Sunday 3rd January

A good day here a home for sure, the Sparrowhawk came round for a look see at the bird table, nobody at home, so it just double checked and kept going. Closer to lunchtime, the male Hen Harrier came by, close in, less than 5 metres away, over the top of the feeders, and it too flew away over the wall. The Pheasants present just hunkered down! Out in the field there were 79 Whitefronts and 10 Barnies. Mid afternoon the Barnies were up to over 200 in number, with the Whitefronts being the same in number. Gary and Sam had taken a walk down on Machir Bay today. Around the pool beside the carpark, 2 Sanderling, 17 Turnstone & 33 Ringed Plover were present. Down on the Bay itself a count of 45 Oystercatcher, 100 Curlew with a couple of Mipits and 2 Pied Wagtails foraging on debris. Gulls seen in the dunes were 4 GBB Gull, 21 H Gull, 9 Common Gull, 5 BH Gull and the Glaucous Gull. They also had a flypast by 30 Chough.. On their way back to their car, 40 Twite were seen on the track