Harry Huyton recently announced; This week the UK Government awarded Berwick Bank with the public subsidy contract it needed to go ahead. It means that for decades to come we will all be subsidising this project and the devastating impact it is expected to have on seabirds. And neither the UK nor the Scottish Government seem to care. This makes me angry. Of course it does. But all is not lost. Only part of the development – about 1/3 rd  of it – has been given a subsidy so far, raising questions for the future. And their consent from the Scottish Government remains conditional on a “seabird compensation plan”, which we are yet to see.   Images left to right: puffin, kittiwake and guillemot.   It was also encouraging that media coverage of this week’s announcement didn’t ignore the environmental catastrophe this development could cause. I used the interviews I gave to highlight the tens of thousands of seabirds – kittiwakes, guillemots, gannets, puffins and more – that are...

Ross's Goose not far from Wigton reported. Fem RND continues to be seen at Longtown Pools & recently a Sibe Chiffchaff reported down the road at the sewage treatment plant.

A bird claimed to be on the beach at Point of Lag, Monreith this morning.

17th. 2 TBG just off the B724 before Cummertrees on the Cummertrees Loop road.

Got the 2 Tundra Bean Geese at Cummertrees but also a 1st winter Dark-bellied Brent Goose was hiding among the Barnacles. Ian Irving.

Neil Hammatt claims a Greater White-fronted Goose, but which nationality?? Greater White-fronted Goose 1, Barnacle Goose, Mute Swan, Shelduck, Shoveler, Wigeon, Mallard, Pintail, Teal, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Curlew, Snipe, Redshank, Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier - "Ad female", Hen Harrier - "White rump", Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Crow, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Cetti's Warbler 1 - "Alarming from reedbed", Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Wren, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Robin, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Siskin 1, Reed Bunting.

So we have a Richardsons cackler near the WWT entrance with Barnies. A couple of Tundra Beans off the "Cummertrees Loop" somewhere with Barnies.

Loch Ryan between Stranraer & Kirkcolm. 158 Pale-bellied Brent, Wigeon, Mallard, Common Eider, Common Scoter, 10 Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher, Curlew, 2 Knot, 4 Horned/Slav Grebe - 2 in tandem with Long-tailed Ducks, 2 further south opposite Stena Line mooring, 3 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Red-throated Diver, GND. Also a Barn Owl again in Dally Bay.

Falling tide. Carse Gut, 1 Greenshank, lots of Teal, Wigeon & Pintail, a Kestrel & Sparrowhawk. Carsethorn & towards Hogus Pt, 1 Whimbrel, c2000 Knot, c20 Bar-tailed & 2 at least Black-tailed Godwit, 4 RBM & good/large numbers of the usual others. Coupled Mallard getting on with breeding on former Kirkhouse Fishery.

Afternoon looking for geese at West Freugh, 115 Greenland and 2 Tundra (Stoneykirk) but no sign of Taiga. Also male Hen Harrier and a Hooded Crow. At White Loch, Castle Kennedy a male Pochard and Woodcock. Ivan Lang. 

Hooded Crow viewed this afternoon at usual Brownrigg Loaning/Annan Road junction taking an interest in telegraph pole workers. Robbie Purdie.

Matthew Cookson saw; Peregrine & Kittiwake off the mull & a Black-throated & Great Northern Diver around the Soleburn zone of LR.

Yesterday flying south over St Medan golf course, Monreith.

Lorna Lomas has requested for this petition to do the rounds. Duly obliged.  https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2202

Matthew Cookson has seen a Greenshank in Drummore harbour & a Barn Owl at Dally Bay. At Lochrutton Loch, not much but several Goosander, 2ea of Goldeneye & Little Grebe, 4 GC Grebe, Heron, Snipe & Mallard being the only other duck.

A total of 94 in fields near Bridgelea cottages, just east of Bankend.

Ken Smith has seen today ; 51 Greenland White-fronted Geese, 2 Peregrine, 2 Water Rail, 4 Little Grebe, 1 Stonechat, 1 Little Egret.

Apologies are due to Martin Oates, whose image he kindly submitted I failed to notice!! Red-throated Diver also taken and both closer than my own so better for that. No idea how I could've missed them, unless it was the distraction of finding the American Black Scoter the same day. Martin must have left before I arrived. So, sorry Martin 🙏🏻! Hoping this makes belated amends! "Images of Surf Scoters and Red Throated Diver at Rascarrel Bay today. Thanks to Robbie Purdie for location information." M.Oates.

Forgot to add the following from yesterday 10th: Fem/imm Velvet Scoter with c230 Common Scoter east of Castle Point (roughly off Cows Snout), also another 100 Scaup. Surf still present around midday until rain set in! Gavin.

Corsewall Point Seawatch ; European Golden-Plover 350, Common Ringed Plover 24, Northern Lapwing 7, Eurasian Curlew 12, Common Redshank 5, Ruddy Turnstone 14, Red-throated Loon/Diver 1, Common Buzzard 1, Meadow Pipit 4, Rock Pipit 15. Loch Ryan ; Pale-bellied Brent 85, Common Eider 32, Common Scoter 24, Long-tailed Duck 7, Common Goldeneye 15, Red-breasted Merganser 12, Eurasian Oystercatcher 72, Eurasian Curlew 28, Common Redshank 5, Ruddy Turnstone 4, Horned/Slav Grebe 2. 

Next priority, dog mess & dogs off-lead all over our accessible beaches, driving feeding & resting birds etc away & putting them under avoidable survival pressure.  https://www.dgwgo.com/dumfries-galloway-news/citizen-scientists-save-dumfries-galloway-shoreline-from-invasive-species/

A min of 10 Taiga Bean in flock of Pinkes in field next to Wellhead, West Freugh in fading light. Ivan Lang. 

 Some updates indicate the recent Tundra's are in fact, Taiga Bean Geese.

Lawrence Gray has reported that he's "Very sad to report the Port Logan Black Redstart we've been watching over the last few days has been killed by a cat." 😡😤🤬

BTD and GND off Leffnoll Point. Ivan Lang.

Single drake Surf Scoter amongst c260 Common Scoter and 98 Scaup. Along feeding along eastern side of Hestan Island, therefore distant! Gavin. 

Black Redstart still in boulders above strand line in front of Laigh Street, Port Logan.

8th. Near Kirkcolm, at St Mary's Croft Matthew Cookson has seen; GND, 6 Slav & GC Grebe, 2 R-TD, L-TD, 2 Scaup, & of course, Eider, Black & Common Guillemot, RBM. Another GND was in Lady Bay. From the Wigtown harbour hide, Neale Minch has seen a Common Sandpiper, Greenshank & Snipe. 2 Water Rail still on left approach to Meida Hide. Ice melting so they'll not be visible soon 😕. 

4 Purple Sandpiper seen by Matthew Cookson, South Cairn Cottages, Kirkcolm. 1 GWE & 1 Peregrine at Threave NTS seen by Neale Minch who also saw 1 Water Rail at RSPB Mersehead, where Roger Coutu was lucky enough to have seen a Jack Snipe.

A report says the RSPB Mersehead bird has reappeared but the map would indicate the bird being around the cliffs of the Southwick SWT reserve?