No time yet to write the report on yesterday's trip. However here are a few notes about the first third of the day:

Garden Warbler singing at the railway bridge in South Cardonald.

A House Martin leaving a probable nest in Cardonald Gardens.

A Blue Tit visiting a nest site in the porch of a shop in Nethybridge.

A fledged brood of Coal Tits along the river in Nethybridge was accompanied by a Treecreeper (suggestive of early flocking – or just the Treecreeper coming to investigate the begging calls) Another fledged brood of Coal Tits was at Duackbridge. The birds were very confiding, allowing a very close approach.

A Rook, a Jackdaw and a Greenfinch were feeding on Nethybridge football field.

Chaffinch song was a feature of Nethybridge village and the Abernethy forest.

Other birds in the Nethybridge area included:

A Robin carrying food,

An Oystercatcher calling overhead,

A Curlew calling in fields to the north

Two Pied Wagtails (presumably a pair) on a rooftop with one bird flattening itself against the roof with wings and tailed fanned.

Birds seen during a walk around Abernethy Forest included:

Single Crested Tits at three sites in

Singing Chaffinches outnumbering singing Willow Warblers 63:6

Singing Tree Pipit at four sites

A flock of at least 8 unidentified crossbills feeding in tree-tops. The sound of discarded pine cones hitting branches as they rained down from above was quite loud and very distinctive.

Only one Spotted Flycatcher was encountered during one hour walk spent in Abernethy Forest (although many more were seen at other sites later in the day). Other species consisted of Chaffinch (63 singing males), Coal Tit, Wren, Siskin, Crossbill (8), Goldcrest, Willow Warbler (6 singing males), Crested Tit (3) and Redstart (2).

Other wildlife in Nethybridge consisted of flowering Sweet Cicely and Broom and a yellow daisy growing in great profusion. Also lots of calls of young birds.

Other wildlife in Abernethy Forest included:

Many black slugs (attracted out of cover by the damp weather)

Violets and cotton Grass in flower, Bracken fronds nearly fully unfurled, Bilberry flowering in places,

A single Red Squirrel at Inchdryne.

A Green Woodpecker heard yaffling briefly along the Tulloch Mhor Road

Three broods of Coal Tits (including five and six) along the Tulloch Mhor Road (the latter being chased by a Willow Warbler)

Whinchat interacting with / chasing one of several Meadow Pipits along the Tulloch Mhor Road

31 singing Willow Warblers (19 singing Chaffinches) and one Blackcap along Tulloch Mohr Road

A few singing Tree Pipits and Spotted Flycatchers along Tulloch Mohr Road

A Yellowhammer singing on Heather moorland at the west end of the Tulloch Mohr Road with another singing from wires over the road at East Croftmore

Several Song Thrushes in song distributed between various sites

Four House Martins nest building on a house in Street of Kincardine

15 singing Willow Warblers (and 14 Chaffinches) were around Street of Kincardine

Dandelions, so bright last month, are now almost completely spent. Flowers present included Bilberry and Chickweed Wintergreen.

Swallows, Sand Martins, House Martins, Swifts, Black-headed Gulls, Pied Wagtails and Spotted Flycatchers all taking insects low over the Spey in cool, damp weather.

Two pairs of Oystercatchers alarm-calling from fields along the Spey.

18 singing Willow Warblers (and one singing Blackcaps) and 11 singing Chaffinches along the Spey

Jackdaws attending sheep in riverside fields

Ten Common Sandpipers at intervals all along the Spey between Boat of Garten and Aviemore

Pied Wagtails (and a single Grey Wagtail) at intervals all along the Spey between Boat of Garten and Aviemore

At least eleven Goldeneye were present in ones and twos along the Spey between Boat of Garten and Aviemore.

Two Red-breasted Mergansers (including one bird catching a fish and being mobbed by Black-Headed Gulls) near Kinchurdy Cottage

Two broods of Long-tailed Tits (and one of Blue Tits) along the Spey

An agitated Snipe was showing well (and possibly protecting young) in marshy ground near the Spey south of Boat of Garten

A flock of 6 Mistle Thrushes (presumably a fledged brood) fed on grassland near the Spey, then escaped to the treetops. This is a site where I have seen a large flock later in the year.

Small numbers of Lapwing, Oystercatcher and Curlew in fields along the Spey

A Song Thrush carrying food and an adult Pied Wagtail with young beside the Spey north of Aviemore

Starlings flocking on grassland north of Aviemore

Very small numbers of Herring Gulls around Aviemore

Roe Deer on Aviemore Golf Course (and also in Perth Station and Strathallan).

50 Red Deer near the Drumochter Pass railway sign.

A flock of 15 Greylag Geese (consisting of both adults and half-grown juveniles) was at Blair Atholl

Heather moorland still mostly grey-brown in colour but with some green coming through. Much Broom in flower (probably the dominant colour in the landscape) with Rowans also in flower and Birch trees now fully in leaf.

Four Song Thrushes, a Blackbird, a Starling (accompanied by a begging juvenile) and 8 Rooks were feeding (with 6 big Rabbits) on the hotel lawn along the main road through Aviemore.

Flowering plants in Aviemore included Violet and naturalised Welsh Poppy.

The full species count for the day was: Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Grey Heron, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Skylark, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Treecreeper, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Robin, Redstart, Whinchat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Redpoll (Common/Lesser), unidentified crossbill, Goldfinch, Siskin, Yellowhammer (60 species).