Wednesday 20th March

Wheelers to Corsock.  Very parky over the moors with light snow, so gave up counting bird species at 12.  Most notable were greenfinch  and sparrowhawk. Clearly saw at around 100 yards a black squirrel running along the old railway embankment by Dalquhairn on Byeway.  Notified Squirrel Conservation person who says there have been several sightings of brunette squirrels in the area, which are a derivation of the red.  This however contradicts one web reference I've seen which talks about black squirrels being a derivation of the grey.  This one was black as pitch.

Monday 11th March

On walking back onto estate, my attention was drawn to trees on the new road where there were a couple of bramblings and a siskin amongst the chaffinches.  Haven't seen a brambling for many years, not in fact since I started taking more interest in birds.

Wednesday 4th March

Ambitious bike ride to Moniaive with Wednesday Wheelers at appropriately slow speed.  After spotting mad march hare on way out of Dumfries decided to see if I could beat the dozen bird species spotted on last ride and was surprised to notch up 20 on the way there alone.

Most productive stretch was the back road from the Cairn to Moniaive, producing male bullfinch and kestrel, which is now almost rare locally.  Also possible female grouse or red-legged partridge in stubble field that immediately hid before I could get a second look.

Much cooler in steady East wind.

Thursday 28th February

Chub fishing trip on Sark, trying a promising under bridge at Corrie's Mill and various snaggy spots on the Sark at Gretna. River now pretty low but no fish sighted and certainly no bite. One passer by mentioned the otter problem, and all the evidence is that the popular view that otters have wiped out the fish may be justified. But what do the otters do when fish supplies have been exhausted? Head into the Solway persumably.

Another lovely, even warmer day but the only notable siting was a pair of dippers on arriving at Gretna. A few starlings gathering as I packed up.

Monday 25th February

Dozy Squirrel and Coal Tits

Lovely bike ride over Shawhead and Crocketford in warming weather, diverting to Glenkilns Reservoir (no black swan only greylags) after sighting a red squirrel on the Estate.  Stopped for lunch, looking into crystal clear water.  On way to Crocketford came across a broken wall where birds were clustering.  They were all coal tits, far more than I have ever seen together before, picking up bits of food that someone must have left on the wall.  Then another red squirrel appeared and, seemingly dozy, wondered along the wall almost on top of me before it took fright, and a third squirrel did exactly the same thing.

After an excellent pint of Old Speckled Hen in the Galloway Arms, saw a fourth squirrel lolloping around a tree on the back road to Shawhead and a red kite circling around over the moor.  Definitely my record for red squirrels in a single day.

Last week saw a linnet singing away on a hedgerow while on U3A walk near Gretna.

Monday 25th February

Squirrel and Coaltits

Lovely bike ride over Shawhead and Crocketford in warming weather, diverting to Glenkilns Reservoir (no black swan only greylags) after sighting a red squirrel on the Estate.  Stopped for lunch, looking into crystal clear water.  On way to Crocketford came across a broken wall where birds were clustering.  They were all coal tits, far more than I have ever seen together before, picking up bits of food that someone must have left on the wall.  Then another red squirrel appeared and, seemingly dozy, wondered along the wall almost on top of me before it took fright, and a third squirrel did exactly the same thing.

After an excellent pint of Old Speckled Hen in the Galloway Arms, saw a fourth squirrel lolloping around a tree on the back road to Shawhead and a red kite circling around over the moor.  Definitely my record for red squirrels in a single day.

Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th February

Bells' Brae, Edinburgh

Visit to Edinburgh and Balloch to see Jennifer and boyfriend Joe.  On Saturday got distracted from my intention of visiting art galleries into a charming walk along Bells' Brae in the old town, where a song thrush was holding forth full pelt from high in a tree.  I really can't recall the last time I saw one.

On Sunday took a walk up Callendar Crags and to Bracklinn Falls.  Joe was disappointed not to see red squirrel but we did see amongst others a pair of ravens, a grrenfinch (increasingly seldom to see them since the bad winters) of 2009-2010 and another volley of siskins on the feeders near the town. Joe heard an owl, but I didn't.

One absentee on walks in the Loch Lomond area so far has been the crossbill in spite of abundance of scots pine.  We also have not seen any mammals, although there was a lot of evidence of deer (or similar) gnawing the trees on the Crag today.