At the Loons today,

Two Reed bunting, good flocks of Teeick, a pair of Kestrel active all day, plenty of Pinkfeet and more than a few Lags, two and a half thousand Golden plover spread across Yonbell and the aerodrome, once with as many again in the air towards the windmills The sky was truly dark! The reserve flock were flighty getting put up by the day long raptor activity, they started to skine up and move off in the early afternoon. One brief Gadwall and an even briefer Water rail (twice). Two solitary Swallows. The majority of the Curlew flocks stayed done the far end but weren’t particularly active, a nice sight was a flock of small ducks extremely high coming in from the north east, looked like Teal arriving. A single Snipe sat in the cut reeds right in front of the hide, roosted fed and roosted some more and was impressively tolerant of the hide which was hive of activity today. Shorteared owls were about in the late afternoon with two in sight at the same time the best count. Peregrines made seven or eight separate appearances and perched obligingly about the fence lines. There were maybe twenty two separate Ring tail passes across the reserve. Male Harriers made nine separate appearances. Eleven folks made a total of fifteen visits and five had the sense to bring sandwiches, I was not one! Six hours of sitting on my arse looking was topped off by a half hour watch from the observation point. Short eared owls hunting in front of us and a fantastic display of Peregrine rough housing with a male Harrier before chasing Golden Plovers for all it was worth. A good way to end the day!! It was a good days sitting about but I cant help thinking as I sit here I would be feeling the bones of me arse a wee bit less with a Pallid harrier tick tho!! Ach well the morns another day.