Drove down to Greenock in the early morning gloom, but still noticed a huge Grey Heron lumbering over the carriageway at Bishopton. Drove back under blue skies for the first time in ages. Highest tide I've seen for a long time - only two bricks short of the top of the harbour wall at Greenock. Water is a bluey-brown colour - no doubt because of all the stirring up the high winds have caused. High winds have at last subsided. However, sadly, the big Horse Chestnut in the second Finlaysone meadow has lost a limb to the storms. Noticed a big increase in birdlife today (refugees from stormy weather elsewhere?). Literally hundreds of Lapwings flying over the shore and sea-level meadows at Langbank. Also a pair of Wigeon there, perhaps 20 Mallard and a single Mute Swan. Back in Paisley, noticed a pair of Mistle Thrushes "chacking" above the traffic noise as they chased over the tenements. It is still incredibly mild (the press is full of "I told you so" stories about global warming), and the birds are responding by pairing up.