Dalmeny Estate

A wet and windy day today but better than yesterday's downpour!  We went for walk to Dalmeny at 10.00am.  Parked Car near Gatehouse and started off through Glenpunty Wood where we almost instantly saw a Roe Deer and a Kestrel. Off to a good start!  Then down at the edge of the Golf course we saw our first Swifts of the year soaring overhead!  What a welcome sight as its been 9 months since we last saw them!
Saw a few buzzards soaring about as we walked along the beach towards Queensferry.  At this point the rain was on and off and we saw a few seabirds including Curlew, Oystercatcher and Cormorant. On the way back through the woods we saw a Spotted Woodpecker and then heard the faint call of a Cuckoo from deep in the woods somewhere! Probably the first Cuckoo we have heard in over a year at least!
No sighting but definitely the call of the Cuckoo.

Saw a few small birds on the way back but the main attraction were the lovely Bluebells which had carpeted large swathes of Glenpunty Wood - lovely, despite the heavy rain!! One other interesting footnote to this walk - saw a Police Dogs Van parked on the estate and two officers were out on a grassy area training a young German Shepherd which was hanging on grimly to the arm of 'the criminal'. Fascinating stuff to watch.

All in all a good day despite the weather and two firsts of the year - our first Swifts and the call of our first Cuckoo so a good day despite the iffy weather.