GARLIESTON
A ideal spot to view the birds of Wigtown Bay
Garlieston was once a famous port, and even had a railway connection, and now this Georgian village has had a new lease of life, with some smart building work adding to the older buildings. For birders, it offers waders, seabirds, and the chance of the unexpected.
1
The waterfront is a must for birds, with several small roosts of waders, gulls and even waterfowl around the area. The minor road offers you the chance to use your car as a hide to scan/ photograph the birds, and if you get the tide right birds will be pushed up close to the road.
2
My autumn visit recently saw the first pale-bellied Brent Geese sitting in a high tide roost with a mixture of gulls and waders. The first Wigeon had made it to the area along with local Mallards and plenty of Oystercatchers, Curlew and Redshanks. Rarities have included an American Wigeon found here in 2022.
3
Moving around the bay gives you a chance to check the smaller waders, like Dunlin and Ringed Plover. Strong winds can push divers into the bay with both Black-throated and Great Northern being recorded. Mediterranean Gulls are worth checking for through the Black-headeds, with Little Gull and even a Pomarine Skua also being seen in the area. Winter has seen both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls found along with passing Whooper Swans.
4
Wigtown Bay has the chance of more seabirds, with wrecks of auks and gulls pushed into the area. Little Egrets are often found at high tide, while rarer migrants like Yellow-browed Warbler and Waxwings have been found in the area.
5
Rigg Bay is famous for its wintering Greenshanks, but other waders have turned up here such as Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Black-tailed Godwit. Wheatears drop in in both spring and autumn. A passing Honey Buzzard was seen in 2015, and divers have been seen feeding offshore.