Long-tailed Gull, Stevenston Point, ©David Lynn, 2022

Kingfisher, Ayr, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Male Eider, Largs, ©Bob Ross, 2022

Snow Bunting, Stevenston Point, ©Bruce Kerr, 2022

As a distraction from peeling sprouts, I’ve managed to catch up with the recent batch of photos sent in for the Photo Gallery. There are some festive delights such as Dave Grant’s Kingfisher pushed down to the coast by the cold snap. Bruce Kerr got a stunning close-up of the obliging Snow Bunting at Stevenston Point which was also the location for David Lynn’s great duo of Long-tailed Duck and Little Gull.  Bob Ross’s lovely picture of a male Eider proves that you just can’t have too much colour.

As usual, the above are just a taste of what has been added and are merely the Editor’s pick while enforcing the rules (e.g. an ex Recorder of this county tried to sneak in some great Red Kite pictures but they were not taken in Ayrshire – so no joy – harsh but fair, I’m sure you’ll agree!).

My thanks to Dave Grant, Angus Hogg, Bruce Kerr, David Lynn and Bob Ross for sending their photos in.

Festive best wishes to you all and I hope Santa brings the new optics and bird guides you asked for.

It’s always nice to get a new tick on your garden list.  So you can imagine Selina Wilkinson‘s delight at adding Cattle Egret to her garden list when not just one but eleven birds appeared in the field behind her house in Girvan in October.  And it wasn’t just new to her garden: it was new for the county.  Cue twitch.  Amazingly, more birds turned up, this time in North Ayrshire at Hunterson and Kilwinning.  The photos below show some of the birds.  My thanks to Dave Grant, Angus Hogg and David Lynn for sending them in.  As fastest off the shutter, Dave’s picture also makes it to the Ayrshire Bird List.

Cattle Egret, Girvan, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Cattle Egret, Girvan, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Cattle Egret, Girvan, ©Angus Hogg, 2022

Cattle Egret, Kilwinning, ©David Lynn, 2022

Cattle Egret, Kilwinning, ©David Lynn, 2022

Cattle Egret, Kilwinning, ©David Lynn, 2022

Arctic Terns, Meikle Craigs, ©David Lynn, 2022

Common Tern, Stevenston Point, ©David Lynn, 2022

Ruff, Martnaham, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Immature Hen Harrier, South Ayrshire, ©Angus Hogg, 2022

As more wet and windy weather hits I took the opportunity to catch up on the photos sent in over the summer. It’s comforting to look back on birds against blue skies and David Lynn’s picture of Arctic Terns does the job and nicely complemenets his other picture of a Common Tern. Dave Grant has started a whole new genre with his set of gull chick pics. Aaaww. Bob Ross got a great picture of a Great Northern Diver in summer plumage from the ferry coming into Loch Ryan: I’ve decided that it was definitely on the Ayrshire side of the loch! As usual, these are just a taste of what has been added to the Photo Gallery.  My thanks to Hayden Fripp, Dave Grant, Angus Hogg, David Lynn and Bob Ross for sending them in.

Pair of Great Crested Grebe, Martnaham, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Garganey, Capringstone, ©David Lynn, 2022

Willow Tit, Bogton, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Yellow Wagtail (British race), Bourtreehill, Irvine, ©Angus Hogg, 1970s

In a desperate attempt to clear the decks before the arrival of the Spring photos, here’s a quick update with some late Winter photos. I’ve also included a very old picture from Angus of a Yellow Wagtail taken back in the 1970s taken on something called “film”. :-)   As usual, these are just a taste of what has been added to the Photo Gallery.  My thanks to Dave Grant, Angus Hogg, Bruce Kerr and David Lynn for sending them in.

Every now and then the birding professionals at the BOU declare that the way we order our lists is all wrong and needs to be sorted. So they have lengthy and heated meetings where lots of Latin gets banded about, and then produce their new taxonomy. Well, here in Ayrshire, we like to keep up-to-date with this and so the Ayrshire Species List has had its decadal refresh. I won’t spoil the ending, but here are some highlights:

• Lots of species now have a geographic prefix, e.g. Western Jackdaw and Atlantic Puffin.
• Other species get a title bump, e.g. Great Cormorant (that’s going to annoy the anglers!)
• Some sub-species have been added for the anoraks specialist birders, e.g. Greenland Wheatear.
• Some things pop up in unexpected places, e.g. why aren’t Spotted and Pied Flycatcher together?

I’d like to thank Angus Hogg for doing the tedious list updates and for sending in some historical photos to use in the list for stuff no longer with us, e.g. Reeve’s Pheasant, Yellow Wagtail and Corn Buntings.

Our neighbours in the Clyde SOC Branch have just launched their own website. You can visit it at https://www.birdsinclyde.scot. It looks great.

Pallas's Warbler, ©Angus Hogg, 2022

Snow Bunting, ©David Lynn, 2022

Barnacle Geese, ©Angus Hogg, 2022

Black-necked Grebe, ©Dave Grant, 2022

Cetti's Warbler, ©Hayden Fripp, 2022

Ring-necked Parakeet, ©Dave Grant, 2021

Well, didn’t 2021 end on a bit of excitement?  Sure, there were a number of “firsts” such as the Pallas’s Warbler at Auchinleck House and the Cetti’s Warbler at Stevenston, and rarities such as the Black-necked Grebe at Martnaham.  But, for real standout splendor, you just can’t beat the Ring-necked Parakeet in Kilmarnock.  What a winter!  I’ve shown a taster here: please see the Photo Gallery for all the goodies.  Obviously, some of these make it onto the Ayrshire Species List with the associated glory and riches†.

My thanks to Hayden Fripp, Dave Grant, Angus Hogg, Bruce Kerr and David Lynn for sending in their pictures.