SOLWAY: Out 'n' about.

Border birding at Langholm, July 2009.

Dumfries & Galloway is a big county, a very big county. With more than a week to spare for the first time in ages Mrs B. and I decided to travel around a bit. In the far east of the county at Langholm Moor we spent a very pleasant afternoon in the company of Red Grouse, Whinchats (including a couple of recently fledged young) and best of all a superb male Hen Harrier.

Kirkgunzeon Lane near Dalbeatie, July 2009.

Banded Demoiselle, Kirkgunzeon Lane, July 2009.

With blistering good weather we finally enjoyed the opportunity to search out a few of the insects of the area. A few years ago local countryside ranger Keith Kirk discovered a colony of Banded Demoiselles at Kirkgunzeon Lane. It's not actually "a lane" at all, but a river and Mrs. B soon spotted a loose group of Demoiselles below the bridge. I believe this is the only site in D&G for this dragonfly, although one wonders where else they will be found in the near future given the recent expansion of ranges of other insects (Red-veined Darters have just been found on the Mull of Galloway per D&G Birding Yahoo Group).

Banded Demoiselle.

Passing "The Lane" one evening we chanced upon an Otter crossing the road and this area clearly has good birding potential with Nightjars in the nearby Dalbeatie Forest (D&G is the only Scottish Nightjar stronghold).

Another favourite jaunt of ours is the mountain road from Laurieston down to the A75 at Gatehouse of Fleet. Laurieston is on the "Red Kite Trail" and you can't miss this impressive raptor anywhere in the Loch Ken or Laurieston area. Once through the forest (where we found Nightjars and Long-eared Owls after dark) the road enters open moorland where we found a couple of family parties of Whinchats before descending to the coast at Skyreburn.


Skyreburn is always worth a check by the bridge and a handsome 2nd summer Mediterranean Gull was a nice find last week. The Tea Pot cafe by the A75 is a must if you're in the area though and I can recommend the bacon baps. I'm not saying the bacon was thick but I thought a bloke's ear had fallen into my roll!

Mrs. B suffers from the sun owing to her rather pale complexion (she tells me it's due to her Scottish genes - she uses tipex as fake tan!) and on approaching the car with tea and rolls I was shocked and horrified to find she'd acquired Scooby Doo sunshades for the car. Oh, how I laughed .......

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