Rockcliffe is one of our favourite holiday destinations (don't tell anyone) and we've been there many times over the years. We've spotted much in the way of interesting wildlife, including otter and osprey but I don't recall seeing a Chough.
I would love to be proven wrong, though.
Hi, it's been a while since your post and my reply, but we have spent a week in Rockcliffe and this morning (Friday 11th July) I climbed Criffel near New Abbey. At the top I saw three crow-like birds soaring the windward side. They were not ravens for certain, but their call was unusual - again crow-like but not crow or rook.
I watched them for a while, hoping they would come close enough to identify chough features, but they didn't. What I can say, is they were very aerobatic as seemed to live soaring up high, then tumbling down to near hill-top level again.
I believe they may have been choughs. Looking at the RSPB bird identifier, their profile in flight matches and is very different from raven profile, hence I can be sure they were not ravens. Also, they were smaller than ravens and probably slightly smaller than crows or rooks, but larger than jackdaws.
Thanks for the info Falcojock. We will have to check out that spot next time we're in the area.
G