Friday 31st July 2026: Grouse hunting

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 We were all up early to head off once again to Worlds End in Wales, arriving around 7AM for the Black Grouse lek. There were five birds present, and we enjoyed their displaying antics, with puffed up chests, fanned tails and splayed white feathers, running aggressively at each other and generally strutting their stuff. A supporting cast of Wheatears, with prominent white rumps in flight, Meadow Pipits and Stonechats all added to the entertainment. 



Black Grouse displaying

After drinking in this performance, we continued along the road slowly, searching for Red Grouse. A Skylark moved amongst the vegetation, and a shrub contained a few Whinchat, Linnets and a pale warbler, presumably a Chiffchaff. We reached the end of the road with no sign of Red Grouse, and I feared we were not going to find them this year. Just below the moor, a group of four Mistle Thrushes hopped across a field. Kate turned the car round, and we drove back along the moorland road, still searching hopefully for the elusive Red Grouse. Suddenly Kate spotted a head popped out from the heather. Stopping the car, we quickly found another alongside. They never fully showed, but we saw enough to easily recognise them, adding two new ticks to our annual tally.


Red Grouse

We moved on to RSPB Point of Ayr, close to Talacre Beach. Walking to the hide, we could see an array of distant waders, predominantly Oystercatchers and Curlew, but after our early start the kids were flagging, so we called it a day and headed home.


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