Saturday 7th May

Hope yesterday was not a one day wonder, as the rain has now come, mind you it will possibly help the potatoes which are poking their shoots through the ground, and also help the seeds sown yesterday as well. Gary emailed through last night to say that he too has had a couple of Siskins on his feeders, and like quite a few of us, he has been hearing a Cuckoo calling, from the adjacent wood and moorland behind his house with a Gropper reeling away on the other side of Gary's house. Peter yesterday had counted 40 Whimbrel down at Bruichladdich, flying between the rocks on the shore and the fields, but none were calling. This morning on a trip round Loch Gorm, Bob had seen a Whitefronted goose at Ballinaby. Also present were 8 Whimbrel, 30 Golden Plover and 3 Dunlin. Down at the field where the geese were the other day with me, Bob saw another 2 Whitefronts, the 3 Canadas and 34 Greylags. Back at home Bob has got 4 pairs of House Martins checking out some of last years' nest sites. Up on Bolsay Moor, Bob saw a Curlew seeing a Peregrine off and later on, a male Merlin was spotted. Also, on the Moor, Bob had his first Stonechat chick out this morning, he has already had young Blackbird out in his garden for over a week. When Bob was in for a natter this morning, a Siskin was out on the feeders along with the Goldfinches.