Water rail on the trail

Water rail on the trail

This week we've had some spectacular sunrises and sunsets which turned Criffel to a lovely dusky pink on most evenings (Criffel is a 569 metres hill which we get amazing views of). This past week visitors, staff and volunteers have been graced with daily sightings of the elusive water rail (Rallus aquaticus) on the Peter Scott trail, this secretive bird was also seen skimming across the Folly pond, unfortunately we didn’t have our camera at the ready.

Our barn owls (Tyto alba) have been making daily appearances for our farmhouse guests, and staff often start and finish the day with the sounds of their distinctive scream. We’ve had an array of mammal sightings from the local roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) taking a liking to our Natterjack toad (Epidelea calamita) field, badgers (Meles meles) strutting down the avenue and extending their setts, playful stoats (Mustela erminea) and nimble bank voles (Myodes glarolus) foraging for food.

Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) numbers are increasing daily and this morning while checking on our Hebridean sheep I had the pleasure of watching numerous gregarious long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) excitably flying from one branch to another. The shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) is still hanging around on its own on the Folly pond and oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) are back there too. Mornings we often see skeins of pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) flying in their distinctive V-shaped formation, it's good to see them flying over the reserve again.

Visitors are continually being enraptured by raptors down at the Saltcot observatory on a daily basis. This week staff took part in the international swan census for whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus), numbers visiting the Whooper pond for the daily swan feeds have reached 116 individuals, with local celebrities Renfrew and Paisley taking centre stage and occupying their personal spot (lo and behold any other swan who tries and stands on their turf).

Unable to visit us in person or missing your daily fix of swans, waders, and badgers’ antics, then click on the link below to check out our webcam which is set on the Whooper pond during the day, and then set to view the badger feeding area from 5pm onwards.

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/caerlaveroc...

This week's high tide times are:

Mon 20/12- 12:54- 8.9 m

Tues 21/12- 13:27- 8.9 m

Wed 22/12- 14:00- 8.8 m

Thurs 23/12- 14:36- 8.7 m

Fri 24/12- 15:13- 8.5 m

Photo credit: Alex Hillier

As well as this week's highlights, you are likely to see the following on the reserve:

Birds

Mammals

Named Whooper Swans

Mute Swan

Hare

Yellow ZHD - Renouf

Greylag geese

Roe Deer

Yellow ZND - Rosie

Canada Geese

Weasel

Yellow ZLD - McMurdoston

Shelduck

Stoat

Orange XLX - Linda Graham

Mallard

Fox

Yellow ZLS - Handel

Gadwall

Otter

Yellow ZXP - Mary

Shoveler

BadgerRed APR - Elsie Barbara

Teal

Orange YFB - Eric Anthony

Moorhen

Yellow ZHV - Wampool

Cormorant

Yellow ZJS - Hendrik

Little Egret


Orange YSJ - Sheldon Whooper

Grey Heron

Orange YTF - Odette

Buzzard


Orange XKU - Solway Siren

Kestrel


Orange XLL - Chris

Peregrine Falcon

Yellow ZLA - Beatrice

Merlin

Yellow ZJI - Indigo Montoya

Sparrowhawk

Yellow ZJX - Polly

Golden Plover

Yellow ZVL - Nobby Nobkin

Oystercatcher

Yellow ZNP - Lucky Linda

Lapwing

Orange XLD - Donald Ivan

Common Sandpiper

Yellow ZFV - Giffnock

Redshank

Yellow ZLP - Keith John

Black-tailed Godwit

Yellow ZNC - Rowena Two

Curlew

Yellow ZSB - Sugar Baby

Snipe

Yellow ZPY - Sigurdswan

Black-headed Gull

Yellow ZJH - Aspen

Common Gull

Yellow ZJN - Nado

Herring Gull

Yellow ZVC - Ava-Grace

Great Black Backed Gull

Orange XLJ - Bernard

Wood Pigeon

Yellow ZJZ - Snoopy

Collared Dove

Yellow ZLJ - TJ Whooper

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Yellow ZNA - George

Skylark

Yellowhammer

Redwing

Fieldfare

Meadow Pipit

Pied Wagtail

Dunnock

Robin

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Wren

Great Tit

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Treecreeper

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Raven

Starling

House Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

Reed Bunting

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