Wednesday 16th April

Today's bike ride was to Loch Arthur via Terregles and Milton.  A stoat surried across the road just before Terregles.  Again saw numerous birds on the way out but nothing much on the way back. Again no bird of prey. Pleasing to see a few pipits on the military road and some yellowhammers on the way down from Milton.  Then saw a bird I could not identify on the edge of a field near Kirkgunzeon.  Thought at first it had a white rump and was expecting to see a wheatear but it was apparent that the white was a tailflash.  Also had long legs, insecteating type beak, lightish brown upper colouring with buff/white underparts.  I did not get a front on view but there was no mottling beneath the wingline. It looked more like a pipit than a wader and the nearest apparent match on trawling the bird book was richard's pipit - but that is a complete longshot and I did not get a good enough view to claim a sighting.  Water pipit? Has to go down as another mystery.