6 on the river Annan this morning. 4 at Luce House with a further 2 near the mouth of Mein Water. Also remaining here are 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 at Mein Water and 1 near Hoddom Bridge. Bill Jamieson. 

A male Hen Harrier & cream-capped Marsh Harrier from the hide over the marsh this afternoon. Ivan Lang. 

A bright start to the day with a fair bit moving around with a steady stream of auks and Gannets. Highlights were a Storm Petrel, Med Gull, few Red-throated Diver & 2 Slavonian Grebe. However, after about 09.30 everything stopped, apart from gannets with a trickle of other things. A single Black-throated Diver & a large Diver that appeared to have a white bill but failed to get it in the scope. Ivan Lang. 

This evening whilst doing gull count the first Whoopers of the winter along with the first Twite. 800 Pinks in to roost. Earlier in the day a cream capped Marsh Harrier cruising the Marsh. A distant Great White Egret out on the mudflats. Ivan Lang. 

Willow Tit at Castle Wood, Caerlaverock NNR. Paul Massey.

Four (yes 4) Great White Egrets between Castle Corner & the 'new' hide, Caerlaverock NNR + adult female Hen Harrier. Paul Massey. 

Dotterel south over Browhouses, calling @ 11.30 hours. Appeared to keep going south over the Solway. c7,500 Pink-footed Geese & 245 Barnacle Geese. Notable eastward movement of hirundines: 154 Swallow, 74 House Martin & 1 Sand Martin. Paul Massey.

In performing WinGS commitments this evening there were 6 Grey Wagtail near Hogus Pt, looking like they were gathering to roost in rocks or the rooty bank. 9 Little Egret went off to roost in Carse Bay. PJ

3 Black-tailed Godwit at the flash pool south of village opp Cargen Cottage. PJ

John Miles reports; Browhouses - 6300 Pinks, 320 Greylags, 400 Lapwing, 200 Golden Plover, 1 Greenshank. Seafield - 700 Black-headed Gull, 10 Common Gull, 6 Little Egret, pr of Wigeon. Newbie - 16 Swallow east. Brow Well - 2 Kingfisher, 500 Pinks, 300 Common Gull, 20 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 60 Teal, 200 Lapwing, 100 Golden Plover, 1 Great White Egret, 10+ Little Egret, Otter prints. Castle Corner - 400 Pinks, 1 Great White Egret, 6 Little Egret, 6 Roe Deer. 

24th. HT roost 13th golf tee. Many hidden birds. 50-100ea Knot & Sanderling, 14 Bar-tailed Godwit, a few Dunlin, Golden Plover, Turnstone, Ringed Plover & usual others. 1 Rock Pipit & White Wagtail along beach. 3 Goosander into Mersehead Bay & couple hundred pfg on the sandflats.

Great White Egret reported on the merse still. Possibly another. 

Over 800 Oystercatcher in a bumper count. 75 Ringed Plover, 3 Grey Plvr, 50 Curlew, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 30 Redshank, 7 Greenshank, a few Dunlin and Turnstone. Cally & Bush Lochs had 25 Gadwall. Ian Bainbridge. 

Remarkable for the absence of Dunlin & Redshank & not many of some. 2 Whimbrel as usual & a smart Grey Wagtail a welcome sight. In Carse Bay, 4 buffy Wheatear along the beach. PJ

22nd. Creetown Merse: 25 Little Egret. Knockinaam: 12-15 Chiffchaff, 25 Pied Wag. Soleburn: 52 Brents, 25 Common Scoter, 10 Goosander, Slavonian Grebe, 3 GC Grebe, a few tysties. Ryan Bay Hol Park: 400 Wigeon. Ian Bainbridge. 

Great White Egret showing well on Folly Pond. Robbie Purdie. 

21st. Crossbills 5, (2 adult females showing exceptionally well). Also Siskin, Redpoll, Stonechat, Goldcrest and Chiffchaff. Bill Jamieson. 

Inner Solway, Seafield. 1600-1740, ebbing tide. Little Stint (1), Black-tailed Godwit (29), Golden Plover (3), a single Knot and large numbers of Teal, also Wigeon and Turnstone numbers on the up. Bill Jamieson. 

2 Great Egret ; one close by over river from car park and a second a long way in the distance north of hide. Mick Whitehouse & Nancy Harrison. 

Juv Golden Eagle heading west over field north of Car Park, being pursued by half a dozen Rook. Ivan Lang. 

John Miles has left a new comment; But now we have to keep the SSGEP alive! [finishes shortly]  https://www.birdguides.com/news/golden-eagle-project-faces-closure/  

First I've ever seen in D&G & welcome, it is! Blessed with a soaring pair!👌PJ

Late report from yesterday. Bird seen distantly from Saltcot Observatory Tower hide, WWT Caerlaverock. 

Green Sandpiper, 2 at Mein Water this morning, 2 Kingfisher here also. Further upriver a single Common Sandpiper remains, near Hoddom Bridge. Bill Jamieson. 

RSPB Crook of Baldoon. Probable fly over Ortolan Bunting going south over the farm buildings. Ivan Lang. 

Missed HT. 50-100 Golden Plvr hidden amongst rocks off 13th golf tee, White Wagtail & couple Mipits along beach, 3 Bar-tailed Godwit, another 11 in Gillfoot Bay where 1 surprise Sandwich Tern & more Golden Plvr found. Carse Bay, 1 Greenshank. Carsethorn, probably same Otter briefly seen falling tide off Hogus Point but much later at low tide, Otter swam back up Carse Gut giving good views through the scope. Also a Grey Wagtail past. PJ

Otter feeding well in Carse Gut btwn Carse Pow & beyond Drum Burn. 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Greenshank, plenty Little Egret & Heron. PJ

2 Kittiwake & a Gannet offshore. Also 4 Med Gulls. An autumn 1cy bird on the low tide sands but eventually flew over the car park and looked like it was landing in the harvested field back of the car park. Got camera out to hopefully get a better pic. However, couldn't find it but it may have been amongst the hidden birds. Whilst looking, found another 3 but adult birds. Possibly those seen in recent weeks, esp the bird with a lot of black still on the back of it's head.

Juv reported between Garlieston & Rigg Bay. Also Great White Egret on river Bladnoch viewed from Wigtown LNR hide. 

Carsethorn, 3 Whimbrel & Redshank with colour rings. 4 Greenshank in Carse Bay. PJ 

Black-throated Diver & 11 Slav Grebe reported today. 

0700. Pink-footed Geese - (number not given), Avocet 6, Golden Plover 5, Greenshank 1, Snipe c10. Ian Irving. 

100+ over Hoddom Castle this morning. Bill Jamieson. 

I noticed 6 or maybe 7 of the Barnacles had silvery neck bands. Gavin Chambers informs me; "I believe the neck bands will be birds ringed at Loch Leven, a Feral population that were believed to move to the Caerlaverock area at this time of year. This would make sense as the wild birds typically don't arrive until last week of September." Gavin. So, not an early arrival of wild birds. 

Judging from what I've seen on the Solway sands & merse south of Caerlaverock Castle, there has indeed, perhaps not unsurprisingly been a fair bit of a winter goose arrival. PJ

About 50 or more Barnies & 6 at least pfg seen just east of Caerlaverock Castle in flooded farm fields. Surely there's been a bigger arrival given the wind direction? Looking towards Solway sands could be more, though a lot of wildfowl inc Canada & Greylag Geese too. Also at least 10 Black-tailed Godwit still looking rather summery, plus a Peregrine & ringtail Hen Harrier. PJ

1 reported seen at Logan Botanical Gardens, yesterday, 10th Sept at approximately 17.00hrs. Richard Wright. Ed. Message received around 2.30pm today . 

4 Sooty from the Cairnryan to Larne Ferry ⛴ reported seen yesterday. 1 or 2 Balearic & 2 Storm Petrel from Corsewall Point today. 

Attended the 3 day Moffat Eagle Festival with 2 days guiding with the Eagle tours via Nature Scotland & 1 day as part of the reading at the library. Eagles were seen every day mostly in D&G. Ospreys were present mainly in the Borders but with 1 fly-by bird at Moffat on the 7th along with Red Kite. Flocks of c100 Redpoll were seen every day feeding on birch seed with only hand full of Siskin. 11 Little Grebe were counted on 7th at the Moffat reserve where they breed. The talks were very good and hopefully another 3 days next year. John Miles. 

2 White Wagtail at least, 1♀️ Wheatear, couple Med Pipit, 1 Whimbrel, 1♂️ Stonechat on posts, 26 Little Egret along merse to Airds Point. 1 Greenshank on the ebb tide. PJ

4 Crossbill in Auchenroddan Forest this morning. ♂️, ♀️ & 2 juv (possibly another 3 further over, but couldn't get enough on them for 100% ). Also a single Redpoll, Stonechat, Bullfinch & a lot of Jay activity. Bill Jamieson. 

Barry O'Dowd reports; Yesterday there was a good southerly push of Swallows & House Martins through Kirkcudbright & Borgue, on & off all day. Many hundreds of birds, probably way over 1000 all day. 80% swallows. But the Kirkcudbright estuary reedbed roost has been very quiet this year, max 300 birds, compared to 2-3000 last year. 

15 Pale-bellied Brent's at Bishop Burn, Loch Ryan this afternoon. All apparently adults, so presumably failed/non-breeders. Also 2 wigeon. Nigel Willits. 

1 offshore to the north of Ardwell reported. 

Single Green Sandpiper on the river Annan at Blacketlees. Also a Red Kite and a Common Sandpiper. Bill Jamieson. 

First ring-tailed Hen Harrier of the "winter" over the merse heading north. Ivan Lang. 

3 reported at HT today at Skyreburn. Probably viewed near the Teapot Café. 

A GENUINE plea for help from any D&G birder who may be able to survey either of 2 key sites for this survey of gulls. The need is URGENT. ANY VISITING birder(s) to D&G in the week either side of the survey date of 29th Sept  is/are also invited to help out. If willing, RSVP! For the convenient PDF version which has links, please click; HELP NEEDED !! PLEASE NOTE THAT HELP IS GENUINELY & URGENTLY REQUIRED. If you know anyone who may be interested please let them know and/or pass this information on. Many thanks. pp Andy Riches

Falling tide. Carse Bay; 5 Greenshank, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Whimbrel (flew to Carsethorn foreshore), 8+ Little Egret. Carsethorn foreshore; 2 Whimbrel, 2 Little Egret, 2 Goosander Carse Gut, 1 Peregrine plucking catch. PJ

David Broome reports; Glencaple: 1 Greenshank, 122 Redshank, 4 Little Egret. Kingholm Quay Slip: 1 Common Sandpiper. Ed. Many thanks to David for the report 😊