With a very strong wind blowing in from Ayr Bay, plenty of waders were sheltering on the rocks at the north end of Troon South Beach, the most interesting being twelve Golden Plover. At one point, the entire flock (also including Turnstone, Dunlin, Curlew, Redshank and Oystercather) took flight. The culprit was a Peregrine soaring overhead. 

My belated WeBS count in Greenock today threw up nothing remarkable. Similarly, my usual walk from Lunderston Bay to Inverkip detected relatively few birds due to the wild weather. A few distant Gannets and a mixed flock of Oystercatchers and Curlews in a sheep field were the highlights. 

While I was in the Killearn area today, I took the opportunity to visit the waterfalls on the Endrick Water known as the Pots of Gartness. Up to ten fish (most if not all Atlantic Salmon) leapt the falls during the half hour I was there. Also present were Grey and Pied Wagtails.  

Five Tufted Ducks were on Queen's Park Boating Pond this afternoon.

A good walk to Maxwell Park and then back via Pollok Park produced three Tufted Ducks, a single Goosander and two Jays.  

I spent several hours in the West Fife village of Culross today. Sunny spells brought hoverflies, wasps, the odd bumblebee and one Red Admiral butterfly out to feed on Ivy flowers. Some interesting (so far unidentified) fungi were in the precincts of the long abandoned west Kirk. 

A short visit to Lochend Loch failed to produce yesterday's Grey Phalarope but single Shoveler and Goldeneye were reasonable compensation. A Redwing calling as it flew over was my first of the season.