Apologies for not updating sooner, just back from a week on North Uist with Mrs D.
The weather was brutal, the gulls were brutal and the beer was, well, quite nice really.
Returned to Dempsey Towers despite computer on car failing so we didn't know how fast we were going (answer: VERY fast - I don't need a computer to tell me my speed) or what revs the engine was running (quite a lot) only to discover my pc had crashed too.
Thanks to my good friend Nick for getting the thing rescusitated, and thanks to everyone who's been updating the blog in my absence.
Green Winged Teal at Marshside sounds good - must catch up with that asap - although Bazzo tells me there are two Green Wings there, and a text from Tropical earlier in the week informed me he'd already had a Ring Ouzel - spring can't be too far away, despite this gentle breeze and light showers (trust me, compared to the Uists, today's weather is a summer's day).
Will stick more Hebs stuff on tomorrow, meanwhile, eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the
skies...
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Ron Jackson wrote...
John,
A bit off the Merseyside track, but only a couple of hours or so from Southport the wife (non- birdwatcher though she has "spotted" some goodies for me ) and I visited Galloway last weekend.
Stayed at the Kenbridge Hotel , New Galloway, good ; smashing views of the Pike stuffed River Ken; real ale; pub grub and a fat Jack Russell bitch that specialises in " getting" (fatally) American Minks along the river bank. I'll be her dog-walker any time!
Did most of the usual spots inc. Loch Ryan - Slav. Grebes - Long Tailed Ducks (in close with usual rafts of Wigeons , Eiders and Scoters) - Black Gullies but no divers or Twites this year. Scaups near Stranraer ferry terminal plus a nice bunch of 16 odd Brents (pale-bellied) on the shore nearby. V. tame but wild ones I'm sure.
I missed the female Lesser Scaup at WWWT Caerlaverock but didn't try too hard. There were some manky looking Tufties there which may have brought about a twitch/tick or two. Loads of Barnacles (25,000 in the Solway/Galloway area), mostly out on the merses (marshes) but such a rural quiet place compared with Martin Mere . Some good flocks of 'Feet nearby, presumably some of ours returning north, plus Whoopers of course. I know these are wild and I know how scarce they used to be but with all the feeding that goes on at WWWT places they remind me of park ducks.
RSPB Mersehead well worth a visit. Tremendous views of a feeding flock of Barnies, really close from one of the hides, no need for bins, jabbering away the while as they grazed in a dense moving nibbling flock rather like Wigeons do (or Brents). Exotic (these days) passerines in the form of Yellow Hammers in the hedges near the reserve centre. Tried for the nearby and big Scaup flock at Carsethorn but blowing hooligans and peeing down so had to take shelter in the nearby boozer.
The Ken/ Dee marshes looked as always looked extremely inviting. Like Silverdale spread along a Loch (actually with a river flowing through it) with trees, rolling hillsides ("Drumlins") trees and meadows. Haunt supposedly of Greenland Whitefronts and real, i.e. Icelandic Greylags but nowt for us 'cept some suspiciously tame " Lags . Missed out on Goosanders as well, usually a good scattering along the river and loch. Had Siskins though plus a coupla Bullfinches (don't seem to see them in Southport anymore) and some decent for a change this winter flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares. One of the introduced or its offspring Red Kites briefly overhead.
A highlight 'cos it was a new spot was the local nature reserve at Wigtown harbour (down behind the fancy town hall thingie). A hide right on the merse/marsh with a big salt gutter nearby and some fresh pools behind the sea wall. A knockout place! Probably best on a flooding tide but I had a nice mixed and noisy flock of Barnies and 'Feet; Whoopers; really close views of Mergansers in full breeding nick; a Knot and Dunlin roost; a Kingfisher and all in a place that seemed really wild and remote with views over Wigtown Sands to the distant Solway hills. (To give an idea imagine a hide set out on Crossens salt marsh overlooking the Sluice.)
A v. good weekend even if we missed out on some local specialties like Golden Eagles and Black Grouse plus stuff like Crossbills and Hawfinches which we didn't try for anyway, and so nice to birdwatch in really good scenery without any crowds.
I know you are familiar with the area but to any readers who don't know it I recommend a visit before Easter. It should be as much a place of annual pilgrimage from Merseyside as is Norfolk and Spurn.
Ron
ps videoing rather than snapping and I haven't yet mastered "Quicktime" so nothing image wise
Posted by: Ron Jackson | March 18, 2007 9:20 PM