Spent a couple of hours this morning doing atlas work in Renfrew. One of the most notable sightings was of two female Mallards escorting young on the Cart, one with 7 ducklings and one with at least 17 (the latter group consisted of two sizes, so presumably one clutch had been adopted from elsewhere.  Also  notable were new broods of Mute Swan and Coot on Robertson Park pond and a Roe Deer by the Cart.

Additions to the atlas data were as follows:

NS56 D (Renfrew). Tetrad count increased from 28 up to 31 (Coot, Blackcap, Wren), number of confirmed breeders up from  10 to 11 (Coot).

NS46 Y (Western edge of Renfrew). Tetrad count increased from 48 up to 49 (Rook), number of confirmed breeders up from 5 to 7 (Rook, Blackbird).

NS46 Z (Renfrew Golf course West). Tetrad count increased from 62 up to 63 (Great Black-backed Gull), no change in number of species confirmed breeding.

NS56 E (Renfrew Ferry). Tetrad count increased from 22 to 28 (Blackcap, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Dunnock, Jackdaw, Goldfinch), number of confirmed breeders up from 1 to 4 (Great Tit, Carrion Crow and Starling).

A short detour past the Crookston Raven breeding site this afternoon found two juveniles calling loudly from a chimney stack about 50m from the nest site and a third calling from a nearby tree.

A lovely day today, but five drake Mallards moulting into eclipse plumage served as a reminder that for some species, the back of the year is already beckoning.