Wind didn't produce much

The Safari had hoped the wind would have produced a lot more than it did. looking over the wall it was immediately obvious that it was very hazy out there.

We put the scope up anyway - as you do - and the first birds seen was a party of five Arctic Terns (135, P2 #54).

Four Eiders flew south, a female escorted by three males and flock after flock of Knot went past southwards again, numbering at least 1000, but nothing else, couldn't even find any Common Scoters this morning!

All a bit dire really.

Made all the more dire with news from the nature reserve that there were four Arctic Terns there, a far from regular occurrence, and there was a Velvet Scoter further up the coast - still you can't have it all  in this birding game, you really do get what you're given.

If we thought the morning session was poor the lunchtime session was far worse; the sun was making the haze even harder to see into, focusing the scope was difficult it was that bad. After a few scans we added a Sandwich Tern and a couple of Common Scoters to the day's list and gave up...

Our evening walk with Frank didn't gwet us far, our hands were playing up with the changeable weather and if he feels it in his rheumaticy shoulder like we do it's hardly surprising he wasn't up for going far. Still it was nice to be out in the sunshine and we enjoyed watching and listening to the Greenfinch doing its liquid song from its circular song flight. A large White Tailed Bumble Bee, Bombus leucorum,  flew by, things are starting to warm up at long last.

In fact looking at our records we've had our earliest Arctic Terns and House Martins of the last few years.

A call from our Extreme Photograper had him telling us he'd had a good day in the woods with his camera, so there maybe some interesting stuff to show you tomorrow.

Where to next? A half day off tomorrow so we'll probably be on the nature reserve in the rain hoping something else of note has been dropped in.

In the meantime let us know what's put in an earlier than expected appearance given the long cold winter in your outback.