Thursday 8 January 2015

Three more for the year list

As I was working from home this morning I had breakfast slightly later than usual which meant it was just starting to become light while I was waiting for the kettle to boil. Hoping I might get another glimpse of the Water Rail that was in the garden last Sunday I was looking out of the sun porch window and spotted movement on the lawn. It was a lot smaller than the Water Rail and by its movement it was identified as a Robin which I hadn't seen in the garden since the turn of the year. It was soon joined by a Dunnock, another species not seen since the turn of the year, so that was two new species for the year list and I hadn't even had my first brew of the day.

Later in the morning a flock of 10 Greenfinches appeared in the rear garden and they took a short break sheltering from the wind and rain in a Rosa Rogosa bush and were also feeding on the ground around it. Not seen that many Geenfinches in the garden in one go in quite a long time so that was good to see.

This afternoon I had to go into town and as I passed Echna Loch I spotted a single Mute Swan. I was expecting to add Mute Swan to my list on the New Year's Day bird watch but the pair that had been on the Loch were no where to be seen. So that gave me my third new species for the 2015 list for today.

Also on the loch were some Wigeon and Tufted Duck. I didn't have time to stop and take a closer look.

On the other side of the road there were a few Great Black-backed Gulls still feeding on what's left of the seal carcasses was up onto the Echnaloch Bay beach.

Along the cliffs on the North side of the bay the number of Fulmars has increased to about 60.

There is some severe weather forecast for here over the next couple of days so the chances of getting out bird watching are fairly slim, but I'll be keeping an eye on the garden in case there is anything taking shelter from the wind and rain.

No comments:

Post a Comment