Away for 2 weeks or so down south on the Isle of Wight.  For sad reasons with the focus on saying goodbye to mum.
Mum would have been the first to say that life goes on and my brother and I got out when we could and a nice selection was seen including two flocks  of Hawfinch, Cattle Egret, Black-necked Grebe and 2 Iceland Gulls.

A couple of flocks of Hawfinch, one of 6 and the other of at least 12, were great to see. An exceptional influx has seen huge numbers south of the border this winter but very few made it up to Scotland. 

A nice bit of luck with an opportunistic roadside stop to check a gull flock in fields near the Islands main rubbish tip. Straight away onto a Juv Iceland and while watching it another landed in front of it!

Rescued this handsome toad off the driveway on returning home one night.