Could ospreys be looking to breed on Arran?
May was warmer and drier than last year with the temperatures in the 20s on some days. And the rainfall was some 30 per cent less than 2015.
Having said that, the winds were often from a cool north-easterly direction, not conducive to birds trying to migrate north. May, like April, was an interesting birding month, again with more than 100 species recorded.
Here are some highlights. Further to the April reports of nuthatch on Arran, there were more reports from Brodick Castle grounds on May 3 and 5. This species is spreading its range north and this may be the year that it first colonises Arran.
Unusually, there were two reports of ospreys last month, one in Whiting Bay on May 20 and a week later a report from Shannochie shore. There is a breeding pair on Bute but perhaps these sightings may suggest an interest in breeding on Arran. Time will tell.
Other highlights included a male tufted duck in Strabane on May 18, a hawfinch in a garden in Cordon on May 21 and a red kite in Sliddery on May 27. This is the third record this year.
Our regular summer visitors continued to arrive. Here are May ‘firsts’ with the 2015 arrival date in brackets for comparison: grasshopper warbler in Mayish on May 1 (April 20), whinchat in Glen Rosa on May 2 (April 24), sedge warbler in Corriecravie on May 4 (April 21), spotted flycatcher in Sliddery on May 8 (May 13), swift also in Sliddery on May 9 (May 8), Arctic tern in Kildonan on May 18 (May 23) and garden warbler in Strabane also on May 18 (May 12).
In addition, throughout the month the numbers of familiar summer visitors such as swallow, house martin, willow warbler and cuckoo continued to build up; perhaps more slowly than in recent years because of that wind direction. To date, there have been no reports this year of wood warbler, nightjar, corncrake or common tern.
Species who breed further north continued to pass through including: 17 wheatear in Sliddery on May 1, six white wagtail at Kilpatrick Point on May 4, a blacktailed godwit on Sliddery Shore on May 5, eight turnstone at Drumadoon Point on May 8, eight whimbrel at Kildonan also on May 8, a Wigeon on Sliddery Shore on May 14, a great northern diver at Drumadoon Point on May 17, 24 dunlin at Kildonan on May 18 and seven sanderling at Drumadoon Point on May 21.
Occasionally this northward migration could be seen at the same time as local breeding. For example, on May 18 on the shore at Blackwaterfoot, groups of up to 20 ringed plover were heading north while ‘local’ ringed plover were sitting on eggs.
In May, breeding was well under way for many species. Encouraging signs included reports of ring ouzel, short-eared owl and hen harrier all holding breeding territories. In addition, breeding stonechat were reported from widespread areas including Auchenhew, Machrie, Kilpatrick, Glenscorrodale, Glen Rosa, Sliddery, Clauchlands and Newton. Perhaps these delightful birds are beginning to recover after the two consecutive very cold winters. Other breeding records included recently fledged starling in Blackwaterfoot on May 19, shelduck with 14 young also in Blackwaterfoot on May 24, a family group of eight long-tailed tit in Whiting Bay on May 25 and little grebe with four young on Mossend Pond on May 27. Towards the end of the month, there were lots of reports of garden birds carrying food and feeding recently fledged young.
With the long daylight hours, it is a great time of year to be birding. Most birds are getting on with the business of breeding. Please take a moment to report any signs of breeding birds to me, but please also remember that under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is being built or used. Do not hesitate to report any criminal activity to the local police. Particularly, take care on our shores and please keep dogs on their leads at this time of year. Enjoy your birding. Please send any bird notes with ‘what, when, where’ to me at Kilpatrick Kennels, Kilpatrick, Blackwaterfoot, KA27 8EY, or email me at jim@arranbirding.co.uk. I look forward to hearing from you. For more information on birding on Arran purchase the Arran Bird Atlas 2007-2012 as well as the Arran Bird Report 2014 and visit this website www. arranbirding.co.uk.