Followers etc. If you aren't seeing all the messages sent to Bluesky, follow the link and select 'Latest' tab.  https://bsky.app/profile/dgbirdnews.bsky.social/search

At least 40 Greenland Whitefronts at Threave Estate. Seen from Upper Marsh hide 1120-1300. Also 1 Willow Tit. Linda Gibson.

3 GWE still at WWT Caerlaverock & 1 from Drumburn viewpoint. A Marsh Harrier at WWT Caerlaverock & 2 at RSPB Mersehead seen from both hides. Reports by Elizabeth Olgilvie, Steve Milner & Geoff Begg.

Spotted Redshank remain at Barnkirk Point. 2 birds this morning, on the river opposite the steel works, still on site when I left at 1230. Bill Jamieson.

1st. Other than the confusion Aythya ducks, there were c20 Little Grebe, c30 Goosander, single Gadwall, a hybrid Canada Goose & c12 Mandarin flew in & swiftly disappeared behind the willows at the southern end. I understand someone breeds them beyond the southern end of the loch?

Auchenreoch Loch. I reckon there could be 3 birds. There's 2 with clean white flanks & 1 with dirty grey & also with a dirty grey/brown mantle. The 2 pictured are hanging out with what I thought was a Tufted & always a very close 3some. Due to the size difference, I think the o/a nicely chocolate brown female could well be a Lesser Scaup ♀. The 2nd clean white flanker is hanging out with a bigger tufty flock. All 3 males are identical otherwise, with principally green sheen but purply nearer the bill base & depending how the light catches the head. What do you think?

Late pm, very little & the few duck there were, were all at the western end with the swans. Very odd. However, a Kingfisher darted over the water & I got good close views of an Otter, swimming across the loch & into the Carlingwark Lane Canal & away.

20 seen at WWT Caerlaverock yesterday, 31st.

Marsh Harrier (1). Reported Oct 30, 2025 15:41 by Anonymous. From Bruaich Hide RSPB Mersehead. "Female, perched on a fencepost some distance from hide". Ed, def a female? Hen Harrier (1). Reported Oct 31, 2025 10:57 by Anonymous. WWT Caerlaverock, from Campbell & Avenue Tower hides.

Bill Jamieson reports ; 2 Spotted Redshank this morning at Barnkirk Point, showing great guns, still on site when I left. Also worth noting, a single Greenshank only (42 counted here on 5th Sept) and 7 Greenfinch. Ed. Far more pallid than the Carsethorn bird. I'd head for looking over the Annan from Newbie next highish tide (bit low atm) to see how many there might be.

Lionel Bidwell is the latest reported sighting of a GWE at WWT Caerlaverock. At home this morning, the wandering "pair" of Blackcap in Mainsriddle again. They really like the conference pears, which I've sliced up a bit to help. Blue Tits, Robins & Blackbirds also seem to relish them! The brown cap Blackcap seems to be undergoing a head moult, so I'm wondering whether it's a young male, tagging along with an experienced adult? Any views? P

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).