A walk along the river this afternoon saw 50 Woodpigeons flying overhead, all heading east. A Black-headed Gull was a slightly unusual visitor this late in the year.

Some of the highlights of Saturday's Strathspey trip were as follows:
- Some good train sightings including a pair of Mute Swans at Denning, a Buzzard in the Drumochter Pass, Rooks, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Woodpigeons and a Pheasant on new stubble east of Newtonmore and a Grey Heron just before Loch Insh.
- Plenty of birds along the Spey heading north from the centre of Aviemore including two mixed tit flocks, plenty of Mallards and seven Goosanders, Robin probably the commonest (and certainly the most audible) bird, a Mistle Thrush, a Blackbird and two Robins under a Rowan tree, Siskins in the treetops and flying over, a single Long-tailed Tit and a single Hoodie Hybrid.
- Plenty of insect life along the river including lots of small craneflies, a few day-flying moths and a single Black Darter.
- A small selection of late flowers (all being avidly exploited by a variety of true flies and hoverflies) including Devil's Bit Scabious, Ragwort and Hawkweed.
- Some striking bee flies and a big, golden Bumblebee all feeding on Devil's Bit Scabious.
- Some interesting fungi including a white, tea-plate sized species under a stand of Birch.
- Four adult Great Black-backed Guls, ten adult Herring Gulls, numerous juveniles of (presumably) both species plus Jackdaws, Rooks and Carrion Crows (and a single Hoodie Hybrid) on Granish Dump.
Some Birch and Aspen leaves yellowing (but others still green).
- Sixteen Woodpigeons on Rabbit-cropped turf.
- Ten Starlings in a flock at Lochan Mor housing estate.
- Seven Pied Wagtails, three White Wagtails and three Meadow Pipits in the hose field next to the SNH Headquarters at the north end of the village.
- Another tit flock containing ten Long-tailed Tiits and two Goldcrests.
At least three Dor Beetles crossing the north orbital path. 
- NO Collared Doves, Greenfinches, Kingfisher.

Imressions of Strathspey in September.
- The sunny weather gave a late summer / early autumn feel with clouds of insects and thistledown in the air.
- Grasses now yellowed but trees mostly still green.
- Few plants in flower - some of the richest colour was provided by the red stems of dead willowherb plants.
- No hirundines, Black-headed Gulls having deserted cental Aviemore, lots of Rabbits.

A damp walk along the river this afternoon found the first fallen Oak leaves of the autumn on the path. Robins were singing and Blackbirds seemed more numerous than of late.

Despite a rather dubious weather forecast, today's trip to Aviemore actually turned out to be mostly fine. in fact, there were clouds of insects present along the Spey through Dalfaber and the thistle down in the air also contributed to the late summer feel.

A stop off at Pow Burn on the way to a pick up at Prestwick Airport was too brief to produce much of interest except a couple of sizeable flocks of Starlings exploring the horse fields.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

A quick walk past Bingham's Pond this afternoon found only the usual waterbirds langishing in the late summer sunshine. The Feral Pigeons around there are quite an assortment of colours compared to here in south Cardonald.

A change in the weather today to much cooler conditions.

Pink-footed Geese are pouring into and through Scotland.

A beautiful sunrise in Gourock this morning was followed by a fine day

A quick look around Murdieston Dams found numbers of ducks and Coots dropping from their late summer highs. An unusual sight was a Brown Rat feeding among the Mallards.