August 2025

Bird Sightings

This August the mainly warm, dry summer continued. In comparison to last August, this August was warmer and drier with about a quarter of the rain of last year and the mean temperature was 1.7 degrees higher

In August, summer visitors continued to be to the fore including: a Tree Pipit in Sliddery on 8^th, fifty Gannet in Whiting Bay on 16^th, two Chiffchaff in Porta Buidhe on 20^th, two Wheatear at Machriewaterfoot on 21^st, two Blackcap in Sannox on 23^rd, eight Lesser Black-backed Gull at Cordon on 29^th and a Garden Warbler at Sliddery on 30^th. Willow warbler, Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler all seemed to have fared well this summer with, for example, forty-five Willow Warbler caught by licensed ringers in in one morning in southern Arran in early August. A late Swift over North Newton with hirundines on 30^th was the eight report of the year. Last year there were only three Swift reports. The largest group of each hirundine reported was seventy Swallow in Sliddery on 2^nd, thirty-two House Martin over High Kildonan on 17^th and twenty Sand Martin in Dougarie on 22^nd. Please share with me any large groups of hirundines in September plus try to give me your last record for Swallow and House Martin this year. Last year there were October records for both species. To date I have received no August records of Cuckoo.

Some other signs of successful breeding this month included: a family of Stonechat on Shiskine Golf Club on 3^rd, a family of Spotted Flycatcher in Brodick Country Park on 7^th, a family of Whinchat in Benlister Glen on 8^th, Red-throated Diver with young off Pirnmill on 13^th, Mute Swan with four young on Port na Lochan on 20^th, a young Great Spotted Woodpecker in a Lamlash garden also on 20^th, female Mallard with nine young at Fisherman’s Walk on 24^th, female Red-breasted Merganser with five young at Fisherman’s Walk also on 24^th and a family of Grey Wagtail in Porta Buidhe on 25^th.

In August, breeding is coming to an end, birds begin to disperse, and a number of species begin to flock together, some in preparation for migration. These included: one hundred Woodpigeon in Glenkiln on 8^th, two hundred and fifty Starling in Sliddery on 13^th, forty Herring Gull at Drumadoon Point on 19^th, sixty-eight Ringed Plover in Blackwaterfoot on 20^th, fifty Goldfinch at Port na Lochan also on 20^th, forty Curlew on Sliddery Shore on 21^st, thirty Turnstone at Fisherman’s Walk also on 21^st, ninety Golden Plover at Machriewaterfoot on 22^nd, thirty-six Kittiwake at Dougarie also on 22^nd, one hundred and twenty-five Linnet on Cleats Shore on 23^rd, thirty Shag on Balliekine Shore on 24^th and one hundred and seventy-five Common Gull in Clachaig on 29^th.

All around the island, but particularly on the coast, there were signs of birds on migration, including; one Knot at Pirnmill on 1^st, two Whimbrel at Clauchlands on 4^th, one Dunlin at Sandbraes on 8^th, one Greenshank at Cordon on 14^th, one Black-tailed Godwit on Sliddery Shore on 21^st, four Arctic Tern on Silver Sands on 22^nd, one Sanderling at Blackwaterfoot also on 22^nd, two White Wagtail in Kildonan also on 22^nd, one Sandwich Tern at Drumadoon Point on 23^rd, one Osprey over Loch Ranza on 26^th, a Merlin in Sliddery also on 26^th and two Bar-tailed Godwit on Sliddery Shore on 31^st. This August there were seven Kingfisher reports, a similar number to last year, all around Brodick Bay. Last year there were no August reports of Little Egret. This year there were four reports of Little Egret including two at Largymore on 15^th.

Among the one hundred and ten species reported in August there were a number of other noteworthy ones including: eight Red Grouse on the Ross on 3^rd, seven Little Grebe in Loch Ranza on 8^th, twelve Storm Petrel off the south coast on 11^th, two hundred Manx Shearwater in Brodick Bay on 14^th, one Moorhen in Corriecravie on 16^th, one Goosander in Machriewaterfoot on 21^st, one White-tailed eagle over High Whitefarland also on 21^st, one Rook on Sliddery Shore also on 21^st, three Black-throated Diver and two Great Northern Diver in Cosyden on 24^th and two Dipper by Lochranza Youth Hostel on 26^th.

September sees the start of the peak migration season when many birds are on the move. It is the time to expect the unexpected. I look forward to hearing from you.