Male Whitethroat

Entrance to Locherwood Community Woodland

Craig Minnan (R) and Wndy Hill (L)

Ladymuir Reservoir

Bridge at Locherwood

Determined to beat the rain today, so headed for Locherwood Community Woodland as soon as the rain started to ease. Spent the next four hours walking to the edge of Muirshiel Park, then round Ladymuir Reservoir and back to the car. Highlights included 4 calling Cuckoos (with two seen flying - and being mobbed by Meadow Pipits), two Hooded Crows and a pair of Stonechats feeding young.

The site itself is an ideal spot for birds, but the paths are awful and there is a lot of forestry activity in the area. Perhaps these were the reasons why only 4 other people were encountered all afternoon.

Birds seen at Locherwood:

Mallard, Buzzard, Little Grebe, Pheasant, Lapwing, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Common Gull, Black headed Gull, Lesser black backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Cuckoo, Skylark, Swallow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Stonechat, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Raven, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Siskin, Reed Bunting.

Birds seen on the journey:

Grey Heron, Kestrel, Feral Pigeon, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Magpie, Rook, Starling, House Sparrow and Yellowhammer [16,725 and counting).