Map of the Annan and Newbie areas showing our skua watching position at Newbiebarns (bottom left of map). Much of our previous birding in this area has been at Seafield (bottom right) where we discovered American Golden Plover and Green-winged Teal in late 2007. (Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland).
Looking south across the Solway to Cumbria from Newbie, Dumfries & Galloway, April 2008.25 April 2008.
Woke up early and headed down to Southerness Point for a seawatch which was pretty good really despite the ebbing tide:
Common Scoter 85W / 5E
f. Merg'.
2 Razorbill.
6 auk sp. E
3 diver sp. E
2 Red-throated Diver W
11 Gannet W
2 Arctic Terns offshore.
50+ Sandwich Terns.
ad + imm Kittiwake offshore + 14W.
Tree Pipit N.
Fulmar 4W 1E.
A drive up to Loaningfoot produced a Hooded Crow and c. 1000 Barnacle Geese. 200+ Pink-footed Geese seen near Carsethorn. A Green Woodpecker was heard near Loch Arthur before making our way to the Powfoot area where we met up with D&G birder Chris Baines for a cuppa.
With the weather looking promising we scooted round to Newbie and we'd hardly got out the car before the first skua - an adult pale phase Pomarine (with "spoons") was spotted mid-channel. We sheltered from the SWerly behind a convenient wall and continued to watch out of the wind. What was probably the same Pom' flew out of the bay about 5 minutes later and then Chris spotted a Bonxie coming in 20 minutes afterwards, eventually continuing upriver past the viaduct. After all this excitement early on we expected a bit more, but it didn't happen. We noted 4 Common Scoter, a few Great-crested Grebes and a couple of Red-throated Divers but little else on the move apart from a few Whimbrel.High tide cam and went with little else of note so we moved back to Powfoot to check the shore there. Yesterday's birds were still about, including the female Long-tailed Duck. With the weather worsening we headed round the Nith to Mersehead after filling up with petrol which was no problem despite the so-called 'panic buying' induced by the media seemingly desperate for something to report!
The news of a Spotted Redshank bleeped out of Chris's pager the minute we arrived at Mersehead, but unfortunately it was on Folly Pond with the Avocets at Caerlaverock. Just enough time to check out the Greenshank, Blackwits and White Wags at Mersehead before we gave in to temptation (mainly at Mrs B's suggestion I might add) and jumped back in the car (one car - still not very "green", I know) for the 25 mile trip back to the WWT! NO sign of the bird from the Folly Pond hide but the Farmhouse Tower's elevation proved its worth and we located the Spotshank. A scarce bird in D&G, rare in Spring and a D&G tick as well ........ not bad.
26 April 2008.Pretty grotty start to the morning so we decided to watch from the shelter of the hides at Mersehead. Still a few White Wags about and an influx of 84 Blackwits but a Swift battling against the wind and rain looked most out of place. The skua passage on the Solway had been something I'd looked forward to for some years so I just couldn't help myself and suggested we had another go. The foul weather and wind slightly more south of yesterday's direction meant birding from the car was order of the day from Newbie. Amazingly an adult Pomarine Skua, pale and fully "spooned" appeared as soon as we turned up, only to be followed by another pale one lacking the cuttlery ten minutes later. A Bonxie came through a short time later and a pale Arctic Skua shot across the bay too. Several Fulmars and 14 Gannets were coming in and going out of the bay but as the previous day the skua movement didn't improve. Still, no complaints. A pair of Mergs, 4 Pale-bellied Brents and half-a-dozen Whimbrel were on show too.
Spotted Redshank Caerlaverock WWT 26 April 2008.
Yesterday's Spotshank was showing better this afternoon at the WWT and the Avocets were doing what they do best.
At least 70 Blackwits on the Folly Pond backing up the arrival at Mersehead but otherwise there was little different to the previous day at Caerlaverock.
With a couple of hours daylight left we headed back around the Nith and called in at Loch Kindar for an evening walk.
Two different Green Woodpeckers could be heard and we saw one in an open area too. Lots of Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps in song plus a couple of noisy Great-spotted Woodpeckers too.
The 'resident' Scaup trio were there plus a couple of pairs of Great-crested Grebes and Cormorants were begining to congregate on the wooded island to roost.
Dusk at Loch Kindar near New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway.A cracking day ended with Sedge Warblers in song in the reeds bordering the beach just outside the caravan at Southerness.
