Large Flocks of Knots from the Saltcot

We’ve had another busy fortnight at WWT Caerlaverock Wetlands Centre. You can feel spring in the air and there are snowdrops popping up all over the place. However, our wintering ducks, waders and geese are still around in flocks and will be for some weeks yet.

We’ve had large groups of teal, wigeon, barnacle geese, curlew and lapwing sighted recently. In the flocks of barnacle geese, a leucistic individual has been reported (if you are interested in learning more about that, you can find an article here).

We've had a large flock of knot observed from the Saltcot Merse Observatory. Red knot make one of the largest migrations of any bird, flying 9000 miles from the Arctic to coasts around the Zealand, Australia and South America, and then the same in reverse. Sites like WWT Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth are important stopover sites for them during their journey.

Kestrel have been spotted from the Saltcot Merse Observatory quite regularly. This makes us hopeful for the success of our nesting boxes that have been put up around the reserve recently. Kestrel populations have declined since the 1970s, mainly due to changes in farmland. They are able to multiply quickly under good conditions though, so by providing boxes for them, we are hoping to encourage breeding and help to bolster their numbers.

Written by Marianne Nicholson

Feature photo by Steve Nicholls

6^th February

Whooper Pond

• Male goosander

Folly pond

• Sparrowhawk

8^th February

Saltcot Merse Observatory

• Male kestrel

Saltcot Field

• Hen harrier
• Oystercatcher

Folly Field

• Sparrowhawk

9^th February

Peter Scott Trail

• Sparrowhawk

Folly Pond

• Teal
• Wigeon
• Mallard

Floodground

• Teal
• Wigeon
• Pintail
• Stonechat

Avenue Tower

• Barnacle geese (+ leucistic individual)
• Hare
• Roe deer

Peter Scott Observatory

• Mallard
• Wigeon
• Gadwall
• Moorhen
• Canada geese
• Whooper swan
• Mute swan
• Oystercatcher

Saltcot Merse Observatory

• Fox
• Little egret
• Carrion crow
• Knot
• Golden plover
• Plover

Newfield Hide

• Curlew
• Jackdaw
• Rook
• Starling

12^th February

Newfield Hide

• Curlew
• Oystercatcher
• Black tailed godwit
• Barnacle geese
• Flock of pied wagtail

Folly Pond

• Shelduck
• Lapwing
• Curlew
• Redshank
• Little egret

Peter Scott Trail

• Tree sparrow

Teal Pond

• Little grebe

Floodground

• Pintail
• Little grebe

Peter Scot Observatory

• Gadwall

Saltcot Merse Observatory

• Kestrel
• Lapwing
• Golden plover

Outside Peter Scott Observatory

• Bullfinch

13^th February

Newfield hide

• Curlew
• Pied wagtails

Peter Scott Observatory

• Badger
• Teal
• Wigeon
• Gadwall
• Curlew
• Little egret
• Whooper swan
• Mute swan
• Mallard
• Moorhen
• Tufted duck
• Canada goose

Peter Scott Trail

• Chaffinch
• Goldfinch
• Greenfinch
• Tree sparrow
• Dunnock

Sharp’s Lookout

• Lapwing
• Teal
• Mallard
• Wigeon
• Shelduck
• Shoveler
• Black-tailed godwit

Saltcot Merse Observatory

• Teal
• Barnacle geese

Saltcot Loaning

• Blue tit
• Chaffinch
• Dunnock
• Pheasant
• Yellowhammer
• Blackbird

Avenue Tower

• Male hen harrier
• Wren
• Moorhen
• Little egret
• Mallard
• Teal
• Wigeon

Backpond Hide

• Little egret
• Song thrush

14th February

Folly Pond

• Male and ring tail hen harrier

15th February

Floodground

• Pintail

11/02/23 - Inland Bird Count

Teal - 73

Shelduck - 2

Moorhen - 13

Whooper swan - 86

Curlew - 2

Shoveler - 33

Mallard - 131

Wigeon - 170

Mute swan - 6

Oystercatcher - 5

Canada geese - 10

Little egret - 1

Gadwall - 1

Snipe - 1

Pintail - 4

Barnacle geese - 880

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