Stewchat...

What a dismal day here today. The wind was a cold easterly that almost knocked me on my arse as I walked the coast path. This, interspersed with sleet and hail on an overcast day didn't bode well for birding.

We walked from home around the coast path and back via the village Lane within an hour this morning, and surprisingly had a few things of note.

In the sheltered fields were 70+ Golden Plover, 100+ Redwings and 30+ Fieldfares. The stubble field near the old rectory held a nice flock of 200+ Skylarks that were diligently scanned but the only other birds with them were one or two Linnets.

A party of 30 or so Lapwings flew from near the Bathing House then I noticed the muscular shape of a large female Peregrine, in flight, facing into the teeth of the gale as if it were a summer day. A closer look showed the bird to be an immature, that eventually flew north towards Cullernose Point.

One or two Meadow Pipits were calling unseen near the farm, while a Buzzard was viewed from the kitchen as it cruised the Heugh fields..

I'll be out 'patching' around the doors tomorrow hoping to add Yellowhammer ( where have they gone?), Treecreeper and maybe Woodcock to the list. No doubt I'll see none of these, but something is sure to turn up with this weather.

Watch this space.

Peregrine 84 sp ( 92 points) on the Patch Challenge. 

An older notebook sketch...