3rd April

A shocker of a day with a blazing strong northerly wind gradually swinging round into the NE bringing heavy, driving, stinging rain pretty much throughout, the rain became more intermittent from mid-afternoon allowing a few new birds to emerge; there was a scattering of migrants evident by the end of the day including a Long-eared Owl on the coast at The Lurn, a Siskin at the Obs and 4 Dunnocks – all new for the year, along with a Heron in off, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Woodpigeons, 11 Robins, a male Stonechat in Loch Park, 4 Wheatears, 4 Song Thrushes, 20 Redwing, a Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests and 4 Chaffinches.

                Other birds of note comprised 8 Great-northern Divers, 3 Pink-footed Geese, the drake Green-winged Teal, 5 Long-tailed Duck, 16 Red-breasted Mergansers, single Hen Harrier and Merlin, a Great Skua, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a Snow Bunting still.

Dunnock