Muirkirk(ish) to Sorn 30 April

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Gus, Jimmy, Johnny, Malcolm, Paul, Peter, Rex, Robert

A good turnout today

The beautiful weather of Tuesday had given way to a grey morning as we assembled at Sorn. After a brief discussion about where to start today’s walk i.e. at Kames or at our usual point off the Sorn Muirkirk road, it was agreed that the latter option would suffice and so it was from here we set off at about 10a.m. Although overcast, jackets were soon dispensed with as we made our way along this familiar part of the River Ayr Way. Passing through Airds Moss Nature Reserve, the bridge at Greenockmains was chosen for coffee and a blether

Soon we were off again with Jimmy and Malcolm in the van (no wonder they were so fresh and dry at the end of the walk!) and the next wee stop was at the wobbly bridge over the river. Jimmy decided to try it and Malcolm, not knowing any better, followed him holding his breath. It didn’t dawn on him that we weren’t going to cross the river at this point, and when it was pointed out, as he reached the far side, the air turned distinctly blue, accompanied by much laughter.

Two hours into the walk and the rain began to fall, lightly at this stage, but enough to encourage the retrieval of waterproofs from our rucksacks. However lunch was not to be denied us as we stopped under the shelter of trees just prior to the start of the boardwalk.

Here Jimmy was able to point out some tree creepers (birds not local inhabitants) and these along with oyster catchers and sandpipers made for a reasonable day out for the ornithologists. At this point it has to be explained  that it was the Lemon Pipers and not the Sandpipers who had the 1968 hit, Green Tambourine. By the way, our resident bird expert was rebuked for not being able to recognise empty birds’ eggs which had been found en-route. He has been told never to let us down in this way again and to go home and brush up on his knowledge. See if he cares!

Who's a silly boy then?

The rain was pretty heavy by the time we were negotiating the last stages of the walk as the path snaked its way up and down and round towards Sorn and because of this we took the easier option of returning to the cars by the main road rather than using the higher level path. Four hours for the walk wasn’t bad and we were glad that we hadn’t chosen the longer walk given the way the weather had turned out.

It was rather drookit ooters that huddled under the shelter at the car park to get dried off and changed before heading to Mauchline and FRT at Poosie Nansie’s.

Notes from the naturalist: Though the weather was somewhat against us today, nature was in full springtime display. Marsh Marigolds decked the wetter areas by the riverside, bluebells were bursting in the wooded areas, lesser stitchwort was coming into flower, butterburr was in full flower,the spurge in the wet areas still held yellow and a full bank of primroses tumbled down the glen of the Windy Burn. Birdlife included Heron (many), Buzzard, Swallows and House Martins skimming the surface of the water for newly-hatched insects, two different pairs of Common Sandpiper, Pheasant, Treecreeper, Lapwing, Whaup (Curlew) and Oystercatcher. Butterfies were not so common withe only a few Peacock worth the noting. But mammals hid themselves from the weather (or from us) today.

PS the egg shell was definitely Pheasant. Am I forgiven?