Spent most of today birdwatching in Dumfriesshire. Highlights were 30 Red Kites in the air together at Laurieston and 11 Twite on roadside wires near Crocketford. The day started with a stop at Applegarthbridge Wildlife Refuge. Nothing much around, apart from around 20 motley Mallards, a Grey Heron in the middle of a grassy field, a Sparrowhawk following a field hedge, a Common Buzzard also keeping low down, dozens of Pheasants, plenty of Chaffinches and the abandoned Sand Martin tunnels and Tree Sparrow boxes (below).

The next stop was Bellymack Red Kite feeding station. Arrived just before the daily feed. Already around 30 Red Kites had gathered, some in the air and others in nearby trees. We were then treated to a wonderful display of aerobatics as the kites swooped down onto the field to pick up the scraps of meat (below). Most were wing-tagged but one pristine juvenile had no tags at all. There was also a Common Buzzard there plus plenty of Carrion Crows and Jackdaws, a solitary Pied Wagtail and a hedge full of House Sparrows.


Had a good drive back (via Thornhill and Crawfordjohn), through scenery which included conifer plantation (see picture below), lowland farms and heather moorland. Noticed a few more groups of Chaffinches feeding on crushed Beech mast, a single Jay flying across a field, a pair of soaring Ravens, another Common Buzzard, 2 Kestrels and 11 Twite.