Spring seems to have arrived in Shawlands with Queen's Park this morning full of singing birds. Blue Tit, Great Tit and Robin were the most frequent singers with at least twelve but possibly more than twenty of each. Other species heard in song consisted of Woodpigweon, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Nuthatch and Mistle Thrush. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming near the greenhouses. Nearby, a Jay was a bird I rarely encounter here. Botanical finds continue to be confined to Jelly Ear fungus, Hazel flowers and emerging Snowdrops. Insects were non-existent, although I saw lekking Winter Gnatsin Larbet yesterday. 

An early morning walk from Forth Valley Royal Hospital to the Milennium Wheel produced two good records in the form of a female Sparrowhawk chasing a Woodpigeon and a Cormorant flying upriver above the River Carron. Highlights of the remainder of the day (spent exploring the Rough Castle Roman Fort and parts of the Union Canal and Antonine Wall) were a Jay, a Little Grebe, three Goldcrests and two Nuthatches (all giving good views). Also notable were my first singing Chaffinch and Greenfinch of the year.  

Suddenly, many more Blue, Great and Coal Tits are singing, and their songs are longer and more-developed. The Goosander pair on the river seem to be inseparable now. A Sparrowhawk was displaying high over Pollokshaws (and inevitably attracting the attention of local corvids).  

Not surprisingly, birds were mostly few and far between during a survey of the 1km square encompassing Glasgow Central Station. The two exceptions were Feral Pigeon and Black-headed Gull. 

With a free morning ahead, I decided to head to Cumbernauld to count the birds at Broadwood Loch (and hopefully encounter the two scarce birds reported from there - Smew and Pochard). In the event, both birds were present and showing extremely well. My final species count for the site was forty. 

I had a fairly unremarkable walk through Langside and Battlefield this midday, although a Dipper again on the bend in the river at Carmichael Place was notable. Jelly Ear, Yellow Brain and Coral Spot fungi were all further along the walkway towards home, as was a small Hazel tree in flower. 

Sunday, January 11, 2026

On a very wet day in Pollok and Crookston, the highlight was a male Bullfinch which strongly reminded me of a Wheatear as it flew away from me into cover.

It was dreich in Queen's Park today. The remaining water birds on the boating pond were concentrated in a small area of unfrozen water. Two Nuthatches were near the flagpole. A Song Thrush and two Mistle Thrushes feeding together enabled a useful side-by-side comparison.