Happy New Year everyone, sorry it's a a little belated. I hope 2011 brings everyone lots of birdwatching treats and wildlife delights, and we'd love to hear all about them so please share them with us on the forum or on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/RSPB-Lochwinnoch-Nature-Reserve/90095229594
Anyway, new year, new list and so far we've had some good additions to the 2011 year list. Here's what we've recorded so far (Species only mentioned on first sighting unless record particularly good):
Mon 3rd Jan: 1 cormorant, 6 grey herons, 5 mute swans,17 whooper swans, 4 pink footed geese, 2 greylag goose, 22 wigeon, 7 teal, 9 mallard, 12 tufted ducks, 8 goldeneye, 6 goosander, 3 sparrowhawks and 3 buzzards, 1 moorhen, 5 lapwing, 2 snipe, 1 black headed gull, 3 common gull, 3 great spotted woodpeckers, 2 collared doves, 2 dipper on the River Calder, 8 blackbirds, 54 fieldfares, 5 long tailed tits, 5 blue tits, 3 great tits, 1 magpie, 1 jackdaw, 4 starling, 3 house sparrow, 20 chaffinch, 1 brambling, 7 goldfinch, 2 redpoll, 3 male bullfinches and 2 reed buntings
Wed 5th Jan: Male hen harrier seen hunting over the Aird Meadow. 1 wood pigeon, 2 dunnock, 2 robin, 12 redwing, 2 rook, 2 carrion crow, 2 siskin.
Thur 6th Jan: 96 greylag geese, another good sighting of the male hen harrier hunting over the meadow. 2 Lesser black backed gulls, 1 coal tit.
Fri 7th Jan: 1 song thrush, 1 treecreeper and still 2 brambling
Sat 8th Jan: 1 water rail along the Dubbs Trail ( a rare sighting as opposed to normally hearing them )
Sun 9th Jan: 2 ravens, up to 7 brambling and a possible MARSH HARRIER!! - this would be the first wintering record of marsh harrier we've ever had and only the second for Scotland in the last 50 years!
Mon 10th Jan: 1 female pheasant happily eating away at the feeding station
Tues 11th Jan: A possible wintering blackcap heard singing at the NW end of the Barr Loch, 3 wrens, 8 mistle thrush.
Wed 12th Jan: 2 hen harriers seen hunting over the meadow (1 ringtail and 1 second winter male), amazing views! And up to 5 brambling.
Thurs 13th Jan: 1 greenfinch! The first for quite a while at the feeders. Also 1 brambling.
Which brings us pretty much up to date! So far that's 57 species, not bad for the first few weeks, considering the weather that we've been having. Let us know if you've seen anything that's not on our list! Email us at lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk.
All the best!
Paula