Wednesday 26th March

Bike ride to Haugh of Urr.  Not so many birds showing, especially on the way back along military road, where I always feel that the farmland is heavily treated with chemicals.  Several chiffchaffs heard on cycle track on the way out. A couple of lapwings playing past Shawhead and another song thrush in trees before down run to Cricketford, but not singing.  Possible sparrowhawk between Crocketford and military road but too far away to be sure.

Wednesday 19th March

Another bike ride to Auldgirth via Nether Keir.  Only sixteen species identified today, partly because ended up in a peleton on the way back. Interesting inclusions were yellowhammer (three in total) and a lone magpie towards Keir, uncommon this far West.  Did not see coal tit again and managed not to see sparrow, dunnock or wren, but did see first red squirrel of the spring and another lone butterfly. One cyclist says he heard chiffchaff in Glenmidge.

Wednesday 12th March

Plenty of birdlife on the run to Corsock, so decided on a count and reached 20 different species, notably not including red kite and coal tit, which were not seen.  Best sightings were treecreeper and a pair of nuthatches, one of which exhibited a baleful call note that must be typical.  Last two species - goldfinch and long-tailed tit - were both on the Caledonian cycle track and sort of emblematic for the times.  Also saw a single butterfly and mating attempts by buzzards and hares, though not on each other.  Hares were running down the road ahead of me for a time.

Tuesday 11th March

Better weather at last.  Skived off decorating to take a look round Rusko north of Gatehouse to check for green woodpeckers.  Bumped into the local gamekeeper who told me exactly where to look - but no sign!  Only notable sightings were several coal tits, a nuthatch but more interestingly three peacock and one small tortoiseshell butterflies.  This is nearly two weeks earlier than the early butterflies I saw in 2012.

Gamekeeper also told me he has seen increasing numbers of ravens, a golden eagle at top of Laurieston Road, peregrine falcons, red deer, two otters playing in floodwater, a sparrow hawk flying zigzags in front of his truck and a buzzard killing a baby pheasant.

Wednesday 5th March

On way to Moniaive by bike, saw a hare and a dead roe deer.  When I stopped for a rest at the bridge past Skinford, there was a song thrush singing constantly in a tree just above and it stayed there the whole time I was eating my snack. Grey wagtail on Cairn tributary.

By the Cairn, four woodpeckers had been drumming very close to each other.  Spring is definitely on the way!

Monday 3rd February

Trip to Mersehead with a lady friend who wanted to see the barnacle geese and also enjoyed yellowhammers, greenfinch and for me the best sighting ever of a goldcrest which persistently dotted around in the hedgerow while we looked on from only five yards away.

Saturday 1st March

Spot the bullfinch!

After much wet weather, went up to a drier Edinburgh for a couple of days.  A.m. walk to Saughton Park, which is obviously well-maintained.  A bird singing extensively at the top of a small tree confused me for some while.  Took me some time to work out it was a dunnock.  I've never seen them do this before.  Also bullfinch and long-tailed tit and a crow that had some very pale markings - but not enough to be a hooded crow, in which case it would anyway have been well outside its normal area in North West Scotland.  Also several magpies.  On revisiting a day later, I counted eight magpies in the same tree at one point.