Birdwatching in Dumfries & Galloway £2 Ayr A7 Wanlockhead 53 Sanquhar 50 Moffat 52 51 49 54 Girvan A713 14 Eskdalemuir A76 48 55 47 A701 Langholm Dalry Lockerbie 13 45 46 43 44 7 A 15 A7 DUMFRIES 7 12 A75 A74 1 25 A7 4 22 4 12 Newton 26 28 29 42 Gretna 23 27 Annan Stewart 24 Castle 36 40 41 5 Douglas 37 38 39 11 21 6 16 30 A75 20 35 Stranraer A710 Wigtown 17 19 33 3 32 34 CARLISLE 10 Gatehouse 31 A746 Portpatrick of Fleet 18 M 7 A7 Dumfries and Galloway 6 4 9 7 H T 10 miles 2 I R F Whithorn AY W 55 Birdwatching Locations OL 8 S 1 Southern Upland Way QUICK REFERENCE TIMETABLE FOR SELECTED SPECIES SPECIES RESIDENT OR VISITOR BEST MONTHS IN D&G BEST TIME OF DAY OR WEATHER SUGGESTED VIEWING SITES IN D&G Arrive about 23 Sept Dawn and dusk flights, and during Two best sites: WWT Caerlaverock and RSPB Mersehead Barnacle Goose Winter visitor Depart end of April day. WWT Caerlaverock have CCTV at nest spring and summer -see Ranger Led Walks Nocturnal, but sometimes seen Barn Owl Resident All year booklet for event dates in June and July, early August. Sometimes on CCTV at dawn and dusk Drumlanrig Castle. Try Raiders Road and Loch Ken valley at dusk. Black Grouse Resident All year, spring is best Early morning Sometimes heard in the vicinity of the Red Deer Range. Resident (but at sea in Portpatrick harbour is best. Also from cliff tops at Mull of Galloway, Burrow Head, Black Guillemot Summer only (April to July) Early morning, calm conditions winter) Balcary. Spring and summer Westerly winds bring the birds Luce Bay, Mull of Galloway, Corsewall Point, Portpatrick, other locations on the Rhins. Gannet April to September visitor closer to shore Less frequent in the east. Golden Eagle Resident All year Early morning Laurieston-Gatehouse Road. Galloway Hills. Not much chance of success. The Caul, Whitesands Dumfries. Castle Loch, Lochmaben (winter). Major rivers Goosander Resident All year (summer). Both sides of Loch Ken in vicinity of Mains of Duchrae (try the goose-viewing platform Greenland White- Arrive October Winter visitor at Duchrae); also near West Freugh, Stranraer. National Trust for Scotland, Threave fronted Goose Depart end of April Kelton Mains near Threave Castle. West Freugh area in winter. Moors north east of Stranraer, Wanlockhead & Langholm Hen Harrier Resident Winter and summer Evening roost in winter areas in summer. Lower reaches of Nith, Cairn, Annan Rivers, including above and below Whitesands, Kingfisher Resident All year Dumfries. Kingfishers are small and fast flying, look for them flying low over the water. Take part in evening guided walks near Loch Ken or Newton Stewart. See Countryside Nightjar Summer visitor June and July Dusk only; very few places Events booklet for details. Rare breeder in Galloway – nest pictures relayed by CCTV to County Buildings, Spring and summer April & May Osprey Wigtown. Live CCTV images shown at WWT Caerlaverock from another nest in the visitor August & September region. Also seen passing through the region, at most large water bodies. Sea cliffs, Galloway and Moffat Hills. Especially NTS Grey Mare’s Tail for CCTV viewing Peregrine Resident All year of nest. Live images also relayed to Creetown Museum. WWT Caerlaverock and RSPB Mersehead in winter. End of May, June and July Only at very tip of the Mull of Galloway, small numbers only and hard to see. Puffin Summer visitor only. Red Grouse Resident Early spring Wanlockhead and Langholm areas. A signposted Red Kite Trail for vehicles in vicinity of Loch Ken. Red Kite feeding station Red Kite Introduced resident All year Fine days, slightly windy at Bellymack Hill farm near Laurieston. Feeding time 2.00pm Arrival end of April Wanlockhead area. Ring Ouzel Summer visitor Depart September Seabird colonies Spring and summer April to August Busiest May to July Mull of Galloway and Balcary have easiest access. Tree Sparrow Resident Applegarthtown Wildlife Reserve, near Lockerbie – see Birdwatching book. Autumn, winter and Immediately before and after Saltcot Tower at WWT Caerlaverock on very high tides. Loch Ryan, Southerness, Wader watching July to May spring high tides Carsethorn, Powfoot, Browhouses. Barn Owl.