Saturday 20th December

A WeBS count at the Garnock/Irvine estuary produced:

Little Grebe - 2
Cormorant - 2
Grey Heron - 2
Mute Swan - 38
Teal - 208
Mallard - 120
Wigeon - 230
Goldeneye - 12
Eider - 3
Red Breasted Merganser - 10
Lapwing - 230
Curlew - 287
Oystercatcher - 296
Dunlin - 25
Redshank - 125
Greenshank - 9
Turnstone - 22
Common Snipe - 1

A Short-eared Owl was hunting over the field across the River Irvine from Bogside Racecourse. A Kingfisher was flying up the River Irvine. A Crossbill was calling at Bogside Golf Course. 10 Twite were feeding at Broom Farm in Stevenston.


A late morning survey of the birds at the Ardeer Quarry LNR site produced:

In the Woodhead Plantation:
Literally no birds in the eastern half of the plantation: birdlife was confined to the scrubby western half (however, I suspect the presence of most of these birds is attributable to the birdfood provided in the neighbouring gardens).
Blue Tit - 3
Great Tit - 2
Coal Tit - 1
Wren - 3
Collard Dove - 1
Blackbird - 7
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Robin - 1
Chaffinch - 1
Starling - 1
Roe Deer - 1

Along the B752's embankment scrub:
Godfinch - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Blackbird - 1

In the large open field:
Wren - 1
Common Snipe - 1
Song Thrush - 2
Sparrowhawk - 1
Kestrel - 1
Magpie - 1

In the plantation beside Gavin's Wee Pond:
Wren - 1
Great Tit - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Long-tailed Tit - 5
Blackbird - 1
Roe Deer - 2

On Gavin's Wee Pond:
Mallard - 5
Moorhen - 1
Grey Wagtail - 1 (at new drainage ditch)

In the Hawthorn/Alder/Conifer thicket:
Magpie - 1
Wren - 1

Along the cycle path's Hawthorn hedge:
Goldcrest - 1
Blue Tit - 3
Blackbird - 3
Robin - 1