With the razorbill and guillemots now largely back out at sea and the kittiwakes set to head off shortly, seabird numbers are naturally reducing here at Mull of Galloway. However, large numbers of kittiwakes can still be seen around the cliffs for the time being and shags continue to congregate on the lower ledges and small outcrops of rock around the coastline. There are still a few fulmars present but these will also be expected to begin migrating shortly once this years chicks have fledged and become fully independent.
Many of our non-seabird visitors are also preparing for their migrations and may be seen beginning to congregate in large flocks.
Some species such as swallows and swifts will soon be beginning their journey back to Sub Saharan Africa, a distance of over 3000 miles, whereas others such as meadow pipits will migrate within the UK.
Watch out for large groups of swifts, one of the first species to migrate, flying overhead or swallows gathering together on power cables.
Other species to watch out for here at Mull of Galloway include many passage migrants such as willow warbler, hobby, skylark, sooty shearwaters and storm petrels.
As these birds fly south other species will also be moving southward and we will soon be joined by the likes of great northern and black-throated divers.
Black-throated diver - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
This month we have also been turning our attention to the mammals that live on or around the Mull of Galloway. Grey seals and harbour porpoise are seen frequently in the waters around the reserve. When looking for porpoise one handy tip is to watch out for gannets diving into the water feeding on a shoal of fish, if you do spot any have a closer look for porpoise that may also be feeding on the same shoal.
Recently we have had use of a camera trap. This device is triggered by motion in front of a sensor and then snaps an image and can be used at night as well as during the day. We have been deploying the camera trap at various locations around the reserve and have been able to confirm the presence of a range of mammals as can be seen from the images below.
House mouse
Badger
Roe deer
Roe deer are commonly seen around the reserve especially in the evening. Other late evening mammals include fox, brown hare and badger.
Brown hare
By using small mammal traps and ink pads we have also been able to record the presence of house mice, shrews, bank voles and field voles.
Small mammal trap
Other mammal sightings around the reserve include moles, stoats and weasels.
Recording these sightings and sharing them with other organisations allows us to monitor how these species are doing not just here at the Mull of Galloway but across the region and nationally.
For advise on where and how to submit your sightings please visit http://www.dgerc.org.uk/?q=recording/makearecord
The 2013 county mammal report for Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire has recently been published and can be downloaded by clicking on the attachment below