26th April

Threave Castle and Gardens with Glenys.  Head of female osprey was sighted poking out of nest. I thought I saw the female chasing off a rogue male but everyone else was too busy chatting to notice.  Orange tip butterflies.  Some sedge/grasshopper warbler reports from hides on river. Actually sighted some swallows, and a good vioew of a chiffchaff in the Garden.

19th April

Last minute fishing trip with Alex to celebrate my birthday.  Contrary to my belief that last minute trips are a bad idea, this was best visit to Brooms yet.  Fished SE corner of Bruce's acre. Warm day, very slight westerly wind. Catching a chub first cast, I feared we'd be plagued by smaller fish but after that the carp were virtually climbing up the pole.

Must have had nearly 30 (lost count) plus four chub and a decent skimmer.  Most were small commons but also had three decent mirrors and one common that were over 5lb and some tremendous fights.  All fish on double sweetcorn glugged in honey fished just on bottom, which must be the first time at Brooms I've caught all fish on the same bait.

Only one carp seemed to be a definite F1, strengthening our belief that John (owner) moves fish round a lot.  He probably sells the really large ones.

Mirror Carp

Common Carp

15th April

Bike ride the day before yesterday to Gallaberry Plantation and Applegarthtown Nature Reserve.

Very overcast. Many sand martins dogfighting above the water and some willow warblers (both locations) - first seen this year.  Only one chiffchaff heard but almost impossible not to hear them around Dumfries.  Have heard a swallow at home around 4th April, but didn't see it.

Bike ride to and into Ae Forest.  Black rabbit by roadside, quite a way from nearest farm so presumably an escapee.  Good to see kestrel hunting, showing some have obviously survived, also buzzards in mating flight (or two males having a fly-off)?  Wheatear on moor, the earliest I've seen them and passing pipits.  Siskins drinking from a puddle in the forest track - could almost have run them over.  Again heard but did not see skylarks.

2nd April

Up Criffel with cricket juniors.  Several pipits, buzzards on way back.  One bird I'm not seeing is kestrel, in line with observations at SOC that they are struggling vis a vis buzzards. Lack of voles during last two hard winters may well explain.

28th March

Mirror carp

Fishing again at Brooms. Although colder than last time it felt warmer, as wind was light from E/S.

Fish very much on the feed and everyone catching.  I had 14 carp (5 mirrors) and one barbel, all but one on margin pole next to NW corner.  Most fish on meat, but worm also scored well when they got finicky.  Good run of mirrors mid-afternoon 3lb, 4lb, 5lb and 4lb with 3lb+ barbel around the same time.

Heard first chiffchaff of summer.  Blue tit stripping rush heads right next to me but not willing to pose for photo.

20th March

Good weather and so first fishing trip of the year to Broom's, although actually quite a chill wind there.

Barbel

Fished pole on meat in the margins on swim 79 of F1 pond.  Three small golden commons short of 2lb and two barbel between 3.5 and 4lb, confirmed by John as hen fish.  These two were in excellent nick and fought like crazy for several minutes.  Apparently a surprising number of barbel are being caught in matches for the time of year, but mainly on the tip.

Lots of carp splashing about in the middle but didn't get the feeling they were feeding.  Short walk to check for birdlife but no sign apart from a few magpies and calling buzzard.

15th February

Eskrigg Nature Reserve, Lockerbie for first visit.  Nice walks, lake area heavily doctored by human hand and large supply of nuts and bird food around main hut.  Big flocks of chaffinches and siskins. Also all three tits, brambling, goldfinch, nuthatch, gs woodpecker.  Occasionally scattered by passing raptor (not seen).

Very little to see or hear away from this area.

A week ago there was also a female siskin in the garden, on nuts in the pear tree.  First and probably last this winter - few conifers in garden these days