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AYR - Rozelle and Belleisle
These
adjacent parks on the south side of Ayr contain a wide variety
of habitats, encompassing open grassland; coniferous, deciduous
and mixed woodland; scrub; ponds and the Slaphouse Burn. Consequently,
they are rich in birdlife, despite their suburban location. Indeed,
over 110 species have been recorded.
Given their suburban location, many of the common garden birds, such as Blackbird, Song Thrush, Wren, Robin, Dunnock and Chaffinch can be easily seen. However, there is much more to be seen.
Both parks boast large open grassland areas, especially Belleisle with it’s golf courses. These areas attract gulls and Rooks throughout the year with Redwing and Fieldfare flocks regular in winter. Small numbers of waders can also be seen on the fields, occasionally with Curlew, Oystercatcher, Snipe and Woodcock the most likely species. In summer flocks of Swallows and House Martins often gather to feed over the fields.
Hunting
Kestrels are a regular sight on the golf courses in Belleisle,
whilst sizeable flocks of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks can occur
in autumn.
The woodland areas hold the highest diversity of breeding species. Rozelle is the better of the two parks for woodland species due to it’s greater mix of woodlands. However, Belleisle should not be ignored as it’s woodland contains a large Rookery, breeding Stock Dove, Tawny Owl, Blackcap and Chiffchaff amongst others. Additionally, Rozelle can provide Spotted Flycatcher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Wood Warbler and Siskin.
In
autumn and winter the woodlands provide food and shelter for
a wide variety of species. Finch flocks can be quite large and
number hundreds of birds. Chaffinch, and Siskin are most regular
with Bramblings very common in some years. The best places to
look for finch flocks are around stands of Beech trees or in
rough weedy areas. Crossbills also occur erratically, usually
in the Spruce plantation behind the ponds in Rozelle.
This area often holds one or two Jays. Roving tit flocks should not be ignored as they some times contain the odd Willow Tit or overwintering Blackcap or Chiffchaff. The ponds in Rozelle attract a wide range of wildfowl despite being almost surrounded by trees. Around 20 pairs of Mallard breed annually along with 4 or 5 pairs of Moorhen, and Little Grebe bred in 1992. Other duck species recorded fairly regularly include Goldeneye, Shoveler, Pintail and Gadwall, whilst oddities like Mandarin and Smew occur occasionally.
The
ponds also attract other fish eating birds, with Cormorants and
Grey Herons often present. It is also worth keeping an eye out
for Kingfisher.
Continuing with wetland habitats, the Slaphouse Burn and its banks are also home to Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Moorhen and Mallard. Other species to be seen along the burn include Pied and Grey Wagtails, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warblers in Summer and Snipe in Winter. Flocks of Siskin and Redpoll numbering up to 50 are regular on the burnside Alders in Autumn and Winter.
Both
Rozelle House and Belleisle House Hotel are home to colonies
of Swifts and Lesser Black-backed Gull has been suspected of
nesting on the roof of Rozelle House. The wood behind Belleisle
House Hotel holds a large crow roost with several hundred Rooks,
Jackdaws and Carrion Crows often present.
Being
close to the coast it is often worth looking up, as many birds
overfly the parks. The parks lie on the regular flight line of
gulls and waders heading to the coastal roost at nearby Doonfoot.
Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls can be seen in thousands
towards dusk, along with several less numbers of Curlew and Lapwing
in autumn.
View Location Map - Rozelle and Belleisle - How to Get There
Download Leaflet (Part 1) - Rozelle and Belleisle (172 KB)
For more information contact:
Fiona Ross
Environment Officer
Sustainable Development, County Buildings
Wellington Square, AYR KA7 1DR
Telephone: (01292) 616673
