The Winter Birds of Dumfries & Galloway

This single-centre tour is based in St John’s Town of Dalry, an attractive village lying justsouth of the Carsphairn Hills and west of Dumfries. From here we will explore the varied andwildlife-rich nature reserves of this picturesque region of Scotland, including the RSPB reserveat Mersehead and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Caerlaverock in which Svalbard'sentire population of breeding Barnacle Geese overwinter. Caerlaverock overlooks the Solway Firthand also attracts flocks of Pink-footed Geese and a few Greenland White-fronted Geese, plusthousands of Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pintail and other ducks. Whooper Swans overwinter heretoo and it is possible to get wonderful views of these majestic birds from the reserve’s comfortablehides. Feeders attract Tree Sparrows, Yellowhammers, Siskins, Lesser Redpolls and Bramblings andflocks of Fieldfare and Redwing are common. At the nearby Nith Estuary we hope to find Scaup,Red-breasted Merganser, Common Scoter and a variety of waders including, perhaps, PurpleSandpiper and – weather permitting – stunning views across the Solway.

To the west lies Loch Ryan and Wigtown Bay, both of which are excellent areas to look for GoldenPlover, Slavonian Grebe, Black Guillemot and Long-tailed Duck. We also hope to see flocks ofwaders taking to the sky in mesmerising, swirling flocks as they move from their feeding toroosting sites. Woodlands around Loch Ken are home to Willow Tit, Sparrowhawk and Nuthatch,as well as the charismatic Red Squirrel. A nearby feeding station attracts good numbers of RedKites in the winter, and there will be many wonderful photographic opportunities as they wheelaround overhead before swooping down to snatch a morsel of food. We will end each day with anevening visit to a nearby Hen Harrier roost to watch as these elegant raptors fly in for the night.Stunning silver-bodied males with their contrasting black wing-tips, together with brown femalesand immature birds (collectively known as ‘ringtails’), roost here together, often allowingbreathtaking views. Merlin, Short-eared Owls and Barn Owls are also commonly encountered.

Focus

The main focus of this tour will be birds, although we will take time to enjoy other wildlife that we come across.