Occasionally Birding St Helens 2008-2014

Possible Pallid Harrier Ayrshire

On my way back from Largs to Glasgow, I saw from the train an unusual looking ring tailed type harrier quartering the reedbed adjacent to the track. I was delighted with this, and obviously immediately concluded that it was a ring tailed Hen Harrier.
However, unbelieveably, on returning home, I find that there has been a ring tailed Pallid Harrier in the same area. I can picture the bird in my mind now, and could easily conclude that it was the Pallid Harrier, it just didn't look right for Hen Harrier, but I didn't see enough on the bird to tick it as Pallid. Local birders have confirmed that the Pallid Harrier does wander into the area in which I saw the bird, but have also told me that Hen Harriers are present there as well. Very annoying, because I had my bike with me on the train, and could easily have stopped off and gone to look for the bird had I known it was there. Just one of those things I guess.....

Greater Cumbrae, Firth of Clyde

Just spent a week at the Marine Biology centre on Great Cumbrae Island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. We saw loads of good stuff, far too much to go through everything, but here is a sample of what was a great week.

Birds seen over the seven days we were on Cumbrae:
Black Guillemot (several)
Great Northern Diver 1
Red-throated Diver 1
Purple Sandpiper 2
Eider 200+
Red-breasted Merganser 40
Rock Pipit 20
Whimbrel 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 40
Shag 100
Hooded Crow 2
Raven 2
Stonechat 1