Your photos are getting a lot better than when I used to visit more often. I guess Dr Grubb doesn't have as much to scoff about these days?
You and Dr G will be delighted to know that some quite poor photos will be appearing in this post.
So, back at the Ness today in cool, showery conditions. Still lots of birds around the marshes, which were thick with
Reed Buntings in particular. Five
Rooks were again hanging about the playing fields, along with seemingly half the city's juvenile Herring Gulls and Oystercatchers. Two juvenile
Stonechats were around the pools. An
Emerald Damselfly and
'Highland' Darter were on the wing, despite the cool conditions.
Most tantalising was a two second view of what appeared to be a plain
Acrocephalus warbler near the railway. Interesting enough in itself, and I wouldn't say it looked obviously like a Reed Warbler. I'm not able to go any further than that sadly. Makes you wonder what's lurking about out there though.
The sea was quiet but one
Puffin went north and a couple of
Harbour Porpoises surfaced. Also relatively little in terms of waders, with five
Dunlin, ten
Turnstone and not much else. The
Goosander flock in the harbour was up to at least 74.
I was beginning to think it was going to be a slightly subdued day when I hit upon a, dare I say, 'full fat' patch tick. I was walking towards the eastern end of the car park in Greyhope Bay when a medium sized grey bird shot over the grass towards the golf course. Oof! A juvenile
Cuckoo! A bird that ought to be more regular here (and maybe is) but definitely some serious #patchgold. It perched briefly on the fairway before flipping over a hummock. I couldn't find it again but it may not have gone far.
Here are some cracking shots of it in action.
