On Wednesday 16th January nine hardy folk faced the cold rainy weather for the first bird group meeting of 2019. Starting at Finstown Car Park looking over the Bay of Firth was greater black back, one grey heron, herring gull, hoodie and fulmars.

 

We walked up Heddle Rd towards Stennigar looking for garden birds and were pleased to see starling, collard dove, robin, rook, blackbird, chaffinch, rock dove, house sparrow.

 

The path through Binscarth Wood was very muddy but we were rewarded by the beautiful snowdrops out in Binscarth house garden.

 

On Wasdale Loch was teal, wigeon, mute swan, cormorant, curlew, mallard, greylag geese, grey heron, oystercatcher, tufted duck, red breasted merganser and finally on the return we saw one wren fleeting about on the dyke, wood pigeon and gold finch.

 

A total of 27 species.

 

The next meeting will be led by Tim Wright on 13th February. Meeting place to be decided according to wind and weather conditions.