We have only six previous records of Black Redstart for the month of February & they were mostly birds known to be overwintering in the area so the first one of the year this morning, by the cottage, was a tad early. Spring usually gets going for this species from the second week of March onwards so more evidence of phenological change if it was still needed. 122 Cormorants went out fishing early and with viewing conditions out to sea ok a wait until gone 9am failed to pick up any flocks coming in from the north to feed. Whilst watching 5 Common Scoter & 5 Red-throated Diver went north plus 11 Barnacle Geese south with presumably the same flock of 11 heading back north a couple of hours later. A couple of Greylags flying around honking away waking the dead as it was barely getting light was their first excursion down here this spring (although temperature wise it feels more like late winter today).
