World Trip Reports
Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland - 3rd-10th September 2011
We're still away at present but I figured I may as well get started on a trip report since we have an internet connection this time round. We're staying in a cottage through Gelston Castle Holidays on the Gelston Castle Estate just outside Castle Douglas. First time we've stayed here but first impressions are very good. Well located and well appointed for our needs.
The journey here on Saturday went very well with decent weather despite the poor forecast. Luckily the forecasts here are just as unreliable as those we get back home as so far we've seen very little of the heavy rain we're supposed to have been getting!
First birding was on Saturday when we stopped off at Dumfries parking in White Sands right beside the river. It's been a regular stop off for us for several years. After a look around the town centre we spent an hour or so by the river watching the salmon and sea trout leaping below the weir. Goosander x15 were feeding on and off plus a Grey Heron. We usually see Grey Wagtail here but not this visit.
We carried on to Castle Douglas seeing a couple of Buzzard along the way. As we were a little early we went down to Carlingwalk Loch in the town not that there was a lot to see - Mute Swans, Moorhen, Cormorant, Pied Wagtail, Swallows.
After stocking up on groceries in the town we headed down to the cottage and got settled in. The castle itself can be seen from our cottage. It's derelict and falling down so it's fenced off but still nice to see. The castle is the haunt of a good number of Jackdaws. Plus the grounds have some good woodland habitat for birds. The cottages courtyard still holds a House Martin nest with 3-4 nestlings though the look almost ready to fledge from their size and regular feeds every 30-40 seconds from their parents.
After a good nights sleep in the king size bed I got up to find a lovely sunny start to the day. As I sat down to breakfast I looked out the dining room window to find a Buzzard perched in a tree directly opposite, no more than 30m away. It was obviously enjoying the early morning sun. Being a sash window I didn't want to open it so I grabbed a few photos through the glass. Margaret said there were two in another tree a little further away.
We decided to take things easy on Sunday, not that we rush around anywhere nowadays 
We started the day off with a walk around some of the paths on the estate. Plenty of birds around, the highlights being two Red Kites soaring over the old castle which were joined by two and then four Buzzards.
Bird list - Buzzard, Pheasant, Jackdaw, Rook, Jackdaw, Crow, Buzzard, Red Kite, House Martin, Swallow, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Willow Warbler, Blue Tit, Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk, Robin, Blackbird.
With it being such a lovely sunny afternoon plus it was high tide around 4.00pm we decided to head down to Balcary Point and Auchencairn Bay about five miles south of the cottage. Our first visit here. Previous years we'd intended to visit but never got around to it - our loss as it's a pretty location. Rather than wander up onto the cliffs we remained in the bay wandering along the pebbly beach seeing what waders we could find. Not too many around but two Bar-tailed Godwit and an Oystercatcher gave very close views. Sandwich Tern and Common Tern were screeching over the bay as they fed. Rock Pipit x9 and Collared Dove x2 were on the beach along with several Curlew and Pied Wagtail. A nice sight were two Raven passing overhead from Balcary Point over to Heston Island returning a few minutes later still 'gronking' loudly. A third followed them back a few minutes later. Looking over to the island Cormorants lined the rocky spurs leading down to the sea. Lots of gulls and sea birds were on the cliffs but too distant to discern clearly without a scope.
In the trees and bushes edging the beach were Wren, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Linnet, Goldfinch. A Kestrel was perched on the overhead wires behind
the hotel.
Another poor forecast but another sunny start to the day. With the forecast being poor the remainder of the week we decided to make the most of today and visit a couple of our favourite birding locations.
We started off by heading northwards along the east side of Loch Ken heading up to New Galloway and then west to Clatteringshaw Loch. Along the way we saw several Buzzards and a Stonechat on the roadside.
We stopped at the car park and visitor centre and ended up spending a couple of hours there not moving far from the car park. It was alive with birds. As expected there were lots of Chaffinch around both in the car park and on the feeders. Less expected were two Bullfinch, a male and a juvenile plus at least half a dozen Chiffchaff feeding by the car park. Several Meadow Pipit appeared from the fields opposite where Linnet were flitting about. A Raven flew over gronking as it headed SE over the hills.
A female Blackcap and several Siskin were in the Willows. In the conifers above the car park were Spotted Flycatcher x2, Goldcrest x7, Treecreeper x1. Coal Tit were everywhere.
We went on to the visitor centre for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Whilst in there a juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker came down to the feeders where I'd put out some peanuts and sunflower hearts.
We then had a wander around the small area of trees seeing a female GSW and two Robin plus several more Coal Tit and Goldcrest. We went down to the loch edge as we usually see Common sandpiper here but there was no sign of any nor anything at all on the loch itself.
We then headed west to the Red Deer range and Wild Goat range. We've seen Golden Eagle here previously but not this time nor our last visit. The Ravens were still around and several Buzzard but little else.
We then headed back eastwards - to follow