Thursday 2nd June

Just what the doctor ordered, some sun and some more warmth thrown in for good measure, another day of it tomorrow will go down nicely....Peter yesterday had seen 8 Pale bellied Brent Geese on the shoreline of Loch Indaal. Coming home last night, in one of the fields along at Sunderland we counted 32 Greylags but no sign of any goslings. This morning on our way out, at the top of the hill beside the old church, we saw our first leveret of the year. On the walk at Gruinart today a wayward Whooper Swan was seen on one of the floods, and 2 Barnies were out on the estuary. Also on the estuary were quite a lot of Shelduck, again with no young. The Corncrake was heard calling out in front of the Visitor Centre. Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Sedge Warblers along with Chaffinch, Wren and Song Thrush were all out in full voice. A distant pair of Chough were out on the wing calling away as they do. Bob had been over at Ard Imersay, just after Ardbeg today and had 3 Great Nothern Divers, 2 Red throated Divers, 2 Black Guillemots, 2 Common Terns, 60 adult Greylags with a few goslings hiding amongst the rushes, 2 Canada Geese, 8 Red breasted Merganser and later on his best bird was a Reed Warbler. Back here at home Margaret had to make do with the Corncrake calling, seeing and hearing a Cuckoo up the crag and also seeing a Kestrel away out the back of the crag. The Brent Geese were down close to the coal yard this afternoon. The wind has dropped this evening, so later on we will be out to hear if any Corncrakes are calling.