Summary of Scotland

That's one more amazing holiday up in Dumfries and Galloway to remember. After being there from 10th - 17th September, it was time to move off and head south back to the north-west. An early start on Friday morning was needed as I needed to get home and pack all my things ready to move into my new room at Bangor on Saturday 18th.. Below is a picture of our lodgings for the week. It was so typical that the day we were leaving, the weather was glorious all day.. On clear days, the Isle of Man is visible from the top of the road. I woulde highly reccommended the lace for those who want a relaxed and 'touring' holiday around the area.

On the way home it was too tempting not to stop at Leighton moss where there were 2+ Black terns. Whilst Mr and Mrs Bridge went and some lunch, I nipped into Lilian's Hide to find both terns rather distance and hunting the flies over the far side towards the Lower hide. So with a rather sore leg, I hurtled over to the lower hide from Lilian's hide along the road and through the wood in less than 20 mintues.. Arrived in the Lower hide, took a few photos and moved off. Then walked the route to the Public hide and all this was done in under an hour, as well as photographing the terns.

2+ Black tern

Green woodpecker

Water rail

Marsh tit

7 Greenshank

These were all seen on my quick walk around the far part of the reserve.. The Black tern was rather confiding on a post just out from the Lower hide and enabled me to get shot of it's wing before it duely took flight.

Dumfries and Galloway trip list:

1. Red-Throated diver - Little grebe - Great crested grebe - Fulmar - Manx shearwater - Gannet - Cormorant - Shag - Little egret - Grey heron - Mute swan - Pink-footed goose - Greylag goose - Canada goose - Brent goose - Shelduck - Mallard - Wigeon - Teal - Eider - Common scoter - Red-breasted merganser - Osprey - Buzzard - Sparrowhawk - Kestrel - Hobby - Peregrine - Red-legged partridge - Pheasant - Moorhen - Coot - Oystercatcher - Ringed plover
2. Golden plover - Lapwing - Knot - Sanderling - Turnstone - Dunlin - Curlew sandpiper - Green sandpiper - Redshank - Greenshank - Black-tailed godwit - Bar-tailed godwit - Curlew - Whimbrel - Snipe - *2 Great skua* - B.H.Gull - C.Gull - H.Gull - L.B.B.Gull - G.B.B.Gull - Kittiwake - Sandwich tern - Common tern - *4 Black Tern* - Black guillemot - Guillemot - Razorbill - Feral pigeon - Woodpigeon - Collard dove - Tawny owl - Kingfisher- Green woodpecker
3. G.S.Woodpecker - Skylark - Sand martin - Swallow - House martin - Rock pipit - Meadow pipit - Pied wagtail - Grey wagtail - Wren - Dunnock - Robin - Wheatear - Stonechat - Song thrush - Mistle thrush - Blackbird - Willow warbler - Chiffchaff - Goldecrest - Blue tit - Great tit - Coal tit - Long-tailed tit - Nuthatch - Treecreeper - Magpie - Jay - Jackdaw - Rook - Carrion crow - Hooded crow - Raven - Starling - House sparrow - Chaffinch - Linnet
4. Goldfinch - Greenfinch - Siskin - Bullfinch - Reed bunting - Yellowhammer = 111

The yearticks are in red which put me on 240 for 2010. Cheers for now...