Saturday 19th December

Like everywhere else in the UK the temperature is well above what we normally get in December, not that I am complaining. The daffodils are bursting through the ground, tomorrow I might go looking for some snowdrops out, somewhere it is sheltered might be a starting point! This morning as we headed out to get our papers, there was a male Hen Harrier down at Gortan, close to the coal yard. On Loch Skerrols, there were 61 Wigeon and 18 Mute Swans present. Back home in the afternoon, the Sparrowhawk came past looking for some food, but the wee birds were out of the way, then a male Hen Harrier flew over the garden, down over the pond and then it quartered back over the machir. Peter had been on Machir Bay this afternoon and counted 24 Chough. On the beach itself 45 Ringed Plover, 35 Oystercatcher,15 Turnstone, 1 Dunlin and a Sanderling were seen. Finally, early evening on our way back from Port Charlotte, we saw a Barn Owl out hunting just after Foreland.