This week’s highlight for me was the arrival of two lesser redpoll that spent a lot of time enjoying the sunflower seeds at our feeding station. Lesser redpoll are generally winter visitors to this part of Dumfries and Galloway so a rather unexpected sighting at the Mull of Galloway in May. Other visitors to our feeding station include a pied wagtail and up to nine goldfinch.
Lesser redpoll – photo credit: Rob Conn
Down in the willow bushes there has been numerous willow warbler and chiffchaff stopping off and passing through. Whitethroat have also been seen in and around the willow bushes or the gorse as have reed bunting.
Willow warbler – photo credit: Rob Conn
Linnet have often been seen hanging around in the walled garden and both the male and female stonechat are generally seen hanging around near the gorse bushes. Meadow pipit are easily spotted all over the reserve whilst rock pipit appear more often along the cliff edges.
Linnet – photo credit: Rob Conn
The usual mix of seabirds including gannet, guillemot, razorbill, black guillemot, fulmar, great black-backed gull and lesser black-backed gull have all been present and there are now nesting herring gull along with the nesting shag.
When the sun has been able to shine between periods of thick fog, buff-tailed bumblebee and green-veined white butterfly have begun to take to the wing. Green-veined white were seen for the first time on Sunday May 6th, more than two weeks later than last year! The colder spring has also affected the emergence of wildflowers with bluebell only just starting to bloom. The discarded wings of a male emperor moth were found near the board walk. A good sign that more individuals following from last year’s first recorded sighting of one on the reserve may be around.