Birdwatch Britannia: Ayrshire coast

I was headed north to celebrate a significant birthday with my youngest brother and family, and as usual I took the time before breakfast to do a bit of birding. I hadn't had the opportunity to try and see a grasshopper warbler this year and so this gave me a site that I should visit as it is reliable for these.

Bogside Racecourse, located near Irvine in North Ayrshire, Scotland, was once a prominent horse racing venue. It opened in 1808 and held significant races, including the Scottish Grand National until 1965. The racecourse closed in 1965 due to declining attendance and financial issues. Areas of the old racecourse have been maintained for green space, walking paths, and wildlife conservation.

The area around here, especially given its proximity to Irvine and coastal wetlands, is rich in birdlife. The varied habitats, including marshlands, grasslands, and nearby coastal areas, attract a diverse range of bird species.

The grasshopper warbler is a small, elusive bird that is found in various parts of the UK, particularly during the breeding season, arriving in the UK in spring (April) and leaving for their wintering grounds in Africa (primarily the Sahel region) by late summer (August-September).

The males are known for their continuous, mechanical reeling song, which they often deliver from a hidden perch within dense vegetation. This song is most frequently heard from dawn ,and later at dusk.

I snuck out of the hotel at 05.00am, parked up at The Irvine Golf Club, walked through the golf course to the edge of the flats, and started my way along the trail on the perimeter of the marshland. I listened as I have previously even seen grasshopper warblers this far up but still hadn't seen or heard anything by the time I got to the woods. This corner is where I most regularly encounter this species here. UK breeding birds amount to 16,000 pairs but can be hard to spot as it moves like a mouse creeping through the foliage and grass.

I listened and heard calls from lesser whitethroat but nothing from my warbler. A willow warbler called from the trees behind. Twenty or so minutes passed, and I was beginning to wonder if I was going to dip when a bird flew low across the grass towards me - I thought willow warbler or chiffchaff but when I got a look it was a grasshopper warbler. It didn't make a sound and I wonder if it might be a female - their calls are generally less prominent. It showed carrying some food but dropped from view and reappeared close by in a fern before climbing up into a bush. working through and away. I had no further views despite waiting for another half-hour or so.

Eventually I thought I'd move on and perhaps visit Stevenston Point. However, as I reached the access point back to the golf course, I scanned the reedbeds and grasslands beyond, spotting a short-eared owl hunting at distance. It worked along the edge of the river and back a couple of times, dropping into the longer grass on a few occasions.

It wasn't the first time I've found short-eared owls around the Garnock River, and it is not surprising as the area provides very suitable habitats such as wetlands, grasslands, and marshes - ideal for these owls. It was great to watch the characteristic low, quartering flight as it hunted for small mammals, the flight buoyant and moth-like, helping to distinguish it from other birds of prey.

I walked further down the track towards Irvine but soon the bird was lost into the grass and out of view. I waited and hoped for another view, but it didn't come. As I waited a roe deer watched me from the grass, presumably thinking it was concealed.

Soon I looked at the time and had to make tracks to be back at the hotel for a shower and breakfast. I messaged my brother to wish him a happy birthday and say we'd see him later for dinner when he got home from work.

I played golf the following day (had two hailstorms) and so didn't attempt an early start, and then Wednesday morning was wet. Thursday, our final day arrived, and I went out at 05.00am again but this time to Stevenston Point - boy was it cold! There was a wind and occasional spots of rain. On the water I couldn't spot anything of note and the rocks held none of the usual suspects. Some gannets fed offshore and on a couple of occasions came closer, plunge-diving for their prey underwater. Most plunge-divers go relatively shallow, but gannets can dive as deep as 20 meters, using its wings and feet to swim deeper in pursuit of fish.

I watched and waited when eventually a couple of sandwich terns passed by, just once and then back down the shore and out of view. A rock pipit called and then appeared on rocks and seaweed at the foot of the bank, soon flying off to the most distant rocks at the point.

Some ducks approached from the south and stayed well offshore - I could see they were common scoter. Afterwards three flew past a bit closer in.

I decided that enough was enough and I started to pack up but noticed something far out but showing white highlights. I got my scope out and could see it was a single red-throated diver; not in full breeding plumage but nevertheless great to eventually find one. Too far out for a decent photo.

I packed the scope away, checked my watch and saw I still had some time so relocated to Saltcoats. I couldn’t locate any purple sandpipers but could see some birds way way way out over the water - Manx shearwaters (my first of the year). I'd talked to a chap who'd seen a handful when I visited in March but I'd not been lucky enough to see any then.

These black-and-white shearwaters track schools of small fish, including herrings and sprats, diving from moderate heights or chasing them underwater. Unlike other shearwaters, they often hunt in smaller groups and are active during daylight hours. After the breeding season, manx shearwaters depart their colonies, migrating from our shores to the eastern coast of South America, near the Antarctic fringe. The feeding grounds here are abundant, ensuring the birds can thrive and return for the next Spring.

I waited and sure enough some passed closer to shore, then a couple almost within range of the camera lens.

I decided to move down to the harbour and even from the car could see some black guillemots flying around. As I got into the harbour, I could see a couple of birds on the edge of the wall and another couple on the steps. I would count eight; they were spectacularly confiding. They relocated regularly but didn't seem to worry about landing close to where I stood. They typically nest in rocky crevices or burrows, sometimes even using old structures as nesting sites, these in the harbour walls.