Chronological Summary 2004
January-March
A reassuring start to 2004 came in the forms of the Auld Brig Iceland Gull and the Belgian-ringed Mediterranean Gull, still in place at Ayr and Troon respectively. A female Velvet Scoter at Stevenston Point was, however, a “new” bird for the New Year. The Irvine valley turned in 2 wintering Green Sandpipers at Galston and Dreghorn early in the month while the Maidens Water Pipit from 2003 was still around, but only until the 17th. Yet one more Wood Nuthatch appeared in the Girvan valley on the 4th when one appeared on a peanut feeder near Kilkerran, and the Doonfoot Dunlin flock rose to an amazing 1000+ birds on the 9th. High counts of several species continued through January with 80 Black Scoter in Irvine Bay on the 17th, 9 Common Greenshank and 7 Gadwall at Hunterston on the 25th and 100 Brambling near Muirkirk on the same day.
By contrast, February was a quiet month. Two Little Auks flew past Troon on the 2nd and an intriguing report of a Little Owl came from near Darvel on the 11th – most of the reports of this small owl have come from this part of the Irvine valley. Are we missing something? On the 22nd a White-fronted Goose turned up at Tarbolton and a Snow Bunting at Stevenston Point proved to be an obligingly long-stayer.
On March 6th Martnaham Loch held 200 Pink-footed Geese, but a group of 7 Ruff at Blairbowie on the 8th was a bit more unexpected. The first Sandwich Tern of the year flew past Maidens on the 13th while the Auchenharvie Greater Scaup flock rose to 170 a day later. The 16th turned in our first two Northern Wheatears of spring at Pow Burn, and Trabboch Loch’s Common Pochards topped 90 on the 17th, a day ahead of 3 arriving Sand Martins at Shewalton. A Red-necked Grebe off Newton shore on the 21st was followed by another spring migrant on the 24th – a Common Chiffchaff at Girdle Toll. Ayr’s Purple Sandpiper flock reached 87 on the 28th, on the same day as a group of sharp-eyed birders found 2 Bewick’s (or is it Tundra?) Swans among the Whoopers at Martnaham. The “quarter” ended with the arrival of an early Willow Warbler at Doonfoot on the 30th.
April-June
As the Greylag Geese headed back north, with 1100 at Martnaham, on the 2nd April, a Barn Swallow was seen at Darvel, followed by an incredibly early Sedge Warbler at Martnaham on the 4th. The latter was accompanied by a Blackcap, also at Martnaham, and the first 10 Manx Shearwaters off Turnberry Point on the 6th. The 8th witnessed the arrival of a White Stork in the Irvine-Kilwinning area, this possibly genuine migrant being last seen near Largs on 1 May as it wandered around the county. Two House Martins appeared at Garnock Floods on the 8th and Prestwick produced a Slavonian Grebe on the 10th. More excitement followed on the 14th, with a Red Kite over Rankinston, an Osprey at Martnaham and a Common Sandpiper at Doonfoot. Kirriereoch hosted an early Tree Pipit on the 16th, while 3 Whimbrel showed up at Bogside. Martnaham’s female Smew departed on the 17th and 3 Bohemian Waxwings stopped by at Saltcoats on the same day – were they going to be the year’s only ones?? A day later, Saltcoats saw the first of the spring’s Arctic Skuas arriving in what was to turn out to be an excellent year for seabird enthusiasts. Common Redstart and Common Grasshopper Warbler arrived on the 22nd, while the 23rd provided another Osprey at Shewalton, a Whinchat at Pow Burn and a large flock of 63 White Wagtails at Seamill. A Common Whitethroat at Portencross on the 24th preceded its rarer cousin, Lesser Whitethroat, by a day when one appeared at the Heads of Ayr. Common Cuckoo and Garden Warbler were also found on the 25th, when a splendid, summer-plumaged Red-necked Grebe drifted around lazily at Dipple. Masonhill managed to squeeze in a couple of Common Swifts before the end of May, with 2 there on the 29th.
Knockdolian had a Wood Warbler at the start of May, on the 2nd, in a year when several of our scarcer breeders appeared to be under-recorded. The 6th saw another surge of migrants, with drake Garganey at Martnaham Loch, Eurasian Marsh Harrier at Woodside Meadows and a pair of Ring Ouzels at Blackcraig Hill. This last locality produced its first Eurasian Dotterel on the 6th, with 3 there the following day, just as the first Spotted Flycatcher turned up at Middleyard. Seabirds starred on the 9th when 9 Pomarine Skuas passed Saltcoats in two groups, and 44 Arctic Terns also headed north past Portencross. Another Eurasian Marsh Harrier drifted over Kilkerran on the 22nd and a Red Kite appeared at Cannock Hill on the 23rd. May ended with a rarity – a fine drake King Eider on Meikle Craigs on the 27th, this bird stopping by at various ports of call through the year.
Middleyard held a Common Quail on June 3rd, Doonfoot produced a Curlew Sandpiper on the 10th, and Mochrum Loch suggested days past on the 11th when a Corn Crake rasped from the long grass. It stayed around for about 3 weeks, lending hope to the notion that the species might one day return as a breeder. The 13th saw that King Eider move to Stevenston Point, but the 15th threw everyone off the scent when it turned up at Ballantrae where the breeding terns, especially Arctics, were having an excellent year, largely due to the mouth of the Stinchar having moved much further north and preventing human interference. By the 29th Manx Shearwaters were massing in the Clyde, with 9000 off Turnberry Point.
July-September
With Wood Nuthatches breeding within Ayrshire for the first time, another intriguing record of a single bird visiting a feeding station in Skeldon in mid July made you wonder if there aren’t more around. The first returning waders from the Arctic appeared at Barassie in the form of a single Red Knot on the 19th, while 2 Sooty Shearwaters headed past Saltcoats at the beginning of what was to be a good autumn for seawatchers. Barassie beach held a massive 626 Sandwich Terns on the 23rd and the first of the autumn’s Balearic Shearwaters flew past Saltcoats on the 29th.
A female Eurasian Marsh Harrier seen from the PS Waverley on August 2nd wasn’t really predictable, compared to the Red-breasted Merganser moult flock peaking at 192 off Balkenna on the 5th. August 11th provided a Wood Sandpiper at Capringstone, the 12th turned in an Osprey at Saltcoats and Barassie had a large, but brief flock of 163 Sanderlings on the 13th. More waders flooded through on the 22nd with 41 Black-tailed Godwits at Bogside and an unprecedented 87 of the same on Girvan Golf Course. A juvenile Spotted Redshank dropped in at Cunninghamhead on the 23rd, staying till September 6th. Another Osprey flew over the Spotted Redshank on the 27th while a Wood Sandpiper briefly kept it company, but eyes were now turning seawards, beyond the two Curlew Sandpipers at Bogside on the 28th. A single Balearic Shearwater at Turnberry Point on the 27th preceded single Pomarine Skuas there and at Troon on the 29th, with the latter locality also producing Sabine’s Gull and 4 Great Skuas.
Three Balearic Shearwaters off Turnberry Point on September 4th kept the theme going with another Sabine’s Gull and 4 Northern Pintail passing the following day. Hunterston produced yet another Osprey on the 8th, but windy weather on the 12th and 13th saw single Sooty Shearwaters at Turnberry Point and Troon and a juvenile Sabine’s Gull at Troon. Observers were now commenting about a return to “the good old days” with lots of European and Leach’s Storm Petrels appearing offshore, and the 14th kept it going with a Long-tailed Skua ambling past Turnberry Point. Two lucky (and experienced) observers were to flush a young Eurasian Hobby from a roadside hedge near Dalry on the 14th, two days before the first of our only 2 Little Stints of the autumn appeared at Hunterston. A Common Quail landing beside the local recorder’s car near Kirkoswald on the 18th was a bit out of the blue, but another Balearic Shearwater off Troon on the same day wasn’t, as seabirds began to pack in once more. Yet one more Balearic Shearwater followed on at Turnberry Point on the 20th, while the 21st produced at least 3 Grey Phalaropes there, and 26 Leach’s Storm Petrels at Troon. Barassie hosted 4 Grey Plovers on the 22nd and a Wood Sandpiper at Troon on the 23rd was in a strange place. Three returning Whooper Swans graced Hunterston on the 24th, arriving no doubt from the same point of origin as the first autumn Redwings at Garnock Floods. However, September will probably be best remembered for its seabirds, and the month drew to a close with single Grey Phalaropes at Turnberry Point on 25th and 28th, a Pomarine Skua past Ballantrae on the 29th and a heavy movement of over 300 Red-throated Divers along the South Ayrshire coast.
October-December
The last House Martin of the year seemed to leave early, with 1 at Capringstone on October 2nd. The 8th saw the year’s second Little Stint at Barassie, on the same day as the last departing Northern Wheatear at Turnberry. Fieldfares arrived a day later, with the 10th also providing the first returning Jack Snipe and Goldeneyes, before 2 Slavonian Grebes popped up off Turnberry Point on the 16th, probably en route to Loch Ryan. A close look (and listen) at a Sky Lark flock outside Crosshill on the 26th proved that you can often get some strangers concealed within – 4 Lapland Buntings to be precise. However, the big event of the autumn was about to get under way with the arrival of 8 Bohemian Waxwings at Muirkirk on the 27th. With close on 2000 birds appearing in the county over the next two months, this was to be our biggest ever invasion from the species. However, with large numbers also in southern Sweden at the same time in late October, it may well be the case that the first of our birds came from a bit farther east than normal. Three Barnacle Geese at Tarbolton on the 27th proved to be the year’s only record, while the field which had held the Lapland Buntings near Crosshill now held 79 Whooper Swans on the 28th. Oh yes, and that King Eider turned up at Maidens on the 31st.
A late Barn Swallow winged it past Shewalton on November 1st, and Maidens’ 2 returning Brent Geese arrived back on the 5th, along with their first 2 offspring. A slightly bizarre record at Maidens, also on the 5th, came in the form of a young Yellow Wagtail – now almost a rare bird in the county and one which some birders were glad to add to their county lists! Two late Ruff stopped by at Blairbowie on the 8th and 9th, before a Water Pipit turned up at Dipple on the 13th. Finally, Largs witnessed the slightly odd spectacle of a Snow Bunting flying around the mouth of the Noddsdale Water on the 26th, trying to land on a narrow strip of grass amongst dogs and dog-walkers.
The final episode of 2004 began with 10 Gadwall at Hunterston on the 5th of December, followed by 3 Long-tailed Ducks at Kilbirnie Loch on the 12th. A single Lapland Bunting flew north over Royal Troon Golf Course on the 15th, 3 days ahead of a Snow Bunting on the beach at Pow Burn. Also on the 18th, Greenan produced a beautiful young male Black Redstart which found a nearby dung-heap and settled down for the winter! The 21st provided both the sublime – a Golden Eagle flying inland over Hunterston, and the, well, dull – a Common Redpoll among a flock of Siskins in the Girvan valley. And so, the year ended quietly, almost as it had begun, with 2 Snow Buntings at Greenan and a Little Gull at Lendalfoot on the 30th. Looking back on it, 2004 had really taken a while to get going but, once it did, it had really provided a memorable spectacle.