The female Mandarin was still on Maxwell Park Pond when I passed through today. She is very timid, both of passers by and the resident Mallards which seem to bully her mercilessly.

 

A Raven flew low over the house this afternoon, heading towards Moulin playing fields. Later, a Grey Wagtail was on the river.

A Buzzard was over Pollok Wood this morning, as usual being pursued by a posse of Carrion Crows.

An adult Moorhen still had a dependent juvenile on the water feature in the Clyde View Park, Renfrew this morning. A patch of Meadow Cranesbill was flowering in an untended patch of vegetation nearby. A good proportion of the drake Mallards in the park and on the Clyde were in breeding plumage and some rudimentary courtship was being acted out.

Three Grey Wagtails and a Goosander were on the river through Kelvingrove Park this afternoon. Less welcome were two Brown Rats.

The strong wind made natural connections a little hard to come by on the walk from Lochore Meadows CP to Loch Leven via Benarty. However there were some interesting fungi along the paths, a trio of Red Darter dragonflies showed well down near the RSPB visitor centre, a few Swallows lingered here and there and the sound of Pink-footed Geese flying over was never far away.

An evening walk around Bank Street in the west end of Glasgow found most species already gone to roost. However a Grey Wagtail seemed to be exploiting the tenement rooftops. 

Two Kingfishers were perched on a boulder in the middle of the river this morning. I wonder if they are young from a late brood.

Two Grey Wagtails were on the river again today. After yesterday's lack of Mallards, six were present today. I spent part of the morning checking the mown lawns around Crookston Castle for Waxcap fungi. However there wasn't much to see apart from a few dried up parasol mushrooms.

Some of the local birds such as Dunnock and Wren seem to be more vocal these days, presumably as their moult period comes to an end. Mallards are still hard to find (I wonder if they move away in late summer or just hide behind the banks of Policeman's Helmet?). The first froost will reveal all.

Two Dunnocks were interacting on the fence opposite our accommodation in Ardrishaig. Up to ten House Sparrows were feeding on a clump of Pampus Grass. 

Raven, Greylag Goose, Wigeon, Stonechat and Common Buzzard were the notable species at Crinan Ferry this morning. An afternoon visit to Taynish NNR produced Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Meadow Pipit, Raven and sadly, a Red Squirrel dead on the road. 

Crinan Ferry was very wet this morning, but calm and mild. Wildlife included Grey Heron, Goosander, Lungwort and Black Spleenwort.

A Red Squirrel started to run across the road but doubled back as we drove along the Crinan Canal this morning. Out over the Moine Mhor, an immature Peregrine was chasing a Mallard. A little later, a large group of Wigeon slipped onto the river as an adult Peregrine appeared overhead. Goldfinches, Pied Wagtails and Grey Herons were common along the canal and around Crinan itself. A few Swallows and a single House Martin were also present.

Driving into Argyll through Cowal today, the main change was the partial replacement of Carrion Crows with Hooded Crows (although plenty of hybrids and Carrion Crows were still present). Two Ravens flew over Loch Eck.

Starling and Black-headed Gull were the commonest species around Braehead Shopping Centre today. Mute Swan, Mallard and Pied Wagtail were on the Clyde behind the shops.

A single Chiffchaff was calling in the back garden this morning with another (or the same) singing (again) around the front of the house.

In spite of the very mild weather in Lunderston Bay this morning, it was apparent that autumn is well underway. The vast majority of Knapweed and Ragwort flowers have now "gone over" and the bees and hoverflies which were using them just two weeks ago had mostly switched to Sow Thistle flowers. A check of the few Ragwort plants still in flower failed to produce any Antler moths but a new species, Common Nettle Tap, was present in considerable numbers. Some other observations of interest included two Dunlin feeding with the usual waders (Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher) on exposed mud (the tide was unusually low), galls of Silk-button Spangle Gall Wasp on Oak leaves and Sea Buckthorn berries providing some very welcome colour.

Saturday, September 11, 2021

A female Mandarin Duck was on Maxwell Park pond when I took a walk through there this afternoon.

The walk up and down Binny Craig, West Lothian today produced some interesting sightings in the form of Kestrel, Jay, Linnet, possible Grey Partridge, Lords and Ladies, Robin's Pincushion and a large Ground Beetle.

The usual Hooded x Carrion Crow hybrid was in Rosshall Park today but appeared well-soaked by the day's almost constant torrential rain.

Two Wheatears were showing well along the path to The Whangie first thing this morning. A temperature inversion had coated the whole of Stokiemuir and the Blane valley in a blanket of thick mist. However Auchineden Hill was completely clear. Meadow Pipit was the commonest species around the Whangie but thirty Linnets and a Stonechat were also present and lots of House Martins and Swallows were feeding overhead. Burncrooks reservoir had few birds apart from a family of Stonecahts and two Reed Buntings. However butterflies were well represented with Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Copper, Small Heath and Green-veined White. A lochan near the pumping station held several Blue-tailed Damselflies.

Today's walk was along the Clyde between Richmond Park and Glasgow Green. Birds on (or over) the river included a Moorhen and two Cormorants. Lingering summer migrants consisted of a calling Chiffchaff near the Clyde Walkway and three Swallows moving over Richmond Park. On the other hand, a single Teal on Richmond Park Pond was a sign of autumn.

Two Nuthatches were following eachother up the trunk of a tree right next to the path on today's walk. A Grey Heron was near the weir beside the playing fields where a Chiffchaff was singing (1).

Once again, between two and three Chiffchaffs were calling around my home 1km square with one of the birds singing for a short period. Later, a Nuthatch was calling and a fledgling Bullfinch was begging for food in Queen's Park.

Three goosanders resting on a rock were the highlight of a very brief wander around Kelvingrove Park this afternoon. Back home, a Great Spotted Woospecker called from the woods.

Today's walk around my home square produced two more calling Chiffchaffs (to add to the two I heard elsewhere in the square yesterday). House Sparrow is another species which has become more evident lately. Around a dozen birds were in a privet hedge on Lammermoor Avenue. 

A calling Nuthatch was the only notable record from today's walk around my home 1km square.

A wander in the Gleniffer Braes this morning produced some interesting records including Sparrowhawk and Kestrel in separate conifer blocks (the latter carrying prey), at least 25 Mistle Thrushes flushing up onto electricity wires, and a good selection of butterflies and moths (a Peacock, five Small Tortoiseshells, a Small Copper, four Antler Moths and a single Angle Shades).