Hi all,
Just a quick post today to catch you up with the sightings over the weekend.
Sunday was the monthly WeBS counts, which covers all of the main waterbodies in the area. On the Aird Meadow we had 4 mute swans, 3 female goosander, 3 greylag geese (which have now been hanging around for quite a while), 21 tufted ducks, 1 pair of goldeneye, 9 mallards who later ventured over to the feeding station, 1 grey heron, 1 pair of black headed gulls on the raft (fingers crossed they are nesting!) 1 calling snipe and 1 lapwing.
On the Barr Loch we had 7 mute swans including 3 nests, 85 tufted ducks, 21 mallards, 18 teal, 8 wigeon, 1 grey heron, 32 goldeneye, 1 greylag goose (obviously not keen on the company of the other three), 1 lapwing feeding at the waters edge in the NE corner of the loch, 2 lesser black backed gulls, 1 common sandpiper, 1 oystercatcher and 1 redshank. In addition to the waterbirds, there was also a mistle thrush, one pair of great crested grebes nest building, 1 curlew, 4 oystyercatchers, 16 lapwings, 2 roe deer and a pair of buzzard nest building.
On Castle Semple Loch there was a model boat competition, so numbers were a bit lower than expected, however there were still 31 mute swans, 17 mallards, 4 whooper swans (the last of the season?) 22 tufted ducks, 2 lesser black backed gulls and 7 black-headed gulls.
Also reported were a female hen harrier and a possible osprey.
I'm now off down south most of this week, but will catch up with you when i'm back. Hope everyone has a good week!
Paula