7th. Max & Ben Gibson have seen ; Short-eared Owl early doors from Castle Corner. Also 2 Stonechat. At WWT, Peregrine, Fieldfare & Redwing, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail (& also around The Caul from Whitesands, Dumfries).

A Peregrine was mobbing a Short-eared Owl over the lagoon south of the car park. Ivan Lang. 

Castle Loch ; Very little & any Bittern present a no-show this pm to 4pm. Apart from a flyover GWE, 3 GC Grebe, c50 Wigeon, c40 Tufted Duck, about half a dozen Goldeneye, c12 Mutes, 2 Goosander. Kirk Loch ; probably the same GWE fishing well in town corner showing v well. Also c15-20 Tufties, c12 Goldeneye, c10 Goosander, 9 Mutes & a few Wigeon.

 

My first bird this season in the Mainsriddle garden. Splendid male👌. Brown cap & male Blackcap still too.

2 birds reported at Soulseat Loch (Stranraer-ish) last Saturday, 1st.

The usual Dumfries Hooded Crow in a garden along Annan Road, opposite Brasswell Car Sales (east of Brownrigg Loaning). Paul Massey.

Yellow-browed Warbler at Lady Bay, Loch Ryan, today. Initially calling in first large tree on right if walking back up track. Gavin pp Alyn Chambers. 

Browny still coming to the pears today in the Mainsriddle garden.

Bittern & Great White Egret both present, plus 26 Goldeneye, 94 Tufted Duck & a roost of c.1,500 Starling. Paul Massey.

Brent Goose (Pale-bellied). 211 reported Nov 02, 2025 10:42 by Dominic Mitchell at Soleburn, Loch Ryan. Ed. Dominic's been on tour & reported a pair of Greater Scaup on Auchenreoch Loch. I suspect they're one of the drake hybrids & what is surely the ♀ Lesser Scaup.

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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.