The Christmas break has brought some welcome free time and opportunities for natural connections. A walk to Crookston Castle (below) on Boxing Day turned up about 10 Jackdaws but little else. The middle of the next week brought lying snow, but only for 36 hours. A return to mild weather today meant a trip to Portencross beach (see photo below). Plenty of birds around with flocks of ducks, gulls, finches and waders constantly moving between the beach, seaside fields and nearby raised ground. The full list for 1 hour (2 30 to 3 30 pm) at the spot (NS1849) was:
Wigeon (75, feeding in partly flooded fields, then roosting on the sea), Mallard (25, ditto), Skylark (20, feeding in muddy cattle field), Oystercatcher (30), Redshank (5), Turnstone (2), Curlew (1), Herring Gull (2+), unidentified gull sp (50, in flock, hugging the countours to avoid the wind), Jackdaw (20), Carrion Crow (2+), Rook (20), Rock Pipit (3+), Greenfinch (5), Wren, Robin, Stonechat, Chaffinch, Pied Wagtail (all 1 each).