Sandpipers are highlight of bumper year for breeding
June this year was much drier and warmer than in 2015.
With around half the rainfall and a mean temperature almost four degrees higher than last year, conditions were generally much better for our breeding birds.
Towards the end of the month, there were many reports of fledged birds in gardens, including unfamiliar looking young birds, such as goldfinch without the red face of the adult birds, robin with spots and no red breast, as well as the more familiar blackbirds, starlings and house sparrows.
There were comments such as: ‘It was a bumper year for breeding’ and ‘I have never seen so many young birds in the garden.’
As well as the more regular nesting garden birds, there were reports of a family of long-tailed tit in Lamlash on June 6, a family of bullfinch in Lochranza on June 28, young great spotted woodpecker with their distinctive red cap in Dereneneach on June 29 and, most unusual of all, common sandpipers.
For three years in a row, a pair of common sandpipers successfully nested in a garden in Blackwaterfoot. This year a garden in Lamlash and one in Corrie both had similar success from these summer visiting shore birds.
Away from gardens, there were many signs of breeding including yellowhammer singing in Penrioch on June 4, hen harriers executing food passes on Machrie Moor on June 8, little grebe with young in Mossend Pond on June 13, dipper with young at Torr Dubh on June 14, ring ouzels carrying food on the northern hills on June 18 and activity at the grey heron heronries in Stronach Wood, Brodick and Whitehouse Wood, Lamlash, on June 28.
Breeding birds caused some disruption to human activity. A pair of pied wagtail successfully raised their brood on the back of a tractor on Shiskine golf course, as previously reported in the Banner, and common gulls nested on a building site in Blackwaterfoot.
Well done to the humans for looking after their feathered neighbours.
Around the coast there were further signs of breeding, including fulmars on nests at Brown Head on June 5, ringed plover trying to protect their young from dog walkers at Porta Buidhe on June 15, 30 black guillemot at the colony by the King’s Cave on June 21, oystercatcher young at Drumadoon Point also on June 21, shelduck with 11 young at Blackwaterfoot on June 22 and thriving colonies of sand martin at Cosyden and Thunderguy on June 26. A study of breeding black guillemot, involving the licensed ringing of birds, came across a bird that had been ringed 14 years previously at the same spot at Imachar.
Cuckoos, whose decreasing numbers are a cause for concern nationally, seem to be thriving on Arran. Throughout May and June there have been widespread reports. People need no prompting to report the first cuckoo. How about reporting when you hear or see the last cuckoo this year?
Most adult cuckoos, taking no part in rearing their young, leave around mid to late July. Juveniles leave breeding areas soon after they fledge, quickly becoming independent of their hosts and disperse widely before also migrating south, usually in late July and early August. These young cuckoos have a white patch on the back of the head.
Other reports included four black-throated diver off Cosyden on June 8, 36 manx shearwater off Pladda, four puffin in Brodick Bay and five swift over Kildonan, all on June 9. None of these species breeds on Arran.
Four lapwings on the shore at Cosyden on June 25 and two rooks in Sliddery on June 26, both species away from their breeding areas, may be early signs of breeding being over for some birds this year.
Finally, July is the time when many birds, having raised their young, go about the process of renewing their feathers by moulting. As birds are vulnerable when they are shedding flight feathers, they literally make themselves scarce. On any birding walk you may see fewer birds, but they are still around. 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 or visit www.arranbirding.co.uk.