It was a pleasure working with the BTO in January, helping them complete their Winter Gulls Project by carrying out gull surveys around the Central Belt, Ayrshire and even Cumbria. I have a new-found respect for our gull species (although have always been a GBBG fan, you can't not be impressed by them) and I also got to see lots of waders, the odd seal and had the nicest offices for the month. Mental note to get out to the coast more often, its good for the soul.
I'll preface this post by saying I am a snapper, not a dedicated photographer, some of the birds are small and far away, others are just far away.
Sometimes my office looked like this. Ailsa Craig from Ayr beach. 2cy.2w herring gull.It was lovely to see curlew almost daily, seeing as I only get them at home for a limited period in the summer. Last year was a very poor year for curlews locally and I am pretty sure I know why. I hope this year they will fare better.Sometimes my office looked like this, RSPB Baron's Haugh.Not a gull, nor a wader and not even a duck. It is a small bird quite far away.. Seriously though, it's a bullfinch quite close to home and I am not used to seeing them there being moor-adjacent, so I was quite excited to see three of them. We have some maturing broadleaved woodland dotted about and I am seeing more woodland species crossing the exposed bits to get to them. This unfortunately also applies to grey squirrels. Jays are another example and I've seen both long tailed tits and tree sparrows in my garden for the first time this winter. Another small bird quite far away. It seemed as though I was never far away from a stonechat if I was on a beach. See also rock pipits and crows.Seal, honest!Cycle 1 common gull. Handily snapped at Lanark Loch whilst I waited for the car's MOT.
