Another annual leave day to use up started with an early morning walk along the Cart. Unusually there were 30+ Woodpigeons on the lawn next to Rosshall Park and 5 or 6 Mallards on the lawn next to Rosshall Park pond. Later, stopped briefly at Arkleston Farm. Only a single Yellowhammer was showing itself but at least 5 Skylarks were singing over the cereal fields and 25 Fieldfares were in the trees in the cemetry.
In the afternoon, walked along the Lang Craigs above Milton. Highlights included displaying Raven, hunting Kestrel, numerous Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and my first Wheatear of the spring. Only disappointment was not connecting with the Green Woodpeckers reputed to frequent the area. I did hear a high-pitched "peeping" but would say it was closer to Sparrowhawk than Yaffle. Earlier, a brief stop at Loch Bowie produced up to 3 pairs of Little Grebes, a pair of Shelduck and a single female Goldeneye [17,736].