Mountstuart
Mountstuart - 27 March 2010
Leader - Billy Shields, Mountstuarts wildlife ranger
Total Species Seen - 26
Almost a dozen members of the Bute Bird Group enjoyed a field trip round the woodlands and policies of Mountstuart on Saturday 27th March despite the occasional blustery showers. Billy Shields, Mountstuart's ranger, led members into more remote areas of the estate in the hope of sighting less common species, but those showers seemed to encourage small birds to hide away from the binoculars! Considering the previous day's weather everyone felt that they were extremely lucky with the weather, but perhaps less fortunate with the range of bird species seen compared with previous outings.
In the event, 26 species were sighted or heard, but half that total were shore birds which were seen when the party turned along shoreline. There was a great deal more to be enjoyed for those interested in the wider aspects of nature including roe deer, unusual lichen species, very uncommon coniferous trees and rhododendrons other than the highly invasive Rhododendron ponticum; the last-named having been the subject of several 'rhodie bashing' parties. Billy Shields did correctly point out, however, that it provided a good shelter belt from Easterly winds along the shoreside of the estate so this erstwhile 'menace' does some good in places. That shelter belt protects the trees behind them which in turn provides a very good nesting and feeding habitat for the many woodland birds which live in the estate.
Woodland Species Shoreline Species
Raven Black-Headed Gull
Tree Creeper Common Gull
Robin Herring Gull
Chaffinch Eider
Blue Tit Wigeon
Coal Tit Red-Breasted Merganser
Long Tailed Tit Goldeneye
Buzzard Shag
Wren Mallard
Wood Pigeon Curlew
Great Spotted Woodpecker Redshank
Jay (heard) Ringed Plover
Carrion Crow Oyster Catcher
13 species 13 species