Juvenile birds around my area this evening consisted of the usual scrawny Jackdaw on he playing field, the single Mallard duckling on the river and a new Woodpigeon on the estate lawn. Four Blackcaps were singing but I haven't heard a Chiffchaff for a few days.

The blustery weather we have been having recently keeps many of the local birds silent and hidden. For instance today's walk featured no tits, only one finch (a lone Siskin) and only two warblers (two singing Blackcaps).

Today's walk from Kincardine to Bannockburn was only slightly marred by heavy rain at two or three places. When the rain cleared, some good natural connections could be had. There were dozens, perhaps hundreds of newly-emerged Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moths in the vegetation lining the paths along the side of the Kincardine on Forth Bridge and especially the Clackmannanshire Bridge. Also present were Ringlet and Meadow Brown Butterflies. Interesting birds consisted of a male Linnet singing a very well-structured song from a fence post, a Common Tern hunting close to the two bridges, four Swifts hunting low over silage fields, a pair of Oystercatchers with a presumed nest, many Skylarks flicking up from the field edges, equally many singing Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings, good numbers of common warblers (Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Whitethroat) and singles of Jay, Nuthatch, Curlew and Redshank. The best (only) mammal of the day was a confiding Brown Hare near Hillhead Farm.

 

Jackdaw,  Magpie and Moorhen were among the species escorting newly-fledged young around the south Cardonald area today. One of the Jackdaw juveniles is a very scrawny individual with long, spindly legs and a bare patch on its abdomen. Other notable species were Greenfinch (singing again after being quiet recently - maybe launching a second breeding attempt), Long-tailed Tit (in a mixed flock with Great Tits) and Siskin (present in at least three areas around my home 1km2 square). Less welcome were a Carrion Crow and a Woodpigeon, both showing signs of disease (possibly avian flu).

Bird of the day was almost the first one seen - a lovely male Yellow Wagtail seen during an early morning walk along the Fife Coastal Path between Kinkell Ness and Buddo Ness. Some other good birds seen between there and Kingsbarn Beach included Dipper, Yellowhammer, Gannet, Sandwich Tern and lots of Linnets (but no Corn Buntings). Mammals consisted of Rabbit, Brown Hare and Grey Squirrel. Notable lepidoptera consisted of lots of Red Admirals plus single Painted Lady butterfly and Six-spot Burnet Moth. Flowering plants included Monkshood, Sea Campion, Poppy and Field Scabious.

 

The coast south of St Andrews proved good for warblers today with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler all in song. A few Swifts were over the town, Sand Martins were entering holes on the sandy cliffs and House Martins had occupied nests on a nearby hotel. The house walls and harbour side along the lower reaches of the Kinness Burn were covered with colourful Seaside Daisies.

 

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Ten Black-headed Gulls were fly-catching high over the river at Bonnyholm Footbridge this evening. Our local Chiffchaff sang all day, finally stopping around 8pm.

I decided to make the best use of today's eighteen hours of daylight by walking up Neilston Pad in time to watch the dawn. Even at 03:45, the dawn chorus was in full flow with Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Wren and Willow Warbler the main players. Most notable birds were Grasshopper Warbler, Tree Pipit, Kestrel and Jay. Dawn itself was a little underwhelming - just a thin line of orange squeezed beneath a sky which was composed almost entirely of thick, grey cloud. Nevertheless it did the heart good to enjoy the isolation and think of happier times.

Knockraich Farm in Fintry was bathed in sunshine when we visited this afternoon. Birds around the farm buildings included House Sparrow, House Martin and Pied Wagtail (all presumably breeding). Also notable were several singing Willow Warblers and a Dipper on the river. The "one that got away" was a possible Kingfisher (based on a single call).

A big party of Long-tailed Tits passed through the front garden today.

Today I took a look at the old Scotts Road which, in theory, runs from Cairnhill Circus (next to Crookston Railway Station) to Hawkhead Road in Paisley. The stretch of the "road" between Cairnhill Circus and Rosshall Farm has never been more than a farm track in all the time I have lived hereabouts, but today it was almost completely overgrown with barely a path through the grass and brambles. No Yellowhammers were present (I have heard tham here as recently as 2020) but the field edges were alive with Ringlet butterflies (perhaps 30+) and other insects including moths, bees and lacewings. Birds were fairly thin on the ground but included singing Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

One of the Mallard broods on the river was down to just one duckling today.

Today's walk up Dumyat in Stirlingshire promised little with the weather forecast promising wind, rain and unseasonably cold temperatures. However some interesting birds were encountered along the way (and the weather didn't turn out quite so bad) including single Kestrels and Buzzards being mobbed by Carrion Crows, a Stonechat family at one site (and Wheatear families at two), a calling Red Grouse and numerous singing Skylarks and Meadow Pipits. A single Swift was over the parking area at the end of the walk.

Three female Mallards had broods of one- or two-day old ducklings on the river this evening. All three broods (two in my home 1km square and one next door) consisted of three ducklings. Two singing Stock Doves were at their usual stations - one just inside the east gate of Rosshall Park and one about 100 metres to the south. The pair of Collared Doves in my housing estate had been joined by a third bird today - presumably a juvenile that they have raised.

Two Pairs of Coots had broods of two and four chicks in Murdieston Park today. Another pair were at the incubation stage. Five drake Tufted Ducks were out on the water (with a single female), their mates presumably on eggs. The Cowdenknowes Dam Mute Swan pair were escorting three cygnets but the Town Dam pair appear to have failed.

A Sparrowhawk was soaring high above the estate during a welcome spell of sunny weather today. A Red Fox cub casually explored the back garden in the middle of the morning before being joined by an adult just over the fence.

A single Swift was the pick of the birds seen in Newton Stewart on the way south this morning. A walk around the outskirts of Gatehouse of Fleet added a single Green Woodpecker (giving close, albeit brief views), a Great Spotted Woodpecker pair with fledged young, singing Yellowhammer and Tree Pipit, a screeching Jay and a soaring Red Kite. Birds of the day were Blackbird and Song Thrush, both of which seem to be having an excellent year with many adults seen gathering food for their young.

An Otter was swimming strongly down the river opposite the house this morning, scattering juvenile Mallards and causing great alarm to a presumably-nesting Moorhen. Several local Magpies flew down to mob it from the bank. 

Numbers of Black-headed Gulls locally seem to be creeping up again on my local patch after being virtually absent over recent weeks. 

Three Swifts were feeding over the river in south Cardonald this evening, ahead of a severe storm.

An occupied Tufted Duck nest and three singing Tree Pipits were the highlights of a walk in Mugdock Park this lunchtime.

With at least three of their young having survived their earliest days and now moving independently around the area, the Moorhen pair on Rosshall Park Pond were nest building in preparation for another brood today.

At least two Mallard ducklings have escaped the depredations of the local gulls and corvids and were hauled out on a rock in the river this evening. Three Blackcaps were in song long my usual route.

Home from our travels via Gretna where Sand Martins were entering nest burrows, House Martins were nest-building, a Carrion Crow took a Jackdaw chick from its nest and Starlings were accompanied by already-fledged young (with some birds feeding presumed second broods). 

Sunday, June 05, 2022

Some sightings on the way north today included a roadside-hunting Kestrel and two Swifts. The weather in Chester was disappointingly drizzly.

After a week of sunshine, today dawned damp and drizzly. The light rain and poor visibility continued all day, and somewhat reduced the number and variety of birds found during a walk around St Just. One species notably absent was Swift - I don't think I've seen any during the ten days I have been here in England.

Seeing a pair of mating Red Damselflies on a roadside pool and finding Scarlet Pimpernel growing along the village main street were the highlights of a lunchtime walk into Pendeen. Later, an inland walk to Morvah produced male and female Beautiful Demoiselle, two Painted Lady butterflies and a single Common Blue.

 

 

 

An early morning walk to Pendeen mine found several Linnet broods fledged (since yesterday) and demanding food from their parents. Royal Fern was growing well at several points along the coastal path. Up at the mine, at least three pairs of Wheatear were feeding young in the nest. At least five six-spot Burnet-moths were on the grassy cliff edge. Later, two Chough circled and drifted west over Portheras Cove, then flew back a few hours later. Potentially even rarer than Chough was a Yellowhammer heard singing at Calartha Farm. A quick look at recent birdtrack records suggests the species is far from common in west Cornwall. 

A Rock Pipit at Penzance Quay was the first notable wildlife sighting of the day. The trip to St Mary's on the Scillonian III produced some good records including hundreds of Manx Shearwaters, tens of Guillemots and Razorbills, and the odd Gannet, Shag and Kittiwake. Best however were at least five Bottle-nosed Dolphins surfing and breaching just fifteen minutes into the trip. St Mary's was notable for its wild flowers including Hottentot Fig, Orange Birds-foot and a Gladiolus species (possibly Eastern: Gladiolus communis L.). Mammals on the island (or in the sea) consisted of Brown Rat and Grey Seal. Finally a Song Thrush was singing from a chimney in Hugh Town, in the way a Blackbird would. I don't think I have ever seen a Song Thrush sing from such an exposed perch or from a man-made structure.