April Blog

I can’t believe we are in April already, March was a good month but also a very quick month here’s what I got up to in March.

At the beginning of the month it was a beautiful sunny morning so I decided to go to St Margaret’s Loch at Holyrood Park. I hadn’t been for awhile so it was great to be back. It was nice and peaceful but also busy one too with Mute Swans, Mallards, Tufted Ducks, Greylag Geese, & Black Headed & Herring Gulls.

News had spread on social media that a Water Rail had been spotted at Figgate Park. I did go in February hoping to see it but had no luck and a lot of people had gone and did manage to see it so I thought I’d have another look. It was another beautiful sunny day and I made my way to the boardwalk were many people were hanging about. I took my place all was so quiet but it didn’t long till I heard someone say ‘It’s over here’ and sure enough it was and it was brilliant to see my second ever Water Rail the first sighting I ever had of one was in 2015 at Inverleith Park. It was great for passers by who stopped and asked us what we were staring at and they were quite impressed. I did stay a long time watching it until it eventually disappeared and that was a great Twitch.

During the past few days on walks I spotted Buzzards, Geese, Robin & Gooseanders which was good to see. Even without binoculars and notebook in hand you can always have time to look at the birds.

Last week I had a few days up in Brechin, Montrose & Dundee. It definitely felt like Spring has come because I heard my first Chiffchaff of the year as well as Skylark. I had a great time visiting The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Montrose Basin, it was my first time visiting a Nature Reserve since Covid and had a great morning watching Redshanks, Greenshanks, Shelducks, Yellowhammer & House Sparrows.

After 2 years I caught Covid so there was no Birding for me but I enjoyed looking at the birds in the garden, I am Covid free now so as it’s a new month I’m looking forward getting back out Birding again and see more Spring migrants.