Tuesday 24th February

The Belvedere Pond at Eglinton held 107 Wigeon, 47 Teal, 2 pairs of Goldeneye, and a Pochard.

My garden in Stevenston has been attracting some unusual birds recently. For a couple of weeks I've been getting several visits a day from both a Treecreeper and female Goldcrest. These birds feed from the the wire mesh nut feeders, fat ball feeders, and the spillage from the fat ball fedders. Also, this afternoon I had a female Brambling feeding on fallen Nyjer seed.

(Photos: Wigeon, Goldeneye, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Brambling)

Saturday 21st February

A WeBS count at the upper Garnock estuary produced:

Teal - 64
Wigeon - 71
Mallard - 5
Goldeneye - 14
Greenshank - 7
Curlew - 17
Oystercatcher - 2
Grey Heron - 1

Numbers are falling away sharply now that winter is coming to an end.

A further 4 Greenshanks at the River Irvine brought the estuary complex total to 11.

Friday 20th February

An unimpressive WeBS count at Stevenston Beach produced:

Oystercatcher - 52
Ringed Plover - 9
Redshank - 10
Turnstone - 1
Eider - 15
Curlew - 1
Common Scoter - 16
Red-breasted Merganser - 4
Shag - 4
Cormorant - 1

Thursday 12th February

46 Whoopers were feeding at Ardeer Mains today, 31+ were there on the 11th.

Tuesday 10th February

A Green Sandpiper was on the upper Garnock Estuary's saltmarsh. Later it was calling from downstream at Bogside.

Monday 9th February

The snow bumped up the numbers of several species of birds on the Garnock Estuary: 237 Lapwing and 11 Little Grebe were far higher counts than of late; the snow was most likely responsible for the flock of c.60 Skylarks feeding on the saltmarsh at Bogside. A duck count on the upper estuary produced 3 pairs of Gadwall, 314 Teal, 200 Wigeon, 115 Mallard, 10 Goldeneye, and a Tufted Duck. 2 Short-eared Owls were hunting over Bogside Racecourse mid-morning; a short time later, one was hunting over the field across the River Irvine from Bogside.

(Photo: Upper Garnock estuary's flooded saltmarsh)

Wednesday 4th February

8 Twite were at Broom Farm in Stevenston; 182 Mallard, 5 Gadwall (inc 5 drakes), and a Tufted Duck were on the upper Garnock estuary; a Crossbill flew over from Garnock East to the Black Powder Wood at Ardeer; as well as a few Greenshanks on the Garnock estuary, 2 were on the River Irvine; 6+ Crossbills were in the conifers at Bogside Racecourse.

Sunday 1st February

9 Whoopers were in a stubble field at Kerelaw; an immature Iceland Gull and a drake Pochard were on the Ardeer Rec Pond.

(Photos: Pochard, Grey Heron - all from Ardeer Quarry on the 2nd)

Saturday 31st January

A delayed WeBS count on the upper Garnock Estuary produced:

Goldeneye - 10
Teal - 168
Mallard - 25
Wigeon - 68
Little Grebe - 2
Greenshank - 6
Redshank - 4
Curlew - 2
Oystercatcher - 3

Monday 26th January

A count of the birds between Stevenston Dunes and Irvine Bar produced:

Sanderling - 29
Turnstone - 2
Redshank - 21
Dunlin - 15
Ringed Plover - 43
Eider - 25
Common Scoter - 52
Shag - 8
Cormorant - 1
Red-breasted Merganser - 16
Red-throated Diver - 11
Black-throated Diver - 1
Great Crested Grebe - 13
Twite - 9
Linnet - 15

(Photo: Eiders)

Saturday 17th January

A circuit round the Ardeer Quarry LNR site, sticking to the main paths rather than exploring and recording in the isolated corners of the reserve.

Woodhead Plantation:

Blue Tit - heard
Long-tailed Tits - heard
Robin - heard


Hawthorn hedgerow:

Great Tit - 1
Waxwing - 6 flew over


Large Field:

Coal Tit - heard
Blue Tit - heard
Blackbird - 1


Wood by Gavin's Wee Pond:

Magpie - 2
Chaffinch - heard


B752 Embankment:

Magpie - 5
Wren - heard
Blackbird - 1
Coak Tit - heard


Gavin's Wee Pond:

Mallard - 5
Moorhen - 1
Grey Heron - 1
Bullfinch - 2
Magpie - 2

Tuesday 13th January

159 Dunlin and 22 Sanderling were on Stevenston Beach; 3 Teal (1m 2ff) were on the Ardeer Rec Pond, with a Cormorant and a Redshank there in the afternoon. The Cormorant was having a lot of success fishing, whilst the Redshank was taking advantage of the mud exposed by the relatively low water levels.

Friday 9th January

Hoping all the ice would've melted by now, I paid my first visit to Eglinton Park for a while. Beside the car park there were 10 Siskins in the Alders and c.100 Redwings in a single species flock nearby. The Belvedere Pond was still frozen over. However, Eglinton Loch held 146 Wigeon, 83 Teal, 32 Mallard, and 3 Whooper Swans. 85+ Lapwings were in one of the cattle fields near the Tournament Bridge, as were 26 Fieldfares and about 6 Redwings.

Thursday 8th January

Two 1st winter Iceland Gulls on the high tide islands at Bogside was the most interesting find of the day. A few Gadwall were on the upper estuary and a single juv Whooper was at Ardeer Mains.

Wednesday 7th January

An adult winter Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the River Irvine at Bogside (unusual to get a wintering bird); 5 Gadwall were on the upper estuary; 4 Whooper Swans (inc 2 juvs) were at Ardeer Mains.

3 Teal (2m 1f) on the Ardeer Rec Pond was a high count for the pond.

Tuesday 6th January

A survey of the birds on the Ardeer Quarry LNR site produced:

Woodhead Plantation:

Mistle Thrush - 1
Blackbird - 3
Magpie - 1
Carrion Crow - 1
Woodpigeon - 1
Blue Tit - 14
Great Tit - 2
Dunnock - 2
Robin - 3
Wren - 1
House Sparrow - 2
Buzzard - 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1
Greenfinch - 4
Chaffinch - 3


Hawthorn/Alder/Conifer thicket:

Magpie - 2
Song Thrush - 1
Blackbird - 3
Blue Tit - 1
Coal Tit - 1


B752 Embankment:

Robin - 2


Wood by Gavin's Wee Pond:

Robin - 1
Dunnock - 1
Wren - 1
Blackbird - 2
Sonf Thrush - 1
Redwing - 1
Great Tit - 1
Blue Tit - 1
Treecreeper - 1


In the large field:

Grey Heron - 1


In the cycle path's Hawthorn hedge:

Blackbird - 6
Wren - 1
Great Tit - 1
Goldcrest - 1


The single species flock of 12 Blue Tits and the 2 Buzzards were the most interesting observations.

Also, 28 Mallard were on the Ardeer Rec Pond.

Friday 2nd January

Between Stevenston Point and Irvine Bar were 54 Common Scoter, 16 Great Crested Grebe, 10 Red-throated Diver, 2 Scaup, 9 Twite, and 10 Sanderling.