I Can Now Officially Announce that it is Summer !!

It is definitely Summer now that the warblers have arrived. Chiffchaff is always nice of course, but it is usually March and always weeks ahead of everything else. It is not until a warm day in mid April when there is a sudden rush of warblers that you suddenly realise that Summer is here.

My domestic chores start early at the weekend and my usual hash, as the wife calls it, of hanging out washing at 7:30 am was accompanied by a male Blackcap belting out its tune from the railway embankment. Keeping rhythm on the bass was a Chiffchaff probably telling him that he was here first.

The 2nd day of Scot Cheer was at the SECC but not until 12:30 pm. After dropping 'The Bug', my next chore was some shopping, since that could wait until late afternoon, a quick dart through the Clyde Tunnel saw me at Lochwinnoch for about 1:15 pm. I enquired about access on to the Barr Loch and in particular where the reported Garganey might be at. I was directed to a cycle path about 1/4 of a mile away and a 15 minute walk towards some woodland and down to "where the old hide used to be". Whatever, happened to that hide ? I always thought it was good. It all of a sudden disappeared and as far as I knew access blocked off.

The cycle path is an old railway line and as such is lined with fine mature trees and hawthorns. On such a nice warm afternoon it is bound to be full of Willow Warblers and indeed it was.

Willow Warbler - the Sound of Summer

After clambering down a step embankment, the path led down to the edge of the Barr Loch and through a small reed bed where Sedge Warblers were churring & chirping from. On the Loch, the 1st winter Smew remained but despite searching and walking right out to the end I could not locate the Garganey. I assumed it had gone. Always disconcerting when you get home and on the pager appears "2 Garganey, 1 male Barr Loch 3pm". Must be going blind !!!.

Anyway, whilst searching for the elusive Garganey, a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling away from the rough ground at the back of the Loch. Sometimes, they sit out quite the thing, but on this occasion like the Garganey it did not show.