The usual walk along the river produced 29 species today including ten in song. At least 40 Redwings were on the middle playing field - by far the most I have seen this year.

Black-headed Gull, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck and Moorhen were the only species evident on the pond in Friggate Park when I passed there this afternoon. The storm of two days ago had brought down several trees in the park. I wonder what damage tonights storm will wreak. Heading home, a mouse sp scampered across the road past Craigmillar Castle and a Rabbit was at the park and ride roundabout.

High winds sweeping over Scotland made today's trip to Edinburgh a little more complicated than normal with services cancelled and the speed limit on the line reduced to 40mph. Despite this, the weather was clear and bright.

A Treecreeper was feeding at head-height beside the path this afternoon (providing excellent views as it tugged pieces of moss from the bark of a tree). At least three pairs of Mallards were back on the river, presumably thinking about selecting nest sites.

It was a mild day in Paisley today with Robin, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Goldfinch and Bullfinch all singing in the sunshine. Four fern species were growing on the wall of one of the vennels off Oakshaw Street.

This morning I made my annual pilgrimage to see what I think might be the only "wild" Winter Aconites in Glasgow. The site, which is in a small patch of deciduous woodland, has definitely deteriorated over the past year with large patches of grass encroaching on the woodland floor where the plants are. Many of the trees in the wood where the colony is located are dead or dying (judging by the number of fallen branches all over the site) and I suspect that the resulting thinning of the canopy (and possibly the recent mild weather) has allowed the grasses to gain a foothold. Today, plenty of plants were pushing up through the leaf litter and a few had already opened their leaves (although the flowers were still closed). However I do fear for the future of the colony as it is only about two square metres in size and it would not take much to wipe it out completely. The main threats would appear to be the encroachment of rough grass, the possibility of one or more trees falling onto the plants and the potential for the plants to be found and dug up. I was thinking about contacting the Diversity Officer for Glasgow City Council to see if anything could be done to protect the colony - or even to translocate some of the plants to other, less-threatened sites. 

 

 

Highlights of a walk around the loch in the James Hamilton Heritage Park this lunchtime were four Lapwings on the pontoon and exactly one hundred Greylag Geese coming in to land from north of the site. A dead Badger was on the road heading towards Hamilton and later, a dead Hedgehog was on the M8 off-ramp at Charing Cross in the centre of Glasgow.

The Mute Swans on Cowdenknowes Dam this morning were extremely agitated due to the presence of two interloping birds. There was much chasing and some physical contact. There was a prolonged spell of copulation between two birds in the midst of the conflict. Could it have been the resident male demonstrating his authority or an interloper usurping the resident male.

A Common Buzzard was mewing over Lyoncross Road this morning. The local Wrens seem to have found their voices with four in song along my usual walking route. Male Bullfinches were singing at two sites.

Saturday, January 22, 2022

The birds around the east end of Paisley late this afternoon were fairly unremarkable but it was interesting to note a steady stream of Black-headed Gulls and some Herring Gulls heading west (presumably to roost somewhere down the Clyde). I witnessed a similar phenomenon over Dalmuir late last Tuesday afternoon.

Nuthatch and Mistle Thrush were the noisiest species on today's walk, presumably males establishing breeding territories. 

A Pied Wagtail was on the eastern edge of my home square this lunchtime.

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling in the woods beyond Rosshall Park and two Goldcrests were singing back near the house. 

Hundreds (or more likley thousands) of Herring Gulls and Black-headed Gulls were flying down the Clyde opposite Erskine just before dusk. Wigeon were whistling from the shallows near Newshot Island while three Cormorants fished the main channel.

Twenty-eight bird species were along the river path this afternoon. 

A Wren was singing along the riverside path today - and two separate Nuthatches were calling at opposite ends of the park.

Today's walk around Balloch failed to turn up either the Long-tailed Duck which has been lingering there or the Mandarin Ducks which live at the slipway. The weather (gentle drizzle) and the occasion (a family walk) didn't allow for the minimal searching that might have located both. However close views of Goosander and Goldeneye in pristine breeding plumage provided ample consolation.

An early morning walk around Kilrenny in Fife failed to uncover any Grey Partridges. The woods near the village were full of singing Stock Doves and squabbling Tree Sparrows. Skeins of both Pink-footed and Greylag Geese passed overhead. Later, the only birds on misty walks up East and West Lomond were Carrion Crow and Red Grouse.

Unusually, my walk co-incided with lunchtime for the local high school. Contrary to what might have been expected, there were actually more birds about than usual (such as my highest local counts of Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls this winter), no doubt due to the food scraps dropped by the pupils on their way to and from the local shops. Three Dunnocks were singing, as was a single Mistle Thrush.

A Song Thrush and two Dunnocks were the most notable singing birds on my home patch today. Also of interest were a Common Buzzard in the woods and a male Sparrowhawk over the estate.

The local birds again seemed convinced that spring has arrived with a Mistle Thrush singing loudly and continuously from the top of a tall conifer in Rosshall Park while at least three others quarrelled in the treetops (at one point dive-bombing the singing bird). Dunnock was a new singer for the year but the others (Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Stock Dove, Robin, Woodpigeon and Starling) have all been singing for days if not weeks. Robin is an interesting case. At least some of the local birds have switched from their subdued winter song to a full-blooded and full volume spring song.

Today was another spring-like day, at least judging by the behaviour of the local birds with Woodpigeon, Stock Dove, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Starling, Robin, Song Thrush and Greenfinch all in song. A Little Grebe near the Cardonald Place footbridge was of interest.

Plenty of birds were active on a mild and windless day in south Cardonald today. Floods on the playing fields had brought down 43 Black-headed Gulls. Singing Coal Tit, Great Tit and Stock Dove were also notable. It felt like the beginning of spring!

Saturday, January 08, 2021

A damp walk around Kelvingrove Park produced nothing notable apart from a single Goldcrest (not singing unlike the one heard earlier this week).

A significant fall of snow overnight seemed to have little impact on the local wildlife although there were far fewer Grey Squirrels about than of late (perhaps due to the accompanying fall in temperature). Best find were two Stock Doves singing in Rosshall Park.

A Collared Dove was the most notable singer on todays walk (which mostly involed dodging heavy showers).

Best birds around my local area today were Stock Dove and Nuthatch. 

A Nuthatch and a Raven were the best birds of a walk between south Cardonald and Hawkhead this morning. However the overnight frost was probably the final straw for potentially late-flowering plants with none found in flower at all. Saddest sight was the carcass of a dead Kestrel lying beside the path near the school footbridge.

Today was another mild day, although the forecast is for cooler weather from now on. Nevertheless, more and more species are starting to sing. Today, a Mistle Thrush was singing loudly for several minutes first thing. Later, a Bullfinch was giving its understated song from the hedge around the back garden.

A small flock of Redwings and a single Mistle Thrush were feeding on the grass at Maxwell Park this afternoon. A tit flock there was dominated, as I find they often are, by Long-tailed Tits. Singing species included the usual Robin and Woodpigeon as well as Wren and Greenfinch.

A moderate-sized flock of Siskins remains in my home square: the birds were mostly in a tree at the far end of Moulin Playing Field near a garden where they are exploiting supplementary feeding. A large flock of Long-tailed Tits (composed of at least ten birds but possibly more than 20) was on the far side of the river. The local Lesser Black-backed Gulls seem to have finally deserted the area, leaving it to the long-staying Black-headed Gull flock and a few Herring Gulls.