Only time for a short walk around my home square today, but Blackcap is still proving to be the most numerous of the common warbler species with three singing males compared to one each of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. Later, a Raven called as it flew over Kelvingrove Park.  

A Cuckoo (my first of the year) was singing on Stockie Muir as I passed on my way over to Loch Lomond first thing. In spite of the cold, plenty of birds were active. Final totals for a three hour walk from Rowardennan to Rowchoish were five Wood Warblers, forty Willow Warblers, 13 Blackcaps, two Chiffchaffs, four Redstarts, two Pied Flycatchers, four Tree Pipits, four Nuthatches and a single Cuckoo. Four Common Sandpipers (including a courting pair) were along the shoreline and best of all (after a lone single last week) were four Red-breasted Mergansers. 

A three hour walk between Cambuslang and Uddingston this morning was notable for the sheer number of warblers singing. Minimum numbers were: Willow Warbler - 35 36, Blackcap - 18 19, Whitethroat - 10 11, Chiffchaff - 4 5 and Sedge Warbler - 1. Many of these (including all the Whitethroats) were in the scrubby grassland between the new housing estates at Newton Farm and the Clyde. Other good birds were Sand Martins, Swallows and my first House Martin of the year overhead, two separate loafing male Goosanders (their work is mostly done for the season) and a pair of Grey Wagtails, the male singing as the female watched him [amended figures added 30/04/21).

A pair of Grey Wagtails were interacting at the weir near the Bonnyholm footbridge this morning. The male Goosander was alone on the river near Mosspark Station footbridge and the pale female Mallard (still with five ducklings) was there too. A Long-tailed Tit was carrying food.

On a damper day than yesterday, the numbers of all singing birds were all significantly down. The first Ramsons flowers are appearing.

At least three and potentially up to four Grey Herons were on a 200 metre stretch of the White Cart in south Cardonald today. One bird was seen flying off downstream followed by an immature (first winter) standing quietly in the shallows and two adults bickering under the Cardonald Place Farm Bridge before flying off upstream. I normally only see one bird along this stretch and then usually only in autumn or winter. The reaction of the local Mallards made me wonder if the herons were attracted to the area by the recent appearance of the first ducklings (the pale female had five ducklings nearby). Also notable today (possibly something to do with this being a particularly early visit) was the high number of singing warblers heard (within an area of less than half a square km) consisting of two Willow Warblers, four Chiffchaffs and an incredible six Blackcaps (plus an additional three non-singing birds). Two Stock Doves were singing, a Great Spotted Woodpecker called, the usual pair of Goosanders were loafing on a rock, a pair of Long-tailed Tits had at least one fledged young and the remains of a young Woodpigeon suggested a Sparrowhawk kill.

Birds were hard to find on Arthur's Seat today due to the large number of human visitors present. For instance both Raven and Fulmar remained elusive. Best birds were a singing male Linnet, a singing Grasshopper Warbler and a pair of Kestrels, the male successfully catching small prey. Grey Herons were visible on their tree nests at the western end of Duddingston Loch.

An Osprey was attracting the attention of the local gulls over the Gryfe Water / Black Cart Water confluence as I sped by on the M8 at 3pm. Later, a Mistle Thrush was on the ground near Rosshall School (I suspect worms have been hard to come by with the extremely dry weather we have had over the last week or so). 

An early morning walk around the farmland around Crail produced two of the local specialities (a pair of Grey Partridges feeding quietly among spring cereal and two Corn Buntings having a "sing off" from neighbouring song perches) and a variety of other good birds (Skylark, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Kestrel). Later, a walk between North Queensferry and Burntisland found good numbers of singing Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, singing Yellowhammers at X sites, a single male Wheatear on Hopewood Point, Rabbits at two sites and two Harbour Seals at one.

Judging by the noise and commotion this morning, Common Gulls are again nesting on rooftops in the west end of Greenock. During the day, a Chiffchaff "hoo-weet"ed continuously in the back and front gardens. This evening, a Kingfisher sped down the river (sightings have been very scarce recently).

Five male Black Grouse were at a Stirlingshire lek first thing with some sparring going on. The woods north of Rowardennan were full of singing birds but several of the expected species were absent (or at least not singing). Resident species in song included Woodpigeon, Wren, Robin, Song and Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch and Chaffinch. Summer visitors were represented by Willow Warbler, Blackcap and a few Chiffchaffs. Three Jays called in the canopy and a male Red-breasted Merganser was on the loch. No Wood Warblers or Tree Pipits and only one Redstart were heard. Plants in flower consisted of Wood Sorrel, Primrose, Sweet Violet, Lesser Celandine and Golden Saxifrage. 

My first Orange-tip butterfly and my first Common Sandpiper of the year were the highlights of a sunny walk near Uddingston this morning. Cuckoo flower was flowering and Willow Warbler seemed particularly numerous.

Three tiny Mallard ducklings were on the river this afternoon, being escorted by a rather agitated drake. One of the usual Chifchaffs and a new Blackcap were singing nearby. The other Chiffchaff has stopped singing so presumably he has moved on (I think the males keep singing after pairing and during nest building).

There were lots of Pied Wagtails in Troon today (including some good candidates for the alba subspecies). At least twenty were on seaweed near the top end of south beach and another dozen or so were on the fairways near the Marine Hotel. At one point, a handful of Meadow Pipits rose from the grass to escort a male Sparrowhawk scything its way along the sand dune retaining wall. A single Gannet and at least two Sandwich Terns hunted over the bay.

Dunblane was bathed in spring sunshine today. A pair of Goosanders and a Grey Heron were on the river. A Nuthatch could be heard singing from near the Cathedral. Wild or Barren Strawberry was flowering on some masonry.

An interesting walk through the farmland and backroads around the M8 near the border between Glasgow and North Lanarkshire produced a good selection of typical birds. Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap were encountered all along the route but the biggest surprise was at least four Fieldfares "chack"ing from treetops at Newlands Glen while two Swallows flew overhead. A Dipper was singing on the North Calder Water and (in contrast to the hundreds of Pink-footed Geese seen yesterday) a single Greylag Goose flew over.

The White Cart through Shawlands once again proved to be a reliable site for Dipper with a calling bird flying downstream this afternoon. Also there, a Cuckooflower in flower was my first of the year. Back home, the local male Goosander was on the river alone. Maybe the female is on a nest somewhere.

 

 

Today started with a Siskin on the garden feeders. A long walk around the north east of Glasgow produced some interesting sightings including a Snipe flicking up from Frankfield Loch, a singing Tree Pipit in Drumpellier Country Park (where a presumed breeding colony of Black-headed Gulls was in full swing), a singing Stonechat on the moor between Bishop Loch and Easterhouse, a pair of Gadwall on Auchinlea Pond and singing Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler all round the route. Pink-footed Geese were moving north all morning with five flocks totalling around 450 birds. Twenty Meadow Pipits were on farmland just south of Gartcosh but the highlight there was a confiding Brown Hare.

Two Oystercatchers on playing fields next to Auchinairn Road this morning were a fairly typical sight at this time of year. At least three Yellowhammers were present in the farmland just east of there but no song was heard. A single Meadow Pipit was also present.

Around a dozen gulls (four Black-headeds and the rest Lesser Black-backs) seem to have settled in to summer on the river at South Cardonald, exploiting the ready supply of bread being thrown to ducks. Among the cultivated plants still coming up in Rosshall Park (although they seem to receive little or no care) was the very attractive Barrenwort (Epimedium perralderianum). 

 

Skylarks, Meadow Pipits and Curlews were singing over Muirhouse Muir first thing while Lawings displayed over an adjacent field. At least three pairs of Goldeneye were still on Loch Ardinning. The only migrant passerines heard in the woods were Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Woodruff leaves were beginning to poke through next to the path. Later, in the west end of Glasgow, two singing Stock Doves and four Grey Wagtails were along the Kelvin.

A long walk in the farmland north of the canal near Balmore found the birds difficult to eke out (perhaps due to a combination of cold wind and heavy traffic in places). A few Buzzards appeared here and there and a Jay and a Nuthatch called from a shelter belt. Only two Chiffchaffs and one Willow Warbler were heard. Plants included Red Crest lichen on a fencepost and two patches of Lords and Ladies.

Quite a few birds were showing well at Robroyston Park first thing including Little Grebe, Tufed Duck, Greenfinch and Long-tailed Tit (two pairs). An unusual Primrose was showing well in one spot.

 

An urgent dental appointment in Greenock this morning meant I could take my exercise walk in the Inverclyde hills on the way. Birds were scarce due to the bitingly cold wind. However plenty of Meadow Pipits were chasing eachother on the moors while Skylarks and Curlews were singing overhead.

A walk along the Allander and Kelvin walkways was notable for numerous Meadow Pipits, three small flocks of Fieldfares, two Swallows, singing Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaffs, singing Nuthatches at three sites, a vole species and two Little Ringed Plovers seen distantly on the edge of Balmore Pool [corrected to Buchley Pool, 110421]. 

A rather dull-looking Grey Heron was tucked in beside the river behind the house this lunchtime, presumably not a breeding bird (most don't breed until their second or third summer). A pair of Moorhens were looking settled on their territory but the pair of Goosanders have reappeared on the river after being absent for over a week. I hope it doesn't mean their nesting attempt has failed. However, as the males usually desert the females once they start incubating, it is probably more likely that the attempt hasn't started yet. Greenfinches were out in force in the sunshine with six males singing in the park and even one singing from the arerial of the house next door. 

The number of Chiffchaffs singing in my home 1km square rose by one to three today. A very brief snatch of song might have been my first Blackcap of the spring. A Great Spotted Woodpecker drummed and a Nuthatch called from their usual areas of woodland. 

At least two Oystercatchers were calling loudly over Milngavie town centre this morning. They are possibly nesting down at the sports ground. A Pied Wagtail was singing from the roof of the supermarket near there. Not so welcome was lots of Skunk Cabbage flowering among the Wood Anemones along the river.

Two hours spent walking around Maryhill allowed some casual bird surveying. Most notable birds were single Chiffchaffs singing in each of the four 1km squares visited, and a total of five Common Buzzards (including three in the air together).

The wintering Black-headed Gull flock has now dispersed completely, but at least eighteen Lesser Black-backed Gulls were flying together over the river, possibly coming to bread. A Buzzard was again calling from the wood next to the house.