Convinced the weather forecasters are sponsored by those covered shopping malls. All week they were predicting a near-apocalyptic rainstorm that was to hit Scotland today. In fact, I spent nearly the whole day in the outdoors and hardly felt a single drop of rain.
First bird of the day was a male Kestrel hunting on the south flank of Cockleroy Hill. The little reservoir just to the northeast held a pair of Mute Swans, a Grey Heron, four Coots, around 8 Mallards and 12 Wigeon. Other birds in the area included a single Mistle Thrush and at least two Buzzards.
Most notable sightings during a short walk around Blackness included at least 12 Collared Doves together in a short stretch of hedgerow and around 40 geese on a distant sandbar.
A small field pool just southeast of Junction 4 of the M9 held a pair of Whooper Swans, two Oystercatchers and three Wigeon, while a flock of 100+ Jackdaws flew overhead.
Heading home, a Pied Wagtail was outside the Co-op in Hillington Estate. News from the web is that the first Sand Martins have appeared down south, plus Garganey and Stone Curlew.