Friday 30th October

A count at Stevenston Beach produced:
197 Oystercatcher
32 Redshank
21 Sanderling
1 Dunlin
44 Ringed Plover
4 Turnstone
1 Grey Plover
1 Whimbrel
7 Cormorant
5 Shag
1 Red-throated Diver
1 Goldeneye
36 Eider
15 Common Scoter

A Merlin was hunting over the adjacent Beach Park.

3 Shoveler (inc. 2 drakes) and a pair of Gadwall were at the Garnock Floods.

Went down to see the Ruddy Shelduck at Martnaham Loch. Also there, among the Greylags and Canada Geese, were 2 Pink-footed Geese and a Barnacle Goose.

Wednesday 29th October

A count at the Belvedere pond in Eglinton Park produced:
1 Grey Heron
63 Wigeon
30-40 Teal (they flushed)
17 Curlew
1 Snipe
1 Redshank

A pair of Mallard were the only wildfowl on Eglinton Loch. A late Swallow was feeding over the ford.

Ardeer Rec Pond held 30 Tufted Duck (my highest ever count at the site) and 21 Mallard.

Monday 27th October

A count on the upper Garnock Estuary produced:
2 Grey Heron
3 Little Grebe
44 Wigeon
80 Mallard
104 Teal
3 Gadwall (inc. 1 drake)
1 Goldeneye
1 Red-breasted Merganser
45 Lapwing
37 Curlew
12 Greenshank
5 Redshank
4 Snipe

Wednesday 22nd October

6 Whoopers were roosting at Bogside - another 11 flew in to join them and a single bird was on the upper estuary. 338 Wigeon were scattered along the estuary. 108 Teal, 83 Mallard, and at least 2 Gadwall were on the upper estuary.

A count at the Belvedere Pond in Eglinton Park produced:
63 Teal
10 Mallard
9 Wigeon
33 Curlew
11 Snipe

c.100 Redwings were feeding on Hawthorns at the edge of the park.

A Grey Phalarope was reported south of Saltcoats Harbour. I went to have a look. It was feeding just off the promenade between Stevenston and Saltcoats.

(Photos: Whoopers and Grey Phalarope)

Saturday 18th October

30-40 Redwings were at Kerelaw in Stevenston, feeding in the extensive scrub. I got a quick glimpse of what was probably a flock of 15-20 Fieldfares.

Yesterday there were 26 Tufted Duck on the Ardeer Rec Pond - a good count.

Thursday 16th October

104 Mallard and a pair of Gadwall were on the upper estuary. A Brent Goose was at Bogside. A Short-eared Owl was up for a brief time at Bogside Racecourse.

Sunday 12th October

A count at the Belvedere Pond in Eglinton produced:
43 Wigeon
36 Teal
(no Mallard)
2 Moorhen
1 Little Grebe
3 Curlew
3 Lapwing
3 Snipe

The 5 Whoopers were on the water at Bogside and a Curlew Sandpiper was on the mudflats.

(Photos: Greenshanks at Doonfoot; Teal; Wigeon & Teal in flight; Whoopers; Curlew Sandpiper)

Saturday 11th October

A Kingfisher was right at the top of the Garnock Estuary; 33 Canada Geese were on the upper estuary, before flying off SE; 5 adult Whooper Swans were roosting at Bogside; 13 Greenshanks were roosting along the Garnock estuary. A Common Lizard was at Bogside Racecourse.

Thursday 9th October

2 Shovelers were on Eglinton Park's Belvedere pond. The tall scrub around the north and west of Eglinton Loch prevented clear views of the ducks roosting in the NE corner, but small numbers of Mallard and Teal were visible.

(Photo: Shoveler)

Wednesday 8th October

A Kingfisher was at the Garnock East ponds; 2 Shovelers and 10 Snipe were on the upper estuary; a Black-tailed Godwit was at Bogside. Someone out on Bogside Racecourse saw a Short-eared Owl at lunchtime.

Sunday 5th October

60 Golden Plover and a Pintail were on the upper Garnock estuary; 2 further Pintails were at Bogside. 9 Shovelers were at Capringstone.

Friday 3rd October

Viewed from the Harbourside before high tide: there was a Whooper with the Mute swans on the mudflats - a Black-tailed Godwit was feeding nearby. A drake Gadwall was on the neighbouring Beach Park pond.

(Photos: Whooper Swan, Gadwall)

Thursday 2nd October

A quick look out over Bogside Flats from the Harbourside at high tide revealed up a Ruff feeding on the saltmarsh and a drake Gadwall flying over to the Beach Park pond.

Wednesday 1st October

1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1 Ruff, and 3 Gadwall were on the upper estuary. A drake Scaup was on the Garnock East farm pool.

(Photo: Scaup)

Sunday 28th September

Before high tide there were 300 Golden Plover, 1 Grey Plover, and 1 Black-tailed Godwit at Bogside, and 2 Pintail, 3 Gadwall, 1 Ruff, and 14 Greenshank on the upper Garnock estuary. A Spotted Redshank was at Eglinton Park's Belvedere pond.

(Photos: Teal, Spotted Redshank, Lapwing, Curlew)