The windy weather at Lochwinnoch this morning discouraged some of the smaller birds from venturing out and consquently my bird list was a modest thirty. However this included a single Redshank, ten Common Gulls, 28 Whooper Swans, a pair of Reed Buntings and courtship displays from Great Crested Grebe and Black-headed Gull. 

The damp weather returned today but I was cheered up by the first flowers on the Fritillaries in the Moira Jones Memorial Garden in Queen's Park. Flowering Coltsfoot and a big Buff-tailed Bumblebee were other, more modest highlights.

Grey Wagtail was probably my bird of the day with one at my WeBS site in Greenock and two on the roof of the tenements across the road from our house. 

Some notable records from a late afternoon walk around Pollokshaws today were a Dipper fishing just downstream of Shawbridge, three Rooks in the vicinity of the nests on Shawhill and the absolutely stunning Cherry blossom which has appeared on the trees in the grounds of Pollokshaws Burgh Halls.

A single Fulmar was on a ledge on Salisbury Crags when we checked this morning. Later, a walk around half of Gladhouse Reservoir produced sightings of several interesting species including Red-legged Partidge, Kestrel, Skylark and a suite of farmland waders (Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Redshank). 

Thursday, March 19, 2026

At least four Hawfinches were near the cemetery in the grounds of Scone Castle this lunchtime. 

There were fourteen Mute Swans on the Queen's Park boating pond this afternoon. However no Tufted Ducks were present (possibly all on Maxwell Park Pond where I counted 36 a few days ago).

Today I walked from Castlemilk over the Cathkin Braes down to the James Hamilton Heritage Park, then from Carmunnock back to Castlemilk. Best birds were lots of singing Skylarks and the long-staying drake Scaup on Mains Loch. Two Japanese Cherry trees at the entrance to Castlemilk Swimming Pool did their best to lift what was otherwise a gloomy, blustery day.