Bill came down to the Crook to day to help with the fencing for a picnic area near the car park and asked if i would post the following.
Paul
"The first sizable flock of Whooper Swans arrived today at the Crook 8 has been our best count up to now - 65+ or as close as makes no difference! Some whoopers were grazing in the sheep field on the right immediately before the RSPB signboard/entrance on Shell Road. Great to see and hear this very visible sign that winter migration is well under way, though the 1300+ Golden Plovers at the Crook have been telling us this for some weeks now. They put on a fantastic - no other word for it! - swarming display over the old airfield stubble fields late on Monday, visible from Wigtown Harbour. Tonight there were 3000+ starlings taking part in their ariel antics as the came into roost. The things you see without a camera!"
Paul.
I spent the afternoon, at Baldoon, the Whoopers where there with 6 Greylag Geese, a Ring-Tailed Hen Harrier was hunting the edges of the second field. to the left of the Farm buildings, then onto the merse, where a Merlin was on a broken branch on the merse, also a Peregrine on the ground.
Large numbers of Waders on the sands.
Nice to spend a afternoon watching waders, in the warm sun.
Gentalis.
Hi tabbyman
As with all tidal sites high tide affords the best chance of getting photos of waders and even then a long lens is often needed.
We do not have any hides on the Crook there is one at Wigtown harbour.
The tides for the period you are visiting are on the neap and hardly getting to the low saltmarsh only the 7th is a bit higher at 5.8 at 9.14am which should get to the leading edge of the low saltmarsh.
The salt marsh can be dangerous so would not recommend going out on it.
At the moment with tides the way they are I would say the best places and about the same distance as Port William to the Crook is Loch Ryan at Stranraer specifically the Wig OS grid NX0367 and Balyett OS grid NX0861 Sundays tide is 8.58am and Saturday is 7.54
You could ways try the harbour at Isle of Whithorn on low tide and have a meal at the Steam Packet Sunday they do a £12 three course which me and the wife have found very good.
Wigtown and Bladnoch have good places to eat as well.
Hope you have a good break and get some good photos.
Good to see the Whoopers back, weather looks good for next few days, worth a visit, other areas for waders, try Garlieston, walk left or right on the coastal paths the bay near Galloway Gardens, is good, also the harbour, at Isle of Whithorn, Wigtown Nature Reserve, can be good for Snipe, Starlings coming into roost worth a look.
Gentalis
Wow - ! it's great actually seeing the sheep with the Whoopers. Thank you Paul
Paul, My wife and I are to visit the area 4th-7th Nov based at Port William with the hope to photograph waders, any info and pointers in the right direction would be a big help as it is our first visit to the Crook of Baldoon and the Wigtown area.
Regards John (tabbyman)
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