Sunday 10th May

Last week's weather was very mixed, but managed to sneak in a bike ride and walk around Caerlaverock Nature Reserve on Thursday morning, and even then conditions were a bit mixed.

It was quite rewarding however as apart from many skylarks a good number of willow warblers were about in Castle Wood as well as chaffinches and several reed buntings, though they stayed mainly out of site.  On the way to the hide I saw what I thought was a rook carrying nesting material but as it approached closer I realised it was in fact a buzzard - which was confirmed when a crow came and mobbed it.  I haven't seen a buzzard collect nesting material before.

From the hide I chanced to see a pair of lapwings caught at distance in the binoculars and still indulging in display behaviour.

On the way back there was a possible (not more than 50%) sighting of a whitethroat and a definite though brief view of a linnet close up in increasing rain.  Otherwise one white butterfly and a peacock

Carron Lynns

butterfly on the way back - but still no wheatear.

Also managed a quick run out past Carronbridge nominally looking for tree pippets, but in spite of a pretty walk only saw one dipper on the Lynn plus a curlew at the start of the moor - disregarding a number of swallows, which are now becoming more frequent.

The swifts have arrived back on the estate over the past few days and are already shrieking above the housetops.