110 Whooper Swan btwn Kingholm Quay & Keltonbank. Marsh Harrier & Cetti's Warbler at RSPB Mersehead. GWE around Threave NTS. Barn Owl south of Newton Stewart. Cetti's Warbler & 3 GWE at Castle Loch.

8 still at RSPB Mersehead. Opposite field 16A! Thanks to Calum Murray for directions 😊👍 Approx location on 22nd. https://maps.app.goo.gl/4iqabvu7WEJ6sGZ89?g_st=am Some poor record pics. As per Calum, there's 2 families of 4. So 4 ads & 4 juvs. Adults were protective of the juvs, chasing Barnies away now & then. Some great video footage here taken by Gavin Chambers;  https://youtu.be/EU_geEaLTRs

Late pm visit. 63 Black-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel & 3 Snipe on the foreshore. Also a Greenshank on the sandflats pools opposite village. Quite a number of birds pre return tide. Usual others, lots of Redshank but couldn't spot anything xtra special. Fabulous flat-calm water conditions turned to a gale force wind within 15 mins. Startling!

Yellow Wagtail (Grey?) at Carstramon Wood & Tree (Meadow?) Pipit at RSPB Wood of Cree. Rather late for TP & a photo would be required to convince anyone of the YW. Otherwise, Redwing & Twite at Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR & Redwing at Raiders Road.

Report of a Hobby hunting along a line of fence on the merse. Plus GWE.

8 Russian White-fronted Geese at RSPB Mersehead this afternoon in the rain. In fields just south of the visitor centre.  Gavin. 

In my years of birdwatching, female-type post-breeding Hen Harrier, known as a ringtail, is used to identify a bird which is either a female or a juvenile, unless female can be confirmed. It is generally accepted that females ARE ringtails, as their tails have rings! However, when it comes to identification in the field, it is usually impossible to separate female from juvenile, so when seen, they are reported as ringtails. They are either/or, as can't be determined by the observer. A ringtail HH has been seen along the Caerlaverock NNR off Shore Road, on the way to Castle Corner, or thereabouts. 

Barn Owl off the A701 north of Moffat overlooking the Devil's Beef Tub. 100 Twite at Drummore. 4 Willow Tit & 13 Greenland White-fronted Geese at Mains of Duchrae. Cetti's Warbler still & Marsh Harrier at RSPB Mersehead.

18th. Still with the Goldies in Garlieston Bay area.

A notable 32 Gadwall, plus few Wigeon, Little Grebe etc. Ian Bainbridge.

16 Whooper Swan on Caerlaverock NNR somewhere & at Loch Connell. About 20 Scaup at Stranraer but the claim of a Lesser Scaup; "mxd flock of lssr, greater & Wigeon" sounds dubious to me (or we have an unprecedented arrival of lssr!). Knot, Eider, Turnstone, Golden Plvr, RBM & other usuals also reported. Gc Grebe, RTD & GND at the Wig. Whimbrel, Ruff & Purple Sandpiper allegedly at Luce Bay sands. Peregrine, Bonxie & Manxie off the Mull of Galloway. Manx Shearwater & Fulmar off Corsewall Pt. 4 Redwing at Kirkconnell Flow NNR.

A bird reported off the Wig amongst the pale no doubt.

Possibly same Marsh Harrier at both locations & 60 Twite at the Crook.

Cetti's Warbler heard & Willow Tit seen apparently in the Hollands Hide reserve area. 2 GWE & ringtail & ♂️ HH continue their presence at contiguous WWT.

Again with Golden Plovers in the Garlieston Bay harbour area today. 

Stairhaven, 22 Comm Scoter, 6 RTD. Luce Sands, 12 RBM, 13 Grey Plvr, 1500 Golden Plvr, 60 Curlew, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, 8 Greenshank, 15 Knot. 2 Dipper, 11 Redwing, Grey Wagtail at Moffat.

RSPB Crook of Baldoon, 27 Grey Plvr, 60 Twite & Marsh Harrier. Ken-Dee Marshes, a remarkable 7 Willow Tit reported. Kingholm Quay south, 52 Little Egret, 52 Goosander, Barn Owl & 12 Lssr Redpoll. WWT, 4 Gadwall, 40 Golden Plvr, Snipe, 8 Knot, GWE, Marsh Harrier, 2 ringtail & ♂️ HH, Merlin, Peregrine & Stonechat. Raiders Road, Peregrine & Redwing. Dumfries at The Caul, Kingfisher & at Crichton Park 3 Redwing.

Spotted the attached on Bluesky showing a Ruddy Shelduck with Barnies off the Northumbrian coastline earlier this week which has presumably now arrived on the Solway. Gavin. 

A bird reported at WWT with Barnacle Geese east of the Saltcot Tower Avenue, nearest the Peter Scott Observatory. Also ringtail HH. A ringtail HH over & a Kingfisher at, Whitefield Loch Wigtownshire. Kingfisher on the Annan at Annan. Peregrine at Rockcliffe. Hooded Crow reported west of Thornhill plus Redwing & Fieldfare. Redwing near the Nith at Drumlanrig.

White-tailed Eagle reported as if at Browhouses on 10th. 30 P-b Brents at Garlieston 11th. Kingfisher & Grey Wagtail at Milnfield Cottage, river Annan at Annan. Redwing around Thornhill. Dipper near the Annan distillery, seen falling about...

Garlieston towards Rigg Bay (between 2nd and 3rd gates), Sunday Oct 11th 12.45-13.30 just before high tide. American Golden Plover still present with 100+ Golden Plover, 200+ Dunlin, 30+ Redshank, 8 Greenshank, 25+ Curlew, 20+ Turnstone. The plovers dispersed at high tide, some remaining near the roost site, others over the far end of the town beach. Also pod of Dolphin around 2.30. Report & pics © Mike Smith.        

Barn Owl off the A701 near the Devil's Beeftub & at Thornhill. Cetti's Warbler heard at RSPB Mersehead plus Snipe. Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Hen Harrier & Merlin plus Snipe at WWT Caerlaverock. 15 Redwing west of Sundaywell.

Grey Phalarope reported at Port William on 10th. This morning, Yellow-browed Warbler "calling loudly & showing well" around the beach car park, supposedly at Cardoness but I'm wondering whether it's actually at the Newton Camp Site beach 🤔

2 drake Pochard Milton Loch. David Henshilwood.

Still at RSPB Crook of Baldoon lurking some place or other.

From Andy Riches.  The BTO is surveying Non-Estuarine Waterbirds this winter and we need your help. NEWS is a simple, single visit survey carried out between 1 st December 2026 and 31 st January 2027. Counts may be carried out at any time during the six-hour window that starts three hours before the advertised low-water time and ends three hours after. Top priority for this survey is recording waders on the intertidal habitat . If possible, also record wildfowl, seabirds, raptors and non-waterbirds, and mammals. Waterbirds should be recorded in all three habitats: a) Intertidal zone between the high and low water marks (essential). b) Sea adjacent to the coast, as far as you can see. c) Inland areas visible within 100 m of the high water mark (unless particularly difficult). Walk from the start of your site to the end. Walk along the intertidal area, making sure you can see birds feeding at the water’s edge. ...

40 Pale-bellied Brents on Loch Ryan at Stranraer. Garganey at RSPB Crook of Baldoon. Willow Tit along Lover's Walk, Carlingwark Loch. 68 Goosander notable on the Nith around Kingholm Quay.

Around 600 Barnacle Geese, c30 Whooper Swan returned, Hen Harrier, Kestrel & Peregrine, Willow Warbler & couple of Chiffchaff. 5 Redwing in Dumfries.

Data Centre proposal for Chapelcross From Laura Moodie MSP I wanted to highlight to you the proposed data centre development at Chapelcross. I have serious concerns about the extraordinary scale of this application, particularly what it could mean for Scotland’s energy system, our climate commitments and our communities in Dumfries and Galloway.   My position is simple: Chapelcross should mean regeneration, but this is not regeneration . I will be submitting my own formal objection to the application, and I have launched a campaign page that makes it easy to submit an objection, so that you can add your voice too. Please sign our e-action to object to Chapelcross If approved, the Chapelcross data centres development would have a potential capacity of around 1GW, making it the largest data centre campus in the world. At full operation, it could use around 7 million MWh of electricity a year, equivalent to the annual electricity use of more than two million Scottish homes. Demand o...

Garlieston Harbour/Bay, 15 Golden Plover, 5 Bar-tailed Godwit. Wigtown Bay LNR, 2 Bar-tailed Godwit & Kingfisher.