A Mistle Thrush and a Blackbird were singing outside the house at 6:30 this morning. A little later, at least eleven Collared Doves were either displaying or singing along a quarter of a mile stretch of road between Cardonald Place Farm and the top of Tweedsmir Road. Also notable was a Lesser Black-backed Gull, my first local bird of the year, and a cockerel crowing near Shiloh Hall (after I heard another at Cardonald Animal Rehoming Centre last week).
A walk around Linlithgow Loch and over Airngath Hill produced some interesting sightings. Most notable was a flock of at least one hundred mixed finches (Chaffinches, Bramblings, Goldfinches and at least one Greenfinch) feeding in a field of ripe sunflowers at Bonnytoun Farm. Nearby were a Pied Wagtail, a singing Skylark and at least two Tree Sparrows. A single bee (my first of the year) was visiting Crocuses in Bo'ness. Heading home, Kinneil Lagoon held large flocks of Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Knot and Dunlin, as well as four Scaup in the channel. Hogganfield Loch held 14 Whooper Swans.