20th April

It really has been a pretty drab April here this year.

Through the overcast weather my nature activities have been a bit patchy but I did manage a nice few minutes watching a buzzard as it flew alongside me as I cycled, a close up of a stonechat from the car and, after hearing several scores of them over a couple of weeks, the year's first sighting of a chiffchaff.

As a result my attention has been drawn more by the flowers that are starting to spring up.  One I have been seeing virtually everywhere I go has been this little pink item.  It's not one I recall seeing in previous years.  Presumably it's very common but a quick run through my Book of Flowers has me unable to put a name to it.

Pink item

Another one I noticed was this strange looking bush with the bulbous fruits but I suspect it's not worth trying to find a name for, as it probably originated in someone's garden.

Bush

Yesterday was another dull and dreary day and not made any more attractive by a chilly wind.  I was somewhat surprised to see a swallow for the first time this Spring, though it didn't look any too happy trying to hold its position on a bouncing telephone wire.

Then on the way back from Kirkcudbright, the skies lightened and diffused sunlight nudged the temperature up a few degrees.  I saw another swallow and, at the bridge at Glenlochar, about half a dozen swooping around plus a grey wagtail amongst the rocks down in the river.

Then there was a complete surprise as a small white butterfly fluttered by briefly just South of Crossmichael, after I had decided there was no chance of seeing any kind of butterfly that day.

A couple of kites and buzzards also appeared as well as many goldfinches and, just after Kirkpatrick Durham I caught a male reed warbler in the binoculars.

It's amazing what a difference a bit of sunshine makes!