Immediately I arrived a bird of prey flew over that wasn't a buzzard. It had the build of a harrier but flew too high, too steadily and too fast. All I could make out in the binoculars before it disappeared was some black and some grey. It wasn't the white-tailed eagle sighted there in October (which was probably one of the juvenile passage birds that come down from Fife from time to time) so I don't know what it was. Maybe harriers do fly more purposefully sometimes, when looking for new venues?
Moving on, three ladies immediately stopped me to see if I could tell them what birds they had just seen in a farmer's field. After consulting the RSPB guide, we agreed fieldfare and redwing were the most likely and, sure enough both have been reported at the Information Centre.
As soon as they left I was pleased to sight a male kestrel perched on top of a tree as they've become a rare sight the last couple of years. But after that - nothing!
Well, there were a few sparrows by the farm, some coots on the tarn, a couple of blue tits and a few crows, but nothing noteworthy, nothing that you set out to actually see. The Law of Irregular Returns - QED.
So I spent a couple of hours vainly hoping for a one-off ring ouzel or the reported crossbill (surprisingly reported since there are only a couple of small swathes of conifers). I was also feeling increasingly tired, having not been out walking for several months and drove off early - just as a heavy downpour moved in.
Meanwhile, I have been noticing quite a few long-tailed tits around the estate and there was a coal tit on the bird table. Glenys was lucky enough to see a sparrowhawk in the garden after she put some bread out for the numerous sparrows.
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