Carlingwark Loch. 2 redheads at around 3.30pm when I passed. Both at south end but not together. One initially sleeping on the 'raft'. Gavin Chambers. ( Ed. Fabulous news! Perhaps the colder weather elsewhere has forced relocation? ). 

Great White Egret on Blackpark Marsh Threave NTS, visible from upper hide. John Allan. Smew still in SW corner of Carlingwark Loch, Castle Douglas. Also 2 GWE showing well at Castle Loch, Lochmaben. Bill Jamieson. 

6th. 92+ Greenland White-fronts, plus 15 Whooper Swan & a Willow Tit. Paul Massey. 

Drake Ring-necked Duck & redhead Smew at southern (SW corner) end of loch. Bittern on edge of reedbed towards SW corner of loch. Also, 6 Whooper Swan, 73 Little Grebe & an Otter. Paul Massey. 

Smew still present at south end of Carlingwark Loch this am. Robbie Purdie. RND still present north-east end at 1430. PJ. 

15 Twite on the small section of merse to north of Carsethorn village around midday. Gavin Chambers. 

A bird wintering again on the Bladnoch near Wigtown Hide. Ivan Lang. 

Still present on Carlingwark Loch Castle Douglas. RND with Tufties north end, Smew south end as previously reported. 

The images of this new bird (via WhatsApp group) show a bird with 1st winter traits and with enough detail to show it to be different from the Crook bird. It was seen with just 3 other Wigeon in a roadside field, so don't just ignore those few ducks when passing! Gavin Chambers. 

Ring-necked Parakeet sighted in my garden in Corsock today. It has been in the village for a while. Caroline Pridham. 

A 1st winter drake has been reported at Auchenmalg. Do we have 2 in D&G? 

3 roosting for HT off 13th golf tee, Southerness beach bordering east Mersehead Bay. On falling tide birds moved with Turnstone nearer to the lighthouse amongst rocks of their plumage colouration. Lovely! Nothing else to titillate. PJ

David Henshilwood reports: Smew, red- head, Carlingwark Loch south end, viewed from site of old hide in SE corner. 

Started out at Bishop Burn with good numbers of Scaup, a Long-tailed Duck & Goldeneye. Moved to the Wig where there was a Dark-bellied in with the Pale-bellied Brent. The GND showed well with a dozen or so Slavonian Grebe. However the big surprise was a female type Black Redstart, first located on the beach near the car park but was moving rapidly, feeding in the strandline moving towards the spit. Ivan Lang.  Sadly, it was also reported that quite "a number of people letting, even encouraging their dogs to chase the Brents and Oystercatchers. It’s quite depressing." Ed. Totally agree. This is the generation charged with preserving biodiversity & the Earth 🌍. 

Red-head Smew at south end & Ring-necked Duck still with Tufties at north end. 

Ring-necked Duck still showing well on Carlingwark Loch, 1430 today. 5 Little Grebe, several Goldeneye and a pair of Goosander also present. Catherine McEwan. 

Kirkconnell Flow - Crossbills. Carsethorn - Black-tailed Godwits. RSPB Mersehead - Hen Harrier and Marsh Harrier. Carlingwark Loch - Ring-necked Duck. Dalbeattie Colliston Park - Mandarin Duck. Robbie Purdie & Colin Kinnear. 

Male quartering the marsh at RSPB Mersehead. 

Upper Brydekirk. Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper remains, also Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Bullfinch, Redshank (1) and 5 Common Snipe. Bill Jamieson. 

The colour-ringed Dark-bellied Brent has gained a friend - 2 D-Bs present in the brent flock on 1st. 2nd: over 250 Pale-bellied Brents grazing in the fields but only 8 imm's (two 2nd winter, five 1st winter & one largely still in juv plum). Also 2 GND, 9 Whooper Swan, 14 Redshank, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Rock Pipit, 1 Black Guillemot & 14 Twite (sadly, now a decent count for Twite in the Wig Fields).E.Grover. 

Showing well this afternoon (2nd Jan) in the bay by car park at Carlingwark Loch, though best viewed from road due to sun. Gavin Chambers. 

Wigtown Hide this morning GWE. Isle of Whithorn this afternoon SEO, Black Guillemot and 2 LTDuck. Ivan Lang.

Ring necked duck still present at Carlingwark Loch (Robbie Purdie). AM ditto RSPB Crook of Baldoon. 

24 Shoveller with Wigeon in Carsluith Bay. 30 Whooper on fields near Moss of Cree. Wigtown Hide : 6 Greenshank on riverside, 10+ Pintail on pond. Fields before Baldoon c800 barnies, 600 pinks, 100 Canada & a few Greylags, nice mix of ducks but missed the Am Wigeon. Garlieston Bay, 63 Brents, 300 Dunlin, 100 Redshank. Ian & Carole Bainbridge. 

The time when what was there in 2024 has to be found for the new year. American Wigeon still present on the lagoon north of car park at RSPB Crook of Baldoon. Ring-necked Duck still with Tufties on Carlingwark Loch. Hen Harrier at Wigtown LNR. 

Likely hybrid Scaup X Tufted Duck in among Scaup flock at Loch Ryan. Tom Garner.