Lapland bunting – a first for Arran
Last month a small group of local bird ringers under the direction of Terry Southall set out their nets to capture and ring a selection of the many birds migrating through Arran at this time of year.
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Tag: bird notes
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Look out for turnstone in their breeding plumage
In breeding plumage, the correct name of the Ruddy Turnstone is apt. These delightful shore birds have been reported in every month of the year on Arran, turning, not only, stones with their bill in their characteristic way, but seaweed and other items on the shore in the search of insects and other invertebrates.
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Birds flock together ready for migration
September was cooler than August. There were no ‘named storms’ and the second half of the month was particularly dry and settled. September is the start of the peak migration season when many birds are on the move. The weather was conducive for watching this migration.
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House martin had a good breeding season
August was warmer than July but wetter. The mean temperature was 1.6 degrees higher and the rainfall was 16 per cent more. In comparison to last August the mean temperature and rainfall were very similar.
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Gulls with rings on Arran
In June this year there were two reports of gulls with rings on their legs on Arran. Both were lesser black-backed gulls a familiar bird round the coast in the summer months. This species is in decline. Both birds had coloured Darvic rings enabling the bird to be identified at a distance.
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Listen out for a rare nightjar
Hearing a nightjar used to be a not uncommon experience in Arran, but in the latter part of the twentieth century there was a decline.