Part of a group of around 400 grey geese on the Kelvin floodplain (below).Lots of Pinkfeet and a few Greylags (below).
Male Yellowhammer (below).
Another good day walking the canals of central Scotland, this week the Forth and Clyde between Bishopbriggs and Kilsyth. The morning started with nesting Rooks beside Bishopbriggs Burn and squabbling House Sparrows near the sports centre (this seems to be a real strongold with almost every street thereabouts having singing birds). A singing Skylark near the start of the canal walk was the first of many heard today. Other singers were Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Goldfinch (very numerous), Chiffchaff (at Cadder Bridge, Twechar and Kilsyth South Woods) and Yellowhammer (a single near Glasgow Bridge). Other notable bird sightings included a couple of calling Pheasants, a pair of Canada Geese on a pond near Kilsyth, around 400 grey geese (mostly Pinkfeet and a few Greylags) on the Kelvin floodplain near Torrance, a Cormorant perched in a tree over the canal and two Buzzards soaring over St Flanan (the only ones seen all day). Nesting birds included Rook, Jackdaw, Mute Swan, Pied Wagtail and Feral Pigeon. Interestingly, of 41 Mallard seen, 34 were drakes (presumably the females are mostly on eggs). Mammals included two Roe deer in the woods south of Kilsyth and a Mink on the canal bank between there and Twechar. Finally, two Peacock butterflies were along the stretch east of Kirkintilloch.