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BTO D&G Spring 2026 Newsletter

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Birds in D&G need your help! Message from Andy Riches; Please find bulletin link to BTO surveys in D&G. Feel free to pass it on to anyone that you think might be interested. BTO Surveys : SPRING 2026 If you have any questions about BTO surveys, then do not hesitate to get in touch. Long link ;  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DLpfy8ibbz1ADI79tEs57oB48-Lle8M4/view?usp=drivesdk

The Birds Today

Up to 30 RTD off Stairhaven. 22 Redwing & Barn Owl around Kingholm Quay to Keltonbank. 22 Grey Plvr & 65 Twite at RSPB Crook of Baldoon. Also a Barn Owl from the access road to latter.

RSPB Mersehead

Couple of hours this pm at Meida Hide. 2 fem/imm Marsh & a ringtail HH. Showed well. And at last, when leaving the hide, I actually heard the Cetti's Warbler. Probably about 15 Twite I saw on the wet field west of the Meida Hide path. 

WeBS - Carsethorn to Borron Pt

Another late one & a bit snatched by a late start. Very typical. 3 Scaup just within my area, 2 Whimbrel, at least 10 Grey Plvr, c40 Black-tailed & several Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Little Egret etc. A few absentees too. My efforts brought to an end by 4 walkers+dog coming from Powillimont who'd misjudged the tide.

Greenland White-fronted Geese

28 GWFG over RSPB Crook of Baldoon reserve and landed in fields adjacent. Ivan Lang.

Grey Phalarope

A bird on the sea off Stairhaven, Wigtownshire.

Little Gull x2 & Little Auk

RSPB Crook of Baldoon & now Garlieston plus Little Auk south of Garlieston harbour. Update from Gavin Chambers. "Quite likely this bird was a 2nd winter, thought it had black in wing tips but not easy to see with bins, which has since been seen at Garlieston along with a 1st winter off the harbour wall. Gavin." And; "Yes, 2 seen together at Garlieston and I had the adult/2nd winter at the Crook earlier in day while a 1st winter was being seen at Garlieston. It therefore seems plausible that the Crook bird moved south to Garlieston. Also, a Little Auk has been photographed by visiting birders at Garlieston today around high tide. Just south of the harbour. Gavin. "

Crook

Adult Little Gull feeding with black-heads over flooded merse at the Crook of Baldoon from car park. Gavin

Islesteps A710 road closure

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The Cargen Pow affected road by the bridge there is undergoing revetment or similar works which will likely take a month to complete. From Dumfries & return, alternative routes to say New Abbey, are via Beeswing or the very much single track back-road from Cargenbridge (near hospital) to the A710 south of Islesteps. Eg;  https://maps.app.goo.gl/pNBpEtyLfGcTH9LTA

Carsethorn

At least 95 Scaup off Carsethorn after high tide, drifting out with tide. Flock of about 40 Black-tailed Godwit wheeled their way past the house nearer to low tide. Gavin. 

Carse Bay & Powillimont

Road to Mersehead flooded so popped to Powillimont. Plenty strong wind & regular showers lashing the birds. Falling tide, 55 at least Bar-tailed Godwit, the odd Knot & Dunlin, a few Turnstone. Nothing over the sea 2pm+. 9 Scaup (3 drake) in Carse Gut, a Greenshank, Wigeon, Teal & Pintail. Other waders on the flats but rain stopped my play.

Recently

110 Whooper Swan btwn Kingholm Quay & Keltonbank. Marsh Harrier & Cetti's Warbler at RSPB Mersehead. GWE around Threave NTS. Barn Owl south of Newton Stewart. Cetti's Warbler & 3 GWE at Castle Loch.

Russian White-fronted Geese

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8 still at RSPB Mersehead. Opposite field 16A! Thanks to Calum Murray for directions ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ‘ Approx location on 22nd. https://maps.app.goo.gl/4iqabvu7WEJ6sGZ89?g_st=am Some poor record pics. As per Calum, there's 2 families of 4. So 4 ads & 4 juvs. Adults were protective of the juvs, chasing Barnies away now & then. Some great video footage here taken by Gavin Chambers;  https://youtu.be/EU_geEaLTRs

Carsethorn

Late pm visit. 63 Black-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel & 3 Snipe on the foreshore. Also a Greenshank on the sandflats pools opposite village. Quite a number of birds pre return tide. Usual others, lots of Redshank but couldn't spot anything xtra special. Fabulous flat-calm water conditions turned to a gale force wind within 15 mins. Startling!

Couple of v dubious reports

Yellow Wagtail (Grey?) at Carstramon Wood & Tree (Meadow?) Pipit at RSPB Wood of Cree. Rather late for TP & a photo would be required to convince anyone of the YW. Otherwise, Redwing & Twite at Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR & Redwing at Raiders Road.

WWT Caerlaverock

Report of a Hobby hunting along a line of fence on the merse. Plus GWE.

Russian White-fronted Geese

8 Russian White-fronted Geese at RSPB Mersehead this afternoon in the rain. In fields just south of the visitor centre.  Gavin. 

Female/ringtail Hen Harrier

In my years of birdwatching, female-type post-breeding Hen Harrier, known as a ringtail, is used to identify a bird which is either a female or a juvenile, unless female can be confirmed. It is generally accepted that females ARE ringtails, as their tails have rings! However, when it comes to identification in the field, it is usually impossible to separate female from juvenile, so when seen, they are reported as ringtails. They are either/or, as can't be determined by the observer. A ringtail HH has been seen along the Caerlaverock NNR off Shore Road, on the way to Castle Corner, or thereabouts. 

The Weekend

Barn Owl off the A701 north of Moffat overlooking the Devil's Beef Tub. 100 Twite at Drummore. 4 Willow Tit & 13 Greenland White-fronted Geese at Mains of Duchrae. Cetti's Warbler still & Marsh Harrier at RSPB Mersehead.

AGP

18th. Still with the Goldies in Garlieston Bay area.

Cally Lake WeBS

A notable 32 Gadwall, plus few Wigeon, Little Grebe etc. Ian Bainbridge.

Dumfries, Stranraer & the Rhins, mostly

16 Whooper Swan on Caerlaverock NNR somewhere & at Loch Connell. About 20 Scaup at Stranraer but the claim of a Lesser Scaup; "mxd flock of lssr, greater & Wigeon" sounds dubious to me (or we have an unprecedented arrival of lssr!). Knot, Eider, Turnstone, Golden Plvr, RBM & other usuals also reported. Gc Grebe, RTD & GND at the Wig. Whimbrel, Ruff & Purple Sandpiper allegedly at Luce Bay sands. Peregrine, Bonxie & Manxie off the Mull of Galloway. Manx Shearwater & Fulmar off Corsewall Pt. 4 Redwing at Kirkconnell Flow NNR.

Dark-bellied Brent?

A bird reported off the Wig amongst the pale no doubt.

Wigtown LNR/RSPB Crook of Baldoon

Possibly same Marsh Harrier at both locations & 60 Twite at the Crook.

Caerlaverock NNR

Cetti's Warbler heard & Willow Tit seen apparently in the Hollands Hide reserve area. 2 GWE & ringtail & ♂️ HH continue their presence at contiguous WWT.

American Golden Plover

Again with Golden Plovers in the Garlieston Bay harbour area today. 

End to End

Stairhaven, 22 Comm Scoter, 6 RTD. Luce Sands, 12 RBM, 13 Grey Plvr, 1500 Golden Plvr, 60 Curlew, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Greenshank, 15 Knot. 2 Dipper, 11 Redwing, Grey Wagtail at Moffat.

Region-wide

RSPB Crook of Baldoon, 27 Grey Plvr, 60 Twite & Marsh Harrier. Ken-Dee Marshes, a remarkable 7 Willow Tit reported. Kingholm Quay south, 52 Little Egret, 52 Goosander, Barn Owl & 12 Lssr Redpoll. WWT, 4 Gadwall, 40 Golden Plvr, Snipe, 8 Knot, GWE, Marsh Harrier, 2 ringtail & ♂️ HH, Merlin, Peregrine & Stonechat. Raiders Road, Peregrine & Redwing. Dumfries at The Caul, Kingfisher & at Crichton Park 3 Redwing.

Ruddy Shelduck - WWT Caerlaverock

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Spotted the attached on Bluesky showing a Ruddy Shelduck with Barnies off the Northumbrian coastline earlier this week which has presumably now arrived on the Solway. Gavin. 

Ruddy Shelduck?

A bird reported at WWT with Barnacle Geese east of the Saltcot Tower Avenue, nearest the Peter Scott Observatory. Also ringtail HH. A ringtail HH over & a Kingfisher at, Whitefield Loch Wigtownshire. Kingfisher on the Annan at Annan. Peregrine at Rockcliffe. Hooded Crow reported west of Thornhill plus Redwing & Fieldfare. Redwing near the Nith at Drumlanrig.

A few bits

White-tailed Eagle reported as if at Browhouses on 10th. 30 P-b Brents at Garlieston 11th. Kingfisher & Grey Wagtail at Milnfield Cottage, river Annan at Annan. Redwing around Thornhill. Dipper near the Annan distillery, seen falling about...


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