Turtle Dove!

 Meadow Pipit on power station wall

As I walked out to the sea watch hide for an early morning watch the local Meadow Pipit was posing on the wall and a Black Redstart was singing on the power station. The sea watch was very poor with very little noted.

 Wheatear in The Desert

A walk around The Desert and the southern end of the trapping area saw very little of note, 2 Swallows flew through, a single Wheatear and a few Common Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps were heard.

 Common Whitethroat in The Moat

A visit to Burrowes with MH was disappointing, the only notable birds were the 2 Avocets.

 Grey Heron at Hookers

Walking in from Springfield Bridge to Hookers saw a pair of Corn Buntings by the bridge, a Cuckoo, 2 Hobby's, Sedge and Reed Warblers, Reed Buntings and the usual wildfowl, also several Hairy Dragonfly's.

 Hairy Dragonfly Dengemarsh

 Hobby over the garden

While emptying a full moth trap late morning I spotted a Hobby flying over the field straight towards me, by the time I grabbed the camera from the car it was directly overhead allowing only a very rushed shot. 

Another 2.5 hr sea watch from the in front the hide lunch time, where I was joined by BC who woke me up on his arrival was another very slow affair with just a dark phase Arctic Skua note, although were at least 8 Harbour Porpoises off shore. The Iceland Gull was apparently at The Patch per PT.

1 of 2 Turtle Doves on Walland this afternoon.

A visit to Walland Marsh this afternoon found 2 Turtle Doves, the usual Tree Sparrows, Common Buzzards and Marsh Harriers, also some Yellow Wagtails and a Great Spotted Woodpecker of note. 

 Turtle Dove

 Turtle Dove

 In a late afternoon visit to Galloways I saw 3 Stonechats, several Common Whitethroats, a Red-legged Partridge, a Hobby and a 5 Fox Cubs playing on the verge and in the road.

 The runt of the litter

My first Cream-spot Tiger of the year today