30), Reported Oct 28, 2025 16:12 by Fraser McConnell, Loch Ryan, Innermessan Shore. Ed. Lucky Ross to catch a LTD at Carsethorn. Can't recall seeing one there.

28th. Anwoth, a single late Swallow ! Ian Bainbridge.

Tufted Duck x Greater Scaup (hybrid) (1). Reported Oct 28, 2025 07:59 by Ross Ahmed. Drake.

Newbie & River Annan. 4 Greenshank at least, maybe a dozen Goosander plus usuals. Dumfries & near Brownrigg Loaning, the Hooded Crow atop TV aerial. Nothing unusual found on the Nith from Glencaple south. PJ. 

Mandarin Duck (4) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 10:41 by Ollie Rasmussen. Dalbeattie Forest, "Easily identifiable due to their unique appearance. Two males and two females on Plantain Loch". Great White Egret  (4) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 14:12 by Ross Ahmed. WWT Caerlaverock, "3+ merse, 1 reedbed". Marsh Harrier (1) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 10:30 by Anonymous. RSPB Mersehead, "Passes over the reeds".  Marsh Harrier (1) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 14:12 by Ross Ahmed. WWT Caerlaverock, "Merse". Marsh Harrier (1) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 15:00 by Chris Baines. West Preston Farm, "Hunting over farmland. Cream crown". Greater Scaup (1) - Reported Oct 28, 2025 08:52 by Ross Ahmed. Milton Loch. Greater Scaup (1) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 12:58 by Ross Ahmed. Nith Estuary Flats. Also 1 Greenshank there & a Lesser Redpoll at Glencaple. Merlin (1) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 10:30 by Anonymous. RSPB Mersehead. Merlin (1) - Reported Oct 27, 2025 14:1...

A male Hen Harrier and Great White Egret at the Crook this afternoon. Ivan Lang. 

27th. Mull of Galloway : Pair of Peregrine and single Merlin divebombing flock of Pied Wagtails, male Peregrine took one midair. Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Red Kite and Buzzard also seen. 10 Long-tailed Tits in and around lighthouse garden. Gavin. 

John Rutter has been on a ramble & on this occasion he's seen a RTD offshore in Luce Bay, possibly, as the location isn't specified. 

Ring Ouzel (1) - Reported Oct 25, 2025 12:15 by Elizabeth Ogilvie - Carrifran Wildwood. (ed. somewhat late...).

Common Crossbill (11) - Reported Oct 26, 2025 07:44 by John Rutter - Marley House, South-east of Woodfall Gardens, near Glasserton, Machars.

200 P-b Brent Geese, roosting on the Wig. Whooper Swan 7, Red-breasted Merganser 2, Golden Plover 11, Horned (Slavonian) Grebe 1, Great Crested Grebe 1, European Shag 150. Reported by Roger Coutu.

25th. Black-tailed Godwit, up to 50 Scaup, 50+ Great Crested Grebe, 5 Slavonian Grebe, Red-throated Divers, Goldeneyes, juv Sandwich Tern. Loch Connel two otters. Kev & Sue Richardson. (Ed. A good morning then! 😊. Pic looking like a Bar-tailed to me - feathers on the mantle "droop" on Bar-tailed. Black-tailed are also very "plain" diffuse colouration in winter. Black-tailed supercilium is short, this bird's is long).

Just noticed 11 Whooper Swans out the window at Carsethorn sat on the shoreline as tide goes out. Gavin. 

6 Whooper, 4 Gadwall, c20 Little Grebe, c50 Mallard, c30 Wigeon, c30 LBB Gull. 2 Red Kite over. Viewed from Park Burn access track.

Brent Goose (Branta bernicla) (25) - Reported Oct 25, 2025 11:46 by Roger Coutu - Soleburn.  Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) - Reported Oct 25, 2025 10:01 by Roger Coutu - Loch Ryan, Innermessan Shore.  European Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria) (75) - Reported Oct 24, 2025 10:20 by Connor Fraser - River Esk at Browhouses.  Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) (2) - Reported Oct 25, 2025 11:59 by Roger Coutu - Loch Ryan, Between Stranraer and Kirkcolm.  Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) - Reported Oct 24, 2025 12:29 by Mathieu Soetens - Cairnryan to Belfast Ferry (Scottish waters only).  Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus) (1) - Reported Oct 25, 2025 11:59 by Roger Coutu - Loch Ryan, Between Stranraer and Kirkcolm.  Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata) (1) - Reported Oct 24, 2025 12:29 by Mathieu Soetens - Cairnryan to Belfast Ferry (Scottish waters only).  Redwing (Turdus iliacus) (3) - Reported Oct 25, 2025 08:40 by Simon Burton - Maidenbower Path,...

The only notable records from a quick visit this morning were about 200 Fieldfare, 30 to 40 Whoopers and a Tufted Duck. Ivan Lang. 

Heard again from the Meida Hide at RSPB Mersehead.

Usuals but good numbers today inc 2 Whimbrel still, 7 Snipe, around a dozen Black-tailed & single Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Grey Plover. An ad Med Gull showed up late, only to be scattered to the wind by a bullish Herring Gull. Also a Chiffchaff in the sycamore adjacent path to beach from car park.

Great White Egret & unspecified Hen Harrier seen. Reported by Kim Last.

Eclipse drake seen again at Skyreburn 3pm. Along the burn itself by the look of it.

Another HT visit. A very brown Brent Goose at the point, unless anyone has a view... 13th golf tee roost was broadly the same as yesterday plus a few Knot & no Golden Plover. PJ

Drake Goosander returned from migratory moult on the Nith alongside Dock Park. Robbie Purdie.

Great Northern Diver, 6 Red-throated Diver, a few auks, Eider, Ringed Plovers, Sanderling. Passing gannets, juv Sandwich Tern, juv Arctic Tern, Merlin. Kev & Sue Richardson.