A two hour sea watch first thing this morning eventually produced the goods with a fine sum plum long-tailed skua flying north, close to shore. It's my first long-tail for many a year and my first ever spring one on the patch. So very pleased I was indeed.
Better still though was the one that flew low over my head when I was out with the dog the other side of Cotehill Loch. This one drifted south across the reserve and across the loch towards the Ythan. A bitter sweet moment as it flew within a few metres of my garden when I wasn't there. So alas no garden tick for me. I'm now spending the rest of today looking out my front room pretending to do some work.
Other good birds included a fine summer plumage black guillemot. A very good bird for the patch plus a lot of extra seabirds that I hadn't seen this year and a migrating dunlin for good measure.
This mornings haul of year ticks puts me on 116 species and a better than average 74.55% . A head of Seppy for the first time ever me thinks.
Happy days
Bushveld
Afraid not chief! See above for details!
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