machrihanish seabird & wildlife observatory · web viewon the mull of kintyre. jo goudie is a w...

Machrihanish Seabird Observatory Founded September 1993

March Report 2019

Chief Warden / Reports Editor Eddie Maguire

Contact the Observatory (MSBO)...Mobile - 07895 952640

E-mail – [email protected] Website – www.machrihanishbirdobservatory.org.uk

MSBO Wardens 2019... Senior Assistant Warden / David MillwardOccasional Assistant Warden / Jo Goudie

Northern Gannet Project Coordinator / Charlie Robertson

Photo of the Month...

A fly-by adult Kumlien’s Gull >S off MSBO at 13:35hrs 20th March The fourth MSBO record

MSBO March Report 2019

Machrihanish Seabird Observatory (MSBO)Latest News

Skilled Assistants roll up at MSBO... David Millward has been a wildlife photographer for many years, first with film before moving over to digital. He enjoys capturing the behaviour of our native birds and other wildlife and has a special interest in invertebrates.He has worked with the RSPB, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and was a major fundraiser for the RSPB in Wales.After many years visiting the Kintyre area and several seasons volunteering at the MSBO David has now moved to the area to enjoy systematic seawatching studies as Senior Assistant Warden at MSBO. In addition, he has plans to study and photograph the diverse wildlife in varied habitats on the Mull of Kintyre.

Jo Goudie is a wildlife artist and photographer. Her artwork has appeared in magazines in both the UK and USA and her art has been bought internationally. Her photography started as a means to capture references for her art but she is currently working towards a qualification with the Royal Photographic Society. Jo is an avid wildlife watcher and has expanded her knowledge of birds from enthusiastic voluntary sessions of systematic seawatching from the MSBO over many years and is now an occasional Assistant Warden at MSBO. She has a dedicated interest in butterflies and moths.Together, this partnership brings an essential range of skills and interests that will indubitably, augment many on-going studies at the MSBO.Look out for a selection of their photographs - on many subjects - in our forthcoming Monthly Reports.

A precious local wetland drained... Westport Marsh at Low Ballevain Farm on the A83 was completely drained sometime during February this year. The marsh was, indisputably, an important S Kintyre wetland habitat, not only for its notable appeal for many locally rare / scarce species of breeding wildfowl, but also as a refuge for many wintering and passage visitors and a significant foraging resource for raptors including Hen Harrier, Peregrine Falcon and Merlin.Regrettably, it was bang in the middle of a farmer’s field!

Woeful month for birds over the sea but a few exceptional surprises...Seawatching this month was pretty much just that with no real movements of anything although there was a rare March appearance of Leach’s Petrel during a gale event (Storm Gareth) then there was a remarkable fly-by - an adult Kumlien’s Gull (photographed) - a subspecies of Iceland Gull from the Arctic region of NE Canada. Migrant arrivals, in order of appearance, included Whimbrel (20th) White Wagtail (25th) and Sandwich Tern (28th).


List of Selected Species for March...

Note – TL = The Laggan

Whooper SwanTL; 13 (inc 2 first-winter) by Drumlemble School on 1st, then at Strath floods on 4th

and by Drumlemble village on 7th. This flock was present at various location in TL to the end of the month.

Some of the Whoopers at Strath floods 4th March

Pinkfeet and a Greylag by Drumlemble 23rd March


Greenland White-fronted GooseTL; 445 at Bleachfield Farm / Chiscan on 7th.

Greylag GooseTL; 116 at Kilkivan Farm on 7th.Flock 530 by Drumlemble on 23rd.

Pink-footed Goose TL; one with Greylags at Kilkivan Farm on 7th.Two were photographed by Drumlemble on 23rd.

Common ShelduckTL; 6 at Strath floods on 4th then a good count of 27 there on 5th. At MSBO the peak count was 8 on 20th.

MallardTL; Breeding. B/4 ca 2 weeks old in a ditch at Strath on 4th.

Eurasian TealCampbeltown Loch; 27 on 1st.TL; a male at Strath floods on 4th.

Eurasian WigeonCampbeltown Loch; 53 on 1st.A male was by MSBO on 3rd.

Northern FulmarSouthend; 9 birds ashore / displaying at Keil Point on 5th.

Leach’s PetrelStorm Gareth (W force 8 gusting 9 / vicious squalls / thunder) on 12 th brought a single bird within sight of the shore at 14:55hrs (warden + Dee Brodie et al)

Red-throated DiverSmall numbers (1-4) noted on the sea on 12 dates. Singles >S on 12 th and 13th.

Great Northern DiverMax count was only 8 on 9th. Many were showing signs of breeding plumage (scaling).


Fulmars at Keil Point by Southend 5th March

Great Northern Diver off MSBO 25th March

Red-legged Partridge Lossit Estate; 2 on 18th.


Golden EagleBy Tayinloan; 2 adults were watched for several minutes on 3 rd soaring over the uplands close to Colluska ruin (Dee Brodie pers. comm.).

Hen Harrier TL; a male >W at Strath on 4th.A male was seen from the forest walk between Loch Lussa and Ballochgair on 16 th

(Dee Brodie pers. comm.).

Peregrine FalconTL ; an adult >N at Bleachfield on 10th.

Common KestrelSE Kintyre; an adult male was by Feochaig on 5th.One at Tangy on 28th (David Millward pers. comm.).

MerlinOne on 15th.

Common Ringed PoverMachrihanish Bay; 18 on 1st. Birds on territory singing / displaying from 1st.

Male Ringed Plover 1st March


WhimbrelThe first migrant was a single >N (calling) on 20th.

SanderlingMachrihanish Bay; 33 on 1st was the sole record.

Purple SandpiperRegular small numbers; max 9 on 5th.

Purple Sandpiper dodging the waves at MSBO 14th MarchThis photo was designated notable in ‘Photo of the Week’ -

13th-19th March at www.birdguides.com

Black-legged KittiwakeTotal of 52 adults >S / 3hrs during a westerly gale event on 9 th.

Sandwich TernThe first migrant to arrive was offshore on 28th.

Kumlien’s GullA fly-by adult >S at 13:35hrs on 20th – the fourth MSBO record.A subspecies of Iceland Gull from Arctic NE Canada.


Kumlien’s Gull off MSBO 20th March

Eurasian JaySE Kintyre; one near Feochaig on 5th.

Hybrid Crow corvus corone x cornixOne paired with a Hoodie and both nest building from 24 th.

Hybrid Crow 28th March


White WagtailThe first migrants (2) were on the point then >N on 25th.

European GreenfinchMSBO feeding station; daily visitors, max count 6 on 4th.

European GoldfinchMax count at the feeding station was 8 on 28th.

Goldfinch 31st March

BramblingCampbeltown; one Kilkerran Rd on 23rd (John Stewart per Jim Dickson).

TwiteA colour ringed male was photographed at MSBO feeding station on 1st and was present on territory / singing continually all month. This individual was ringed at MSBO on 30th April 2018. (Clyde Ringing Group / UK Twite Study Project). The alpha/numeric code H52 on the green colour ring (see photo) confirmed the BTO metal ring number - L974705.The MSBO Twite ringing project, which started in autumn 2010, has been disrupted although we are continuing to stock the feeding station with niger seed as migrants passing through the area do visit the station and any fitted with colour rings will be photographed.Max seen visiting the station was 4 on 29th.


A few more photos...including a couple taken in February

Colour ringed male Twite ‘H52’ at MSBO 1st March

Meadow Pipit 25th March


Great Northern Diver off MSBO 4th March

First-winter Whooper by Drumlemble School TL 21st February


Northern Fulmars Keil Point Southend 5th March

Pied Wagtails MSBO 28th March


Common Eiders 14th March

Black-legged Kittiwake battling the storm off MSBO 15th March


Rock Pipit 28th March

Oystercatchers 29th March

machrihanish seabird & wildlife observatory · web viewon the mull of kintyre. jo goudie is a w...

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