Caerlaverock Bird Race 2024 Final Update
With the end of January comes the end of the Bird Race.
The wardens, placement students and our very own site manager were put against each other in a battle of birding to see who knows their fieldfare from their redwing and who mistakes a blue tit for a great tit.
But what did it look like on the ground? A month of running around the reserve when someone mentions brent goose or greater scaup? So just like normal then!
flock of brent geese flying
But it is time to reveal the winning team…
As with last year, 2024 sees a draw! Team Dave and Team Warden come in at 83 species each. Team Placement sidled in at third position with 75 species.
A whopping total of 91 species were seen over January, 7 more than in the 2023 Bird Race. Check out the list below.
The team swere certainly pleased to unleash their competitive spirit. We have no prize except the knowledge that they are very good at birding and of course, that the work they do at Caerlaverock provides habitat, be it a home, a pantry or a service station, for so many amazing species.
| 1. barn owl | hhhh | 31. greenfinch | hhhh | 62. redshank |
| 2. barnacle goose | 32. greenshank | 63. redwing | ||
| 3. black-headed gull | 33. grey heron | 64. reed bunting | ||
| 4. blackbird | 34. greylag goose | 65. robin | ||
| 5. blue tit | 35. hen harrier | 66. rook | ||
| 6. brent goose | 36. herring gull | 67. ruff | ||
| 7. bullfinch | 37. house sparrow | 68. scaup | ||
| 8. buzzard | 38. jackdaw | 69. shelduck | ||
| 9. Canada goose | 39. kestrel | 70. shoveler | ||
| 10. carrion crow | 40. kingfisher | 71. siskin | ||
| 11. chaffinch | 41. knot | 72. skylark | ||
| 12. coal tit | 42. lapwing | 73. snipe | ||
| 13. collard dove | 43. lesser black-backed gull | 74. song thrush | ||
| 14. common gull | 44. linnet | 75. sparrowhawk | ||
| 15. cormorant | 45. little egret | 76. spoonbill | ||
| 16. curlew | 46. little grebe | 77. starling | ||
| 17. dunlin | 47. long-tailed tit | 78. stock dove | ||
| 18. dunnock | 48. magpie | 79. stonechat | ||
| 19. feral pigeon | 49. mallard | 80. tawny owl | ||
| 20. fieldfare | 50. meadow pipit | 81. teal | ||
| 21. gadwall | 51. merlin | 82. tree sparrow | ||
| 22. goldcrest | 52. mistle thrush | 83. treecreeper | ||
| 23. golden plover | 53. moorhen | 84. twite | ||
| 24. goldeneye | 54. mute swan | 85. water rail | ||
| 25. goldfinch | 55. oystercatcher | 86. whooper swan | ||
| 26. goosander | 56. peregrine falcon | 87. wigeon | ||
| 27. great spotted woodpecker | 57. pheasant | 88. wood pigeon | ||
| 28. great tit | 58. pied wagtail | 89. woodcock | ||
| 29. great white egret | 59. pink-footed goose | 90. wren | ||
| 30. greater black-backed gull | 60. pintail | 91. yellowhammer | ||
| 61. raven |
Words by Marianne Nicholson
