The wind has swung round today and now does have some south east ish tendancies - although you would not notice the difference as it is still rather chilly outside.
This morning the birds were pretty much the same as yesterday. All eight dotterel are still grazing fields at the north end of the reserve, along with at least four summer plumaged golden plover.
On the Savoch low ground this morning the spotted redshank and greenshank were still showing well along with 12 ringed plover and two dunlin. This afternoon there has been a small arrival of waders with at least 26 dunlin and 24 ringed plover, more excitingly there were single wood sandpipers and pectoral sandpipers on the low ground as well. This is the fourth spring in a row that we have had a pectoral sandpiper on the reserve.
The female marsh harrier has been showing quite well again today - its amazing how adept our resident waders are at picking up different shapes. When one of the local buzzards fly past almost to a bird they ignore it, but when the harrier flies past it is mass panic as everything gets up and mobs it.
Dom
Glad to see the first Wood and Pectoral Sandpipers of the year have arrived. To me they seemed to be the most likely species to arrive at the reserve. Its definitely been a fantastic last week or so on the reserve.
ATB,
Joseph