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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

Greenshank - Carse Bay

Early returning juv bird low tide where Carse Pow meets Carse Gut. Also a family of 5 Comm Sand. Also colour ringed Little Egret ; yellow left, green right. Too far for details. Family of 15-20 Shelduck goslings. 2 Ringed Plover chicks just a few days old + another maybe 2 week old chick on North Carse shingle. 4 ads. 

Currently Seen...

Kirkconnel Flow NNR ; Cuckoo, 2 Nightjar 22:10, 4 Woodcock, 2 Swift, 2 Stonechat. Mull of Galloway ; 5 Puffin, Black Guillemot, 60 Razorbill, 230 Guillemot, 209 Kittiwake, 2 Fulmar, 11 Gannet, Stonechat. Barn Owl off the A76.

Willow Tit

East of New Galloway town 17th.

Isle of Whithorn

19th. In the harbour. Mute Swan 22, Rock Pipit 2. Offshore. Puffin 2, Razorbill 12, Guillemot 20, Kittiwake 4, Sandwich Tern 4, Fulmar 2, Manx Shearwater 100, Gannet 12.

Summer's Joy

A Spotted Flycatcher at Beattock & Redstart at Borgue.

Cetti's & Avocet

Cetti's Warbler around Caerlaverock WWT Folly Pond area. Single Avocet at Browhouses.

Brighouse Bay

A Spotted Flycatcher & interestingly a Pied Flycatcher seen along the former Cream o' Galloway nature trails.

The Crook

Hobby again, flew over the farm, then out over the lagoon north of the car park, then over the saltmarsh. Ivan Lang. 

Woodcockair

8th. Redstart pair with 5/6 juveniles this morning. Adults hunting in the bracken and adjacent field, juveniles higher in the oaks and more difficult to pin down. Seem to be a day or 2 older than the norm, possibly delayed vacation of the breeding site because of the strong wind and rain the last couple of days. Male of this pair been on territory since 15th April. At least another 2 pair in here. Bill Jamieson.

Isle of Whithorn

Today. 5000 Manx Shearwater tallied & a Storm Petrel offshore in autumnal storm weather conditions.

Southerness

1700-1900. All counted heading out. Easily 200 Manx in 1½, 250+ in 2hrs, but not the glut nor glamour of the west. c25 Gannet, c15 Aukses, c20 Sandwich, 2 Kittiwake & 2 Fulmar. About 500 eye-floaters.

Creetown

3 Whooper Swan seen on the Cree estuary at Creetown. Andrew Baxendale.

A breeze quick seawatch

A quick hour at the IOW produced a staggering 1022 Manxies, also 2 Arctic Skua, 2 Fulmar, Gannets and Kittiwake. Ivan Lang. 

Glaucous Gull

An adult bird reported seen flying past the Isle of Whithorn at 7pm.

Browhouses

Late Whimbrel yesterday [5th] along with 11 Tundra Ringed Plover. Amazing to see 18 Avocet feeding in deep water all in a line! 6 Goosander and 20+ Mute Swan. Interesting drake Shelduck helping his wife with 4 little ducklings! John Miles.

Crossbill

5 seen well along the Mabie Forest butterfly walk above Lochaber Loch. Green Woodpecker heard from either end of the loch. Garden Warbler families on the move. Large number of painted lady butterfly.

Cumbria - Kentish Plover

FYI. Reported ♀ off Bowness on Solway yesterday & again today.

Sanderling - The burn's have it

8 at Skyreburn, Fleet Estuary & 10 at Bishop Burn, Stranraer.

Little Stint

Still present on the merse flash north of car park at RSPB Crook of Baldoon.

Little Stint

2 at RSPB Crook of Baldoon on the merse flash (not lagoon), north of the car park.

Recent Sightings

Fulmar off Brighouse Bay. GWE on River Dee at Threave NTS. Willow Tit at Castle Corner, Caerlaverock NNR. 2 Pied Flycatcher at Kirkcudbright Wildlife Park. Crossbill at Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR. Green Woodpecker at Shambellie House, New Abbey.

Last ditch May WeBS : Carsethorn to Borron Pt

Best birds several Whimbrel, 1 non-breeding plumage Knot, 2 Little Egret, half dozen Rgd Plover. Easily 20 or more painted lady butterfly along the beach. Whitethroat singing. Sand Martin colony ongoing. House Martins gathering beach mud. No disturbance. OMG! ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ‘Œ

There's something about water

3 Manx Shearwater over D&G Irish Sea waters. GWE at Threave recently.

Little Owl

Barry o'Dowd reports; 29th "I had a Little Owl this evening while surveying swifts in Kirkcudbright town centre. It landed on a chimney pot."

Arctic Skua

Seafield, high tide, Arctic Skua (dark morph), Gannet(2), Eider Duck (2). Bill Jamieson.

Castle Kennedy

3 Common Tern reported seen yesterday. Hopefully not decoys...

The Wilting Wig

The LR Wig report was published 26th. See here;  https://awanderroundthewig.blogspot.com/2026/05/seasonal-change-bird-report-for-april.html?m=1

WWT Caerlaverock

You'll probably know.  Email snippet; Dear supporter We are delighted to share some exciting news - WWT Caerlaverock is reopening.   After a period of closure, we can’t wait to welcome you back to experience one of Scotland’s most spectacular wetland reserves once again.  As a thank you for your patience and continued support during this time, you will be able to visit us on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June. We will then reopen to all visitors from Thursday 2 July, initially for three days per week – Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. We will be open between 10AM and 5PM, with last entry at 4PM.

Threave NTS

Went to see both Osprey nests & birds today. I was clearly unaware that a second nest site had been built downriver, viewable from the Steppingstones Hide. And much closer viewing of the birds too, so great! Summer warblers in occasional song but hard to see. Best was 3 Spotted Flycatcher along the railway walk to the Lamb Island Hide. No miracle Black Reds I'm sorry to report. Peregrine in the air around the castle, which is open to visitors again.

RSPB Mersehead

Spotted Flycatcher at dead the tall bleached trees LHS as approach Meida Hide. Cetti’s Warbler loud and proud too. Robbie Purdie.

Birdwatching Sites 
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