A Dipper was singing strongly on the Kelvin near Great Western Road today. Up to three Grey Wagtails were between Kelvingrove Park and the Botanic Gardens. A single Stock Dove was singing and I thought I heard a Ring-necked Parakeet behind Kelvinside Academy. Plants in flower along the river included Primrose, Sweet Violet, Dandelion, Lesser Celandine, Daffodil, Many-flowered Leek, Skunk Cabbage (!) and some exotic varieties of Snowdrop and Bluebell.

Today's exercise walk was round the very interesting Drumchapel Way. Garscadden Wood was particularly good for spring flowers including Lesser Celandine, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Wood Anemone, Blackthorn and a single, very early Bluebell. Two Ravens flew overhead, a female Sparrowhawk flapped across a clearing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker called in the distance and at least three singing Chiffchaffs were heard.

After the first yesterday, two Chiffchaffs were singing along the river today, one outside the house and the other near the Bonyholme footbridge. 

Always a red letter day in my nature calendar, today produced the first singing Chiffchaff back in South Cardonald. Previous years' first dates have been as follows: 20/03/20; 25/03/19; 01/04/18; 29/03/17; 28/03/16; 01/04/15; 25/03/14; 13/04/13; 31/03/12; 02/04/11 and 29/03/10. The other notable sighting of the day was of an unprecedented ten Bullfinches feeding together on the back garden feeders and on the grass below.

Two Roe Deer were spooked by a cyclist at Hogganfield Park this morning and came galloping across the marsh, flushing a Snipe as they passed. 

Two Buzzards were again flying in and out of the wood behind the house this morning. They always attract the angry attention of the local crows but seem largely unconcerned. Two Long-tailed Tits were unusual visitors to the garden feeders. Three Dunnocks were wing-flicking and chasing eachother around the garden.

A total of 47 pairs of Rooks were building their nests in Paisley's Fountain Gardens today. Interestingly, the nests were distributed over various parts of the park with fifteen near the east gate, 31 near the west gate and a single one near the middle. Two Redwings there will probably be among my last of the winter. A pair of Grey Wagtails were on the muddy bank of the White Cart near the footbridge being renovated at the bottom of Carlile Place. 

Today's exercise walk was in the area between Renfrew and Inchinnan. Birds were fairly few and far between due to strong winds. However there were plenty of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Redshank and Teal along the Black Cart. A single Meadow Pipit was over the fence from the Inchinnan Business Park.

Some notable singers along the river today were Goldcrest, Greenfinch and Chaffinch. The Hooded Crow x Carrion Crow which has lived near the Bonnyholm Bridge for at least eleven years has paired with a normal bird.

Highlights of a walk around the west and northwest edges of Glasgow today included Sparrowhawks at two sites and lots of Marsh Marigold flowering along the canal.

Flowering Butterbur, Dog's Mercury, Coltsfoot and Lesser Celandine. Two Buzzards again over the back of the estate. 

A pair of Stock Doves were courting on the disk golf course in Rosshall Park, the male bowing elaborately to the female. Nearby, a pair of Goosanders appear to have separated off from the small wintering flock further upstream and to have settled near where a pair bred successfully a few years ago. The wintering Mallard flock has now dispersed and mostly males are now scattered along the river with only a few females visible.

Five Lesser Redpolls appeared in the back garden today, the first of the winter here. One appeared to have white areas on its shoulders and flanks but I couldn't get a good enough look to be sure. After yesterday's bat near the Bonyholm play park, singles were under the Cardonald Place footbridge and Howford road bridge this evening.

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For the second time this week, a Common Buzzard was upsetting the local gulls as it flew across the field behind the house. 

A Raven was calling and displaying high over the house this lunchtime. Later, just before sunset, a small bat feeding along the edge of a row of pines was my first of the year.

A big bumblebee (my first of the year) was buzzing around while I was painting a window frame in glorious spring sunshine today. A lone female Siskin visited the garden feeders. 

Two Robins were mating on the garden fence this morning while a Blue Tit was inspecting the nest box on the back wall. At lunchtime, two Goldcrests were engrossed in a violent skirmish, one bird flashing its orance crown. A Woodpigeon, a Stock Dove and a Collared Dove briefly perched on the same branch providing a good opportunity for comparison.

Goldcrests were singing again along the river today. A male Sparrowhawk was flushed from trees in Rosshall Park and went powering along a shrub-lined path. At least eight Palmate Newts (but probably double that number) were active in the garden pond this evening. 

A much calmer day today, after the strong winds we have experienced all week. Birds were virtually absent from the garden and were not particularly visible along the river (where the Mallard flock had fallen from a high of over 60 birds to just a handful). A very confiding Goldcrest and two Nuthatches were the highlights of the walk. Wild Garlic leaves are now covering the ground along extensive stretches of the path. There have still been no Lesser Celandine flowers locally.

There was plenty of frogspawn in the pond near Mugdock Castle this lunchtime. Pairs of Long-tailed Tits were there and in the Botanic Gardens.

There appears to have been a mini-influx of Coal Tits locally with five together in the back garden this morning. A Goldcrest was singing again (I have heard one or two most days this week).

Having speculated yesterday that the local Mallards might have finished pairing up for the season, I saw eight drakes this morning displaying together on the river. Also notable were two Mistle Thrushes (an established pair I have noticed on several occasions now) taking turns to bathe in a puddle on the playing fields.

Two Nuthatches were feeding together on a moss-covered tree near the Disk Golf course. Six Redpolls feeding on Alder catkins were very unusual for the patch. Greenfinches and Goldcrests were among the species in song. The local Mallards appear to have more or less finished pairing off. I expect the females to disappear onto nests before too long. This evening, a storm blew in from the west. A rough night ahead, I suspect. 

Today's walk along the river in south Cardonald yelded a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Kingfisher, five Stock Doves (two singing) and numerous other species in song including Collared Dove, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Robin, Wren, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Chaffinch and Goldfinch. Two Siskins were again on the garden feeders.

A Greenshank at the mouth of Erskine Harbour was the highlight of a walk just over the council boundary into Renfrewshire. Other good birds included Wigeon and Teal, the drakes in beautiful breeding plumage.

A Roe Deer buck was grazing along the river first thing. A Grey Heron was standing on a stone in the middle of the river. At least five Song Thrushes were active around Rosshall Park. A Grey Wagtail was over the playing field there and I thought I heard the "hoo-weet" call of a (presumably wintering) Chiffchaff. Only six Black-headed Gulls were present at their usual wintering spot near the Cardonald Place footbridge. However later in the day, a noisy flock of twenty or more flew over downriver.

Working all day in the garden - while the birds kept coming to the feeders and scolding me from time to time. It was good to find the odd millipede and centipede while turning over the soil. 

Stars of the bird feeders today were a pair of Greenfinches and a smart male Siskin. The Little Grebe which has presumably wintered on the river behind the house made one of its rare appearances, surfacing very briefly before submerging again. Chaffinches seem to be singing everywhere these days, Longtailed Tits have separated into pairs and the local wintering Black-headed Gull flock seems to have all but dispersed.

A change back to colder weather may have been responsible for the higher numbers of birds on the garden feeders (including ten Bullfinches) and the return of Siskins. Stock Dove remains one of the most notable and noticeable species locally with two singing birds and a courting pair found this evening. 

After failing to connect with any in the first two months of the year, I came across TWO Kestrels today - a male soaring over the Clyde at Govan and a female dropping on prey from a gantry over the M74 near Rutherglen. Other birds around Govan this lunchtime included a Little Grebe, a Moorhen, two Grey Wagtails and 24 Mute Swans.

Highlight of today's exercise walk over to the West End was a sad one - a Woodcock, dead on the paved garden in front of a building on Yorkhill Street.