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