Rain, rain and more rain. Well when we can see through the rather damp windows of the visitor centre there are plenty of birds and other wildlife all over the reserve. On our bird feeders a stunning yellow hammer is making regular trips, to feast on the seeds, there are also plenty of goldfinches, greenfinches, redpoll and a variety of tits. The flood has a huge number of tufted ducks on it along with smaller groups of wigeon, shelduck, gadwall and a few fishing herons. Though the loch was relatively quiet, there is a group of 15 gadwalls feeding - just inside Vane Bay.
Our unusual Ross's Goose again made an apperance on St Serf's Island, along with a leucistic (white) greylag geese, normal greylag geese and a few barnacle geese with goslings. The breeding gulls have huge numbers of chicks, and some of them are just as big as their parents now.
My usual walk up the hill, between the rain showers, was very productive as on my way up a pair of bullfinches brightened up the dull sky. At the top there are many meadow pipits, though they are not the most colourful bird - I think they're great. I also saw my first ringlet butterfly of the year.
Though I tried to bring out the sunshine at the end of my last blog, I evidently failed. So this week lets just hope that the reserve is full of the wonderful birds that we have seen today next weekend!!!
Gordon Langsbury (rspb-images.com)