Merlin and Glaucous Gull

Although we began the day in the dark and well before dawn we took advantage of the early
start with a glimpse of a Barn Owl at Eresaid. Then onto the platform at the Gruinart Reserve to see the geese depart. On our arrrival a Woodcock drifted by and things just continued to get even better. After the Geese extravanganza we headed for Loch Indaal: Slav. Grebe, Long Tailed Duck, Scaup, Scoter, Shelduck, Divers and Mergansers too.
Later we headed for the hill and although in a flat light our photographers captured some cracking images of Red Deer. Bunnahabhain gave us a Glaucous Gull and then we were sent packing by an enormous bonfire spewing noxious black smoke across the bay. I will leave it up to you decide.....! On our return to the Merse we had superb views of a male Merlin and then back onto Gruinart east for a spot of wader watching: Grey Plover, Redshank, Barwits and a small wader that after much discussion we concluded it could only be a Baird's Sandpiper. However I am not going to call it as the light was fading fast to close upon another brilliant day's birding.