Message from WWT Caerlaverock management team.   Caerlaverock Wetland Centre "   Hello, We’re getting in touch to share some exciting news that we’ll be extending our opening days from  Tuesday  29 th September. As part of our phased reopening, you’ll soon be able to visit us five days per week, Tuesday to Saturday, increasing from the current three days per week, Thursday to Saturday. We want to thank you all for your patience while we’ve been building resilience in our small but mighty team and working hard to make longterm improvements to the reserve. What is changing and when?  From Tuesday 29 th  September, we will be open from 10am to 4:30pm (last entry at 3:30pm): Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays As well as opening for more days of the week, the team will also be reintroducing live swan feed events, when the whooper swans arrive, more details of which will be shared soon on our social media channels. So, keep your eyes peeled. ...

5th. Browhouses, 8 BlT Godwit, 3 Greenshank. WWT Caerlaverock, Snipe, 3 Green Sandpiper. Kippford, Comm Sandpiper. Threave NTS, Osprey, 2 Stonechat. 6th. Southerness, 17 Bar-tailed G. Glencaple, 12 Greenshank. Luce Bay SE of Wigtownshire Golf Course, 250 Sandwich Tern, on 9th Snipe, 3 Greenshank, 2 Reed Bunting. 9th. Mersehead, Grey Partridge claimed but I'm dubious (yng pheasant?), 3 Reed Bunting. Browhouses, 8 Gadwall, 4 Greenshank. SWT Fontainbleau Ladypark, Green Woodpecker. 11th. Caerlaverock NNR, 14 PFG. Whitefield Loch, 3 Whinchat. 12th. Browhouses, Manx Shearwater, Rock Pipit. WWT Caerlaverock, GWE, Merlin ♂️, Peregrine, 3 Stonechat. Caerlaverock Castle, 20 Sand Martin. 13th. Mersehead, Reed Warbler.

Reports of 2 & 5 Curlew Sandpiper there. Merse edge being quoted.

4 Curlew Sandpiper & a Little Stint on the lagoon north of car park, unless you know otherwise.

FP apparently flew SW past Corsewall Point early am. A LS juv reported in Garlieston harbour.

Nice selection of waders at the Crook during WeBs count. First a Curlew Sandpiper in with a small flock of Dunlin which was flying over the lagoon then out towards the Bay. About 250 mixed RP and Dunlin on the northern merse flash with a single Little Stint, flushed by a Peregrine chasing them. Also Greenshank and Whimbrel heard and at least two Osprey out in the Bay. Ivan Lang. 

IoW 09.00 to 16.00. 3 Arctic Skua, 3 Arctic Tern, 1 BTD, 25 Common Scoter, 5 Common Tern, 8 Fulmar, 353 Gannet, 442 Kittiwake, 535 Auks, 203 Manxies, 1 RTD and 152 Sarnies.

9th. 08.00 to 16.00. Despite the promising wind direction nothing out of the ordinary. Highlights a Fulmar, Arctic Tern, Med Gull, 1702 Gannet, GND, 644 Kittiwake, about 300 Auks, 14 RTD, 22 Sarnies and a couple of Twite over. Ivan Lang Ed. Thanks always to Ivan for the diligent birding 👍 

6th. IoW offshore, a Fea's type Petrel reported. Plus 160 Common Scoter & 800 Kittiwake. At Garlieston today, a single LB Brent Goose. Off Seaward House, Kirkcud't 57 Little Egret. Dalbeattie, a Mandarin Duck on the burn near the Post Office bridge, aka Dalbeattie Burn/Kirkgunzeon Lane.

RSPB Crook of Baldoon. Yellow Wagtail over, 2 White Wagtail with pied flowing tractor, 3 Ruff on lagoon and Marsh Harrier hunting over fields. Ivan Lang.

GWE back on the fringe opposite the Lockerbie road car park.

IOW 13.00 to 15.30. 1 Black Guillemot, 23 Common Scoter, 161 Gannet, 4 Guillemot, 73 Kittiwake, 3 Little Gull, 264 Manxies, 33 Razorbill, 1 RTD and 113 Sarnies. Ivan lang.

Couple of birds seen 5th. One at WWT Caerlaverock from the Avenue hide. Presumably the tower hide, the most user-unfriendly design in the world. The other from the Dee View hide at NTS Threave.

4th. 1 Balearic & 6 Sooty Shearwater, 52 Fulmar & a Leach's Petrel.

2nd. A hummingbird hawk moth on buddleia in the drizzle. Mainsriddle. 

2nd. 15 returning birds seen at Ardwell Bay beach.

Curlew Sandpiper in Wig Bay, today. Seen around the spit end. 

Published 1st September.  https://awanderroundthewig.blogspot.com/2026/09/forever-surprise-bird-report-for-july.html

A bird reported this pm at RSPB Crook of Baldoon. Presume the flash north of car park.

Reported seen at Loch Patrick. Also Crossbill. https://maps.app.goo.gl/cMS37d8NtQ3qvrR8A?g_st=am

Lot's of hirundine gatherings. 262 Sandwich Tern past Corsewall Point. GWE along the Nith from Kingholm Quay. Might be that Spoonbill mis-ID'd?

28th. A six hrs watch at Corsewall Point was busy with birds, but nothing out of the ordinary. Best was three Velvet Scoter heading down towards Portpatrick. Also, a few BN dolphin around. Ivan Lang. 

Willow Tit at Threave Castle. Barn Owl at Morton Wood, Thornhill. 4 Grasshopper Warbler at RSPB Crook of Baldoon. 4 Bar-tailed Godwit & 60 Goosander on the Nith near Kingholm Quay.

Still at RSPB Crook of Baldoon in unfarmed grassland perhaps.

From the Jubilee Path. 1ea of Barnacle Goose, Dipper, Tawny Owl, Swift, Common Tern, Redstart, Wheatear.

23rd. 14 reported near Glencaple. I'm wondering if these are Linlithgow birds. Rather early, innit.

Seen flying east to west from the Campbell Hide at WWT Caerlaverock yesterday. Looking for a pond near you... Try the Nith estuary.

Browhouses mid pm. Unfortunately bird flew to the Sassenach side of the Solway.

Single Green Sandpiper showing well around the Whooper Pond at WWT Caerlaverock this morning. Robbie Purdie.

Best bird, adw Med Gull. Couldn't see any black flight feathers. Maybe 15 Whimbrel, c100 Ringed Plover & 1 summery Turnstone. Surprise was a leucistic RP! See pic. Not seen one before. Also 10 Goosander. Oystercatcher numbers right up to maybe 3K or more. Local dog walkers deliberately put them up just to get a phone pic 🙄. Evidence upon request.