No sign or sound of Swifts today. But that is the way it goes with them - one day they're here ... A Blackbird at Braehead was still in full breeding mode with a beak full of worms indicating chicks nearby .

A  single Swift was high over a steamy Greenock this lunchtime. Down at the esplanade, four Black Guillemots gave excellent views from the quayside.

Today was very wet all over Scotland (as shown in the weather map below). Drymen, this afternoon, was  damp but warm and muggy. A single House Martin and five Swifts fed between the showers. Heading home, a single Swift screamed high over Clydebank.

Managed to get all the sightings for the Moray and Aberdeenshire holiday week entered into Birdtrack. Altogether, 112 species were seen as follows:

Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Eider, Goldeneye, Goosander, Red Grouse, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Fulmar, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Buzzard, Osprey, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Curlew, Common , Sandpiper, Greenshank, Redshank, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Puffin, Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Tawny Owl, Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hybrid Carrion x Hooded Crow, Raven, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Treecreeper, Wren, Starling, Dipper, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail,  Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting.

Most notable was the number of species for which breeding was obtained including:
Mute Swan - Adults with dependent young
Mallard, Gadwall, Eider, Tufted Duck - Females with dependent young
Great crested Grebe - Pair with dependent young
Little Grebe - Occupied nests
Cormorant - Nests containing young
Fulmar - Occupied nests
Gannet - Nests containing young
Oystercatcher - Adults with dependent young
Kittiwake - Nests containing young
Black-headed Gull - Adult with dependent young
Herring Gull - Occupied nests and recently fledged young
Common Gull - Adult with dependent young
Common Tern - Nests containing young
Guillemot -  Nests containing young
Razorbill - Occupied nests
Feral Pigeon - Probable nest site
Swift - Adult entering nest hole
Grey Wagtail - Adult carrying food
Swallow - Adult entering occupied nest
House Martin - Adults entering occupied nests
House Sparrow - Adult carrying food
Whitethroat - Adult carrying food
Yellowhammer -  Adult carrying food.

A major hatch of winged ants took place in one of the large planters in the back garden this afternoon. 
This evening, a bat sp was over the south cardonald railway bridge.

A House Martin was over the garden first thing and at least two Swifts were over Hamilton about midday. This evening, two Carrion Crows calling noisily above the back garden proved to be mobbing a Buzzard (a rare visitor to the area) which was soaring just above treetop height.

Some forthcoming titles........

An afternoon walk in Fullarton Woods, Troon produced a Great spotted Woodpecker and a single Swift.

The end of a busy week

Our week in Northeast Scotland came to an end today with a long drive through deteriorating weather. A Red Squirrel was on the roadside just outside Granton on Spey.  A little later, a stop at the Strathspey Heather Centre found the feeders there alive with juvenile Great Tits, Blue Tits and especially Siskins. 

One of the attractions of summer birdwatching is the variety of signs of breeding activity - adults visiting nest sites, eggs and young in nests and fledgling birds on the wing.
Other highlights of an excellent week have included the constant activity at the Troup Head seabird colony, the frequent presence of hunting Ospreys over suitable waterways, the presence of early-arriving migrant waders at coastal sites and the sound of screaming Swifts in almost every town and village we visited.

A trip to the far east

Today's main event was a visit to the RSPB reserve at Loch of Strathbeg. The drive over was uneventful, but the sight of the sun rising as a crimson ball out of the North Sea was amazing. Spent around five hours at Strathbeg (5:30 - 10:30) and managed to cover most of the public areas of the reserve. Some of the most memorable sights were weedy field full of passerines including Sedge Warblers and Yellowhammers, a fair smattering of early-returning waders (Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Dunlin), numerous examples of breeding (including broods of Great crested Grebe, Gadwall, Shelduck, Mute Swan and Tufted Duck, and nests containing nestlings of Cormorant and Common Tern), large numbers of Tree Sparrows round the centre and very friendly and helpful staff. 

On the way back west, a Kestrel hovered over Lonmay.

Three castles

Today started with two Red legged Partridges in the half-light by the roadside on the outskirts of Buckie. Three Corn Buntings were on wires just to the east of there. A little further on, a Red Fox ran across the road. The remainder of the morning's drive produced three separate Roe Deer and a dead Hedgehog. (Later today, a dead Stoat was at Garmouth and yesterday a dead Badger was on the road to Portsoy). By the way, the Herring Gull chick which has been walking about the local gardens all week (as its parents screech overhead) is still managing to evade the attentions of the local cats. Arrived at Lochindorb at 5am to find the loch perfectly calm and the castle bathed in a pink glow. 

Wildlife in the area (either there or on moorland north to Dava and Furness) included Kestrel, Merlin, both divers, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Oystercatcher, Common Sandpiper, Curlew, Red legged Partridge, Red Grouse and a million midges. Heading back north, a stop at the Falls of Sluie produced a really good selection of woodland birds including Jay, Great spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Treecreeper and Redstart. A brief stop at Kingston around lunchtime produced five dolphins, one of which leaping completely clear of the water. In the afternoon, took a walk down to Findlater Castle (via the almost equally impressive doo'cot). Most notable sightings there were cliff nesting Fulmars, cave-nesting Feral Pigeons and the now ubiquitous clouds of butterflies.

Earlier in the day, the Spey behind the Baxters shopping outlet produced Mute Swan, Mallard and Grey Wagtail. Later (about 9.30pm) came the most bizarre sighting of the day - a Tawny Owl being pursued across Tesco's Car Park in Elgin by a crowd of angry gulls. The day ended with a visit to a much loved location - Duffus Castle. No Quail or Tree Sparrow this time but the site has lost none of its imposing form or timeless atmosphere. 

Heading back to Buckie, eighteen Swifts were making the most of the gloaming over Lossiemouth .

A quieter day

Today started at 6:30am on Lossiemouth east beach. The attraction was the regular Little Terns, and the possibility that the recent Mongolian Plover might reappear. In practice, a thick, east coast harr made birdwatching almost impossible, with visibility down to 50m. About a dozen Sanderling did appear through the mist but the only terns on show were Arctic and Common. A good selection of waders was on the nearby estuary and a big group of Carrion Crows included one hoodie hybrid. Loch Skene had a very active Common Tern colony with several young plus broods of Tufted Duck and Little Grebe. 

Loch Oire also had breeding Little Grebes plus a few Coot. Along the cost, Portsoy had at least ten Swifts (with one entering a nest on the village church). 

Nests of House Martins were also found. Finally, this evening, at least 20 Swifts screamed over Buckie until well after 10pm.

A seabird day (mostly)

Had a very enjoyable trip on the Gemini Explorer out of Buckie harbour this afternoon. Seeing the coast between Buckie and Cullen from the sea gave a different perspective from the land side. No mammals were seen apart from Grey Seals but plenty of birds were around including Fulmar, Shag, Gannet, Razorbill, Guillemot and Black Guillemot. 

The latter species (three birds flying incredibly close to the boat) was actually the only new one of the day after a really fantastic early morning visit to RSPB Troup Head. Arrived there at 6am and had the place to myself for the next three hours. Most notable birds were,of course, the nesting seabirds with Gannets, Kittiwakes (both with many large chick), Guillemots, Razorbills and Herring Gulls particularly abundant. The smell of the occupied cliff faces was quite pungent and the noise particularly memorable. 

Scattered amongst the common species were a number of others including Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Shag, a single Cormorant, other large gulls and a singing Wren. A family of Ravens kept up an itermittant croaking with one of the adults circling me repeatedly, no doubt to check I wasn't a threat to the three juveniles milling about. A Peregrine caught sight of me and took off out to sea, scolding angrily. A Great Skua was on the sea at the base of the cliffs and up to four others were patrolling the cliffs and harrying the incoming auks. Particularly notable however was a dark-phase Arctic Skua which drifted past, a little further out. Puffins took a bit of finding but eventually at least five were seen flying in, their white faces and red bill-markings proving useful field marks.

As well as the seabird colony, the site provided a very satisfying suite of land birds just behind the cliffs. A single Corn Bunting was singing strongly from various exposed perches. More abundant were Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Linnet and Yellowhammer, with House Sparrows and Starlings around the farm buildings and a Reed Bunting beside the access road. Up to ten Yellowhammers (a post-breeding flock?) were with four Pied Wagtails in a sheep field. Add in Burnet Moths and numerous butterflies (blues, browns and fritillaries) and a wonderfully overwhelming wildlife experience was had. Just a pity that no Stonechats were present (the clifftop gorse looks ideal for them). 

The late afternoon was spent in Elgin. A female Tufted Duck had a brood of four young on Cooper Park pond and a female Mallard had three tiny young on the adjacent river. Also there, and a big surprise, was a feeding Dipper. The day end on the shore at Portgordon with more Grey Seals accompanied by singing Whitethroat and Corn Bunting.

Trips inland and to the coast

Spent a lovely afternoon exploring the beaches and cliffs around Cullen. The main target species, Stonechat, wasn't found. Instead had to be content with a suite of common birds, an accompanying cast of butterflies and moths, breeding evidence for plenty of the bird species and a fascinating backdrop of spectacular rock formations and luxuriant under-cliff vegetation. Birding highlights included two Kestrels hunting together, two Eider females with ducklings, a pair of Oystercatchers shepherding two fluffy young, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat and House Sparrow carrying food and a Fulmar patrolling overhead. 

The morning was spent in and around Carbach. Again the target species (Short-eared Owl and Hen Harrier) weren't found, although three juvenile Peregrines almost made up for that. Other upland birds included Wheatear, Common Gull, Lapwing and Oystercatcher. At the Grouse Hotel, House Martins were feeding young and a juvenile Spotted flycatcher rasped nearby. 

Heading back to the coast, mainly lowland birds such as Skylark, Rook, Magpie, Red-legged Partridge, Linnet and Stock Dove appeared.

Buckie and Spey Bay

A short walk around Buckie this morning produced nesting Swift plus singing Yellowhammer and Sedge Warbler. 

This evening, a trip to Spey Bay produced a Pine Marten across the approach road (and a Fox on the way back), at least seven Dolphins moving offshore, at least three Ospreys fishing in the channels and five Whimbrels giving their "seven whistles" as they circled overhead. Also present were a mixed group of 15 Common and Arctic Terns resting on a shingle bank (plus lots more overhead), a family group of a ringed plover species (I just couldn't nail down the ID), a couple of flocks of Dunlin, big concentrations of Mute Swans, Mallards and Goosanders plus numerous hirundines, finches, warblers and other waders. 

The Ospreys were still fishing when we left at 10:10pm.

Heading north again

Spending a few days in Moray thanks to the kindness of a friend. Stopped twice on the journey up. In Pitlochry, two Grey Wagtails were bringing food to a nest near the dam. Five Goosanders were loafing on rocks nearby. Second stop was Loch Insh. Few birds were about but it was a good opportunity to find out how to access that particular part of the bank. 

A quick recce around Buckie this evening produced point-blank views of a Corn Bunting on a fencepost (located by the sound of its song through the car window).

Odd sightings at home and nearby (must remember to upload them to birdtrack):
House Martin - one over Cardonald Gardens, Sunday 5pm.
Collared Dove - one in garden at 6am and two over Kingsland Drive, North Cardonald at 6pm (both today)
Swift - single high over Balgray playing field at 8pm this evening.

A morning walk from Cardonald to Shawlands produced singing Willow Warblers, Garden Warblers and Whitethroats plus two Swifts near Pollok House and four Goosanders under Shawbridge. Pollok Park was alive with Swallows, especially the area around the Visitor Centre where several pairs are nesting. A juvenile Pied Wagtail also suggested successful breeding there.

Back home, the "greening" of my postage stamp in South Cardonald was evidenced by a grasshopper sp which found its way into the house. Unfortunately, it was killed as a "cleg" before I found out about it.

A frustrating day today with work to do but major connectivity problems. The songs of a Blackcap and a Whitethroat wafting through the window didn't help much. Eventually gave up about 4pm and went for a walk along the river. More singing Whitethroats were at two sites with  Chiffchaffs also at two and a calling Willow Warbler at one. One of the singing Chiffchaffs was answered by a hidden bird nearby, giving the characteristic "squeaky toy" contact call.
A juvenile Goosander on the river was associating with nine young Mallards. A female Mallard at Bull Wood had two tiny ducklings. Finally, a pair of Bullfinches bounded away when I disturbed them feeding. Highlight of the walk was the wonderful display of wild rose at several sites. One large bush on the waterside had shed petals underneath it lying like fallen snow. Another bush, near Rosshall Park, had scrambled several metres up the surrounding conifers. All had a lovely, delicate fragrance.

An evening walk around Glasgow's West End produced a singing Song Thrush, a newly-fledged Great Tit and a single, high-flying Swift.

Greenock continues to be a bit of a seagull city with rooftops crammed with mobile young and the skies full of anxious parents. A brief lunchtime walk around Murdieston Dams found four species (Common, Black-headed, Herring and Lesser black-backed) scavenging for bread. Also notable were family groups of Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot and Tufted Duck. The latter consisted of a female with three small young. They are one of my favourite ducks at this stage. The young are like corks bobbing back to the surface after every dive. Jackdaws also had dependent young nearby.

Back home, a male Blackbird was acting suspiciously beside the garden pond. At one point it gave a good thrashing to something which I can only imagine was a small frog. As the light faded, a single Swift screeched once, high overhead - sadly the first I have heard in South Cardonald this year.

A Kestrel flew across Paisley Road West this evening, moving between Craigton and Corkerhill Cemeteries.

Having to be up for taxi duty at 6am has its rewards - a female Blackbird with a beakful of worms in front of the house. 
Graduation day in Paisley was made even more memorable by the sight and sound of three Swifts careering through the UWS precinct. I really do fear for what appears now to be a tiny central Paisley population. Incredible then that someone has posted a record of 100 in nearby Barrhead on Birdtrack.

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The usual Blackcap was in song again first thing this morning. Heading down the Clyde, a large bird over the Clyde at West Ferry was probably an Osprey.

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A Blackcap was singing loudly first thing today. Arriving in Greenock, something was bothering the Ardgowan Square Common Gulls as their screeches could be heard from four streets away. Three Sandwich Terns on the timber cages at Woodhall this evening were my first there this summer. Back home, the Blackcap was active again.

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A morning walk through southwest Glasgow produced mostly common birds but Whitethroats singing at two sites and both Blackcap and Chiffchaff singing at single sites were notable. Some Wild Peas growing beside the busy Haggs Castle road were a riot of colour while the Honeysuckle tumbling over the back fence went one better with its wonderful scent.

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A day in the garden :-\

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The ongoing saga of the Ardgowan Square Common Gulls continues unabated. At 7 this morning, the adults could be heard screeching from two streets away and through closed car windows. On investigation, the cause of the upset was a Lesser black-backed Gull resting on a chimney pot just above the nest site. The adults were dive-bombing it and eventually succeeded in driving it away. No chicks were visible but the adults' behaviour suggested some were close by.

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There was a feeding frenzy of at least four Sand Martins, six House Martins and three Swifts over the Cart at Forbes Place, Paisley this lunchtime.

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A few pictures from Saturday's Strathspey trip (taken by CJM):

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As I moved the family wheelie-bin yesterday, a ground beetle scurried away. A few days earlier, my neighbour commented that he had seen many more bees on his lawn (attracted to White Clover flowers) this year than in previous years. And along the Speyside Way on Saturday I saw something which I have rarely experienced in the UK - clouds of moths and other insects rising from the ground ahead of my footsteps. Unrelated events, and in themselves unremarkable, but perhaps evidence of nature's capacity to bounce back and abound when given half a chance.

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The Common Gulls nesting at Ardgowan Square, Greenock were absent this morning. Perhaps they failed at the chick stage.