The usual walk along the Cart was uneventful except for a single Grey Wagtail (rare here) at the Rosshall bend and the pair of Goosanders now under the Rosshall footbridge. Plenty of House Sparrows chirruping from cover (I wonder if they are hiding from Sparrowhawks).

Yesterday's visit to Dunblane was notable for plenty of roadside Kestrels and a few good-sized flocks of Fieldfares. Today, the sea level in the Clyde (at 4;30pm) was the highest I have ever seen it (inundating both the reedbed just east of West Ferry and the fields at Longhaugh).

A last-minute shopping trip to Paisley town centre yesterday morning turned up a Grey Heron, a Kingfisher and a pair of Goosanders on the Cart. This afternoon, the usual walk along the river revealed quite a high count of 16 Mallard and a Cormorant (unusually) fishing the stretch next to Moulin playing fields. Also a couple of Great Tits and a single Robin in song.

A second consecutive day of sharp frost continued the wintry theme in West Central Scotland. Ayr, tonight, was particularly cold. However the calm, bright conditions have come as a pleasant change from weeks of rain. Principal natural connection today was a presumed owl labouring over the top of the three-towns bypass at dusk.

A mild day today - more like autumn than winter. Perhaps that explains the 2 Wrens in song next to Rosshall School (and the Blue Tit and House Sparrow singing in Hyndland yesterday). Other highlights on a walk along the Cart this afternoon were a male and 2 female Goosander (under the first bridge), a Little Grebe (on the river at the Rosshall bend), 4 Moorhens (1 is usually the maximum) and a flock of around 30 Redpolls.

A rainy day here in West Central Scotland, with the first sleet of the winter. Took a walk along the River Calder at Calderglen Country Park. Highlights were 2 Dippers feeding together and sizeable groups of Chaffinches, tits and Woodpigeons feeding on Beech mast.

Today’s highlights were 58 Whooper Swans at Candrens and the remains of a Woodpigeon scattered on the back lawn (presumably by a Sparrowhawk).