Saturday 25th April

The latest bike ride - since bike rides is mainly what I seem to do these days - was a trip to Palnackie via Milton, Kirkgunzeon, Falgunzeon and the B road from near Caulkerbush on through Dalbeattie, and was notable for some first encounters with summer visitors.

Kirkgunzeon Lane

The first of all was at Lochfoot, where a single house martin balanced on a telegraph wire.  Just afterwards I stopped to investigate some shapes jutting out of the water near an island in Lochrutton Loch, which proved to be a row of cormorants waiting for small fry.

On the run down to Kirkgunzeon it was nice to see a few yellowhammers, still frequent in that area amd a number of meadow pipits.  I always think Kirkgunzeon is an attractive spot amd stopped by the river bridge to notice my first willow warbler of the season in a bankside tree.  Last year there were trout to be seen but none today and the river was still flowing quite fast. Orange tip butterflies were already on the wing on the 'B' road and goldfinches were around again too.

On a fairly direct route back, just two newly-arrived swallows were sitting on the telegraph wires in Shawhead.

Spot the Willow Tit
Difficulty level: easy