A brief stop at Murdieston Park before attending an appointment in Greenock revealed dozens of Swallows and Sand Martins plus two House Martins feeding low over the dams in very cold conditions. I guess these species will delay their breeding until temperatures rise. The worry of course is that if the cold weather continues very much longer, some may not even bother with a single attempt. The Mute Swan pair on the main dam appear to have abandoned their nest but the pair on Town Dam were sitting tight. Coot breeding activity seems to be well down on previous years with only two (empty) nests seen (although there may have been others I missed). Mallards were virtually absent with the females presumably still on eggs. No broods were evident on either dam. Four or five pairs of Tufted Ducks were out on the water, presumably still to begin nesting.