I have spent a good few hours on't patch since the weekend with some interesting sightings but few photographs. Last night saw two Whinchat (no 108 on PC2012) flycatching just far enough away to be frustrating. Other passage has seen returning Wheatears on Saturday and my first 30 south bound Pink footed Geese on Monday. There is still a flock of 20 Curlew with Snipe also in good numbers and Meadow Pipit notably active.
In the hedgerows Bullfinch, Willow Tit and a few remaining Willow Warblers can be picked up by contact calls with a singing Chiffchaff near Mayfair Cottage simplifying any ID problems. Large flocks of Starling feed in the horse fields and local ploughing means good numbers of Black headed and Common Gulls passing through.
Bill had two Short eared Owls on Friday and Saturday, annoyingly just after I had departed the scene and since then a couple of hours each evening has seen no more till last night just after spotting the Whinchats a lone bird hunted in the distance before disappearing from sight not to be re-seen. The wind hasn't helped and I doubt they will be particularly visible till nearer the equinox assuming they stay at all.
I wondered when the SEO's would start returning to Preswick, we've got a fair few down here at the moment
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