Today set off on the Glenkilns loop via Terregles and regretted it at first as it was cold and misty. But the mist cleared a bit before Shawhead and the sun got out. Came across a field full of greylag geese and some canada geese at the back. Slightly further on spotted a few linnets, although I only eliminated twite after looking in the bird books. The neck is the best distinguishing feature by the looks of it.
There were two small buzzards on successive telegraph poles on the road up to Glenkilns Reservoir, where there were lots more greylags and canada geese as well as some mallards and the inevitable pair of black swans.
I saw a couple of volleys of long-tailed tits in the trees at the back end of the lake (they are doing well) and, almost to order a few stonechats on the way over the moors, messing around in the dead bracken. Unfortunately, the weather seemed to get colder again as I went down into the Cairn valley from the tops, so I wasn't for hanging around on the way back.
If I'd named two birds I wanted to see today it would have been linnet and stonechat, so you can't really have better than that. And the bright light over the reservoir and the moorland made for some lovely views - great to be out on the bike again.
One bird NOT seen today or on Friday was the meadow pipit, so perhaps they're all away to the merseland.
It made me think that winter isn't too bad a time with days like this. I think my key targets this year will be twite and waxwing, so that's something to aim for.
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