Rain stops play

Headed out on the bike early afternoon - first stop at the old fire station along the Horton Burn. Lots of activity with blue, great, coal and long-tailed tit, many blackbird, chaffinch and a sole bullfinch. More of a surprise was a pair of stock dove - not seen them down this end before. Cycling back along the burn 1 kingfisher and 1 grey wagtail flushed, while at the west end a nice flock of bullfinch, 10, we're in the vicinity of the Crowhall Lane roundabout. My arrival at West Hartford was in conjunction with rain, so birding was cut short as my binoculars became waterlogged to the point of not being able to see anymore! Nevertheless a single short-eared owl, c40 teal, bhg, cg, hg and c50 lapwing were noted (though none of the 10 golden plover which had been seen from home a while earlier in the mobile lapwing flock). Time not on my side for any more birding this weekend, hopefully I'll be able to get out during the week after work - the bewick's swans are appealing up the coast and I wouldn't mind a crack at the tundra bean geese flock...