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?

I am grateful to Brian Henderson for picking out a pair of Russian White-fronts and a Taiga Beanie among the Pink-feet at West Freugh. Notable that the ruskies were not associating with the Greenlanders (provide your own Trump punchline!). Nigel W.

A day out to Wigtownshire - Didn't find the Taiga (Tundra?) Bean geese reported yesterday but good haul of geese (Brent, White-front, PF, Barnacle and Greylag). Divers, Great Northern and Red-necked spotted despite high waves on Loch Ryan. Long-tailed Duck delighted to see as always. Robbie Purdie, Colin Kinnear & Chris Baines.

2 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Russian White-fronted Geese still in field by Mosscroft Farm, West Freugh. 

Female (Ed. Or 1st-winter male?) Black Redstart in boulders above strand line in front of Laigh Street, Port Logan. Lawrence Gray.

2 Tundra Bean Geese, 1 Russian White-front, 76 Greenland White-front, Pinks and Greylags in field by Mosscroft Farm, West Freugh. Gavin Chambers. 

Goes without reporting I guess, that there's Black Guillemot, Slav Grebe, GC Grebe, Eider et al to be enjoyed there.

A Greenshank & 2 Red-throated Diver reported by Philip Gilbert.