Today started early with a thorough scour of Ardmore Point. Bird variety was excellent with a total of 15 new species added to my three individual 1km square lists. However the tide was fully in, so any waders present were bunched up at the back of the north bay. The tide did start to go out over the next couple of hours, but waders were disappointing with only single Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper out of the ordinary. Most interesting sighting was of a concentration of feeding birds just offshore consisting of 13+ Gannets, 10+ Shags, 3 Sandwich Terns, 3 "Commic" Terns (153), 2 Great crested Grebes, 2 Guillemots, a Black Guillemot and a Razorbill (154). Also notable were a flock of 45 Red breasted Mergansers, eight Sandwich Terns heading south east high overhead, two juvenile Shelduck, two juvenile Robins (one dead on the path) and one juvenile Bullfinch.
An afternoon walk beside Castle Semple Loch produced a pair of Collared Doves, a calling Sedge Warbler, a flock of Long tailed Tits and all the usual suspects.
Meanwhile, another day, another breeding heron. Natural England have announced that at least six pairs of Spoonbills are nesting at their Holkham reserve in Norfolk.