Christine's walking & birds blog

The bright sunshine today did little to combat an icy wind blowing straight down from the north. At Badentarbat a whimbrel was on the beach with a dunlin.

Driving away across the moorland, I saw two downy balls on the single-track road. The three drivers behind me had to wait as I got out and chivvied the stonechat chicks onto the verge - I did thank them.

The sedge warbler was heard as I got out of the car, at a spot where I thought I saw one last summer. It was singing in rowans at the side of the road.



North of Ardmair, a cuckoo flew across the road; and a quick check of last year's grasshopper warbler site brought no reeling.