Team Warden takes the lead

The Bird Race has kicked off this week and it’s been an interesting start. New Year's Eve blasted us with howling winds around the reserve and I had my fingers crossed it might blow something rare our way just in time for January 1st . Unfortunately there was nothing out of the ordinary spotted on my end but we did have a jack snipe that was a great catch!

The days past have been spent ticking off our usual suspects on the reserve for passerines, wildfowl and waders but we are not being assisted by the current weather conditions of ice. The frozen ponds have deterred many birds I hoped to see such as gadwall and pintail but to my avail it has revealed a more elusive bird on the reserve, the water rail! These birds are hard to catch in normal conditions but freezing temperatures usually push them to the bird feeders to collect scraps. Unfortunately the other teams had the same thought and we have all ticked this one off.

As of writing this, Team Warden is in the lead with 56 birds seen at WWT Caerlaverock and I can assure you we will retain this lead by any means necessary. Jake’s scope suddenly going walkabouts to the middle island of the Folly Pond? Possibly. Dave finding his binocular lenses smeared with Vaseline? Maybe. Annabelle and Madisyn being sent running to the other side of the reserve to catch a sighting of a ‘great auk’? Perhaps.

Team Warden for the win!

Words by Charlie McGrath

Feature image by Martin McGill

Current Scores

Team Placement: 48

Team Warden: 56

Team Office: 51

Highlights: water rail, golden plover, jay, woodcock, jack snipe, merlin