Two House Martins and a Swallow were over Barshaw Park this lunchtime. Ten Black-headed Gulls were slowly walking across the grass, picking off any flies they flushed. Back home, the juvenile Buzzard in the woods beside the house kept up its begging calls all afternoon.

Today was mostly spent walking Slow Ways in the east end of Glasgow. As a result, bird sightings were completely unremarkable with only a juvenile Moorhen beside a SUDS pond in Carntyne being at all notable. 

Today began with Collared Doves singing in the centre of Aviemore. Shortly after that, up to twelve Swifts began screaming around the rooftops, possibly prospecting for next year's breeding sites. An early morning walk produced all the usual highland village birds plus Rabbit, Roe Deer and potentially Otter (providing only a tantalisingly brief view). Heading south, 27 Fallow Deer were at Dunkeld.

A Swift and two Ospreys were over Aviemore late this afternoon. After sunset, four more Swifts were screaming over Boat of Garten and as the light faded, five Red Deer were between Glencairn and Auchgourish.

Four Cormorants were resting on rocks in the Clyde when I crossed the David Livingston Memorial Footbridge between Blantyre and Bothwell this lunchtime. A female/juvenile Goosander was fishing below the weir and a juvenile Buzzard was calling to be fed. This evening, a Sparrowhawk was soaring over Paisley Road West and a single Swift screamed high over the estate. 

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Today's walk was along the Clyde from Shettleston to the city centre. Some good birds were seen along the way including Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Sand Martin and Swallow. 

An afternoon walk around Bellahouston Park was notable for just how few bird species were encountered (only ten). Presumably most birds were staying in cover, seeking shelter from the blustery conditions.

A Coal Tit in song was the most surprising record from a walk in Barshaw Park this afternoon. Ragwort species are flowering all over south west Glasgow but unfortunately none of the ones I checked were hosting Cinnabar Moth caterpillars.

A Kingfisher was speeding downstream near the weir when I walked along the river at dusk today.

Today was the last day of our short holiday in the Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val area in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, Occitanie region, southern France. An early morning walk around the farm at La Vassiere produced all the species I have come to expect including Golden Oriole, Black Redstart and Cirl Bunting. I took the time to notice the fruit trees lining the farm roads with Plum, Apple, Pear, Fig and Walnut all in fruit.

 

An early morning walk around the farm produced a good bird list of 27 species with eight Jays, four Green Woodpeckers, four Cirl Buntings, four Cattle Egrets and three each of Nuthatch and Golden Oriole the highlights. The most notable birds of a riverside walk near Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val were a couple of Spotted Flycatchers. One of the highlights of the whole week followed in the afternoon - a visit to the village of Gautier where a small group of farm buildings is being sympathetically restored. I had heard there was pond nearby and asked to visit it - it proved to be a hive of activity with a family of Coypus, a dozen or more Marsh Frogs and a visiting Pine Marten all present (although the latter headed away very swiftly when we appeared). Back at the base, the litter (?) of leverets which had been present in the garden at the start of the week was sadly down to just one individual.

 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

The main focus of today was a visit to the amazing cave system at Le Gouffre de Padirac in the Lot Department. Birds in the area were limited to the ubiquitous Collared Dove and House Sparrow. However the main attraction was the descent to the underground caverns at 107 metres below the surface. No wildlife was on show at that depth but it was interesting to learn that eight bat species inhabit the cave system as well as fish, reptiles and crustaceans. From there we moved to L'Hospitalet and Rocamadour where Crag Martin, House Martin, Swallow and Black Kite were overhead as we ate our lunch. Heading back to our base, a Magpie was the first of the trip and a stop at Le Moulin de Varen added Dipper, Common Sandpiper and Banded Demoiselle.

 

 

Two Red Kites were over La Vassiere first thing. After that, a Little Owl was on a bale of straw near Parisot. A late morning walk aound Figeac found at least thirty House Martin nests on one building plus Grey Heron, Grey Wagtail, White Wagtail and Little Egret along the river. In the afternoon, a visit to the viewpoint at Roc d'Anglars – Belvédère provided amazing panoramas and excellent views of Alpine Swift, Crag Martin and Black Kite. In the evening, the hot weather finally broke with thunder, lightning and heavy rain.

 

Today was another very hot day with the temperature approaching 40 degrees C by late afternoon. First port-of-call of the day was a stone structure dating from the paleolithic period and referred to locally as the Dolmen de Peyralade. Birds were non-existant at this site due to the already scorching heat, although a Kestrel was hunting nearby. Plants were similarly scarce but some Southern Meadow Sage was managing to flower around the stones. Our next visit was to the hilltop village of Penne with its impressive fortress. A family of raptors flying around the fortress were probably Kestrels. Easier to observe were lots of Black Redstarts (including juveniles) plus Wall Lizard and Crag Martin. Back at La Vassiere, an attractive moth which had become trapped in the house was probably a Burnet Companion. Seven Cattle Egrets were feeding with the cows and a Buzzard flew over. A late afternoon trip to Le Bosc du Cam (still in baking heat) found evidence of breeding Swallow and Black Redstart in dilapidated farm buildings.

A visit to the market in Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val this morning required an early start which revealed four Cattle Egrets feeding among the cattle on La Vassiere Farm. A walk along the river in Saint-Antonin added Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron and Nuthatch. Later, five raptors including a Red Kite were soaring over our base and as dusk fell, five Glow-worms were found along the farm track.

  

An early morning walk around the farm produced a good range of birds including Black Redstart, Green Woodpecker, Golden Oriole, Cirl Bunting and Sparrowhawk. Mammals consisted of a Red Fox, a Brown Hare and a farm cat. Later, visits to the hilltop villages of Puyselsi and Bruniquel produced more excellent birds including Swift, Alpine Swift, Crag Martin and more Black Redstarts. Non-birds included Swallowtail and Scarce Swallowtail butterflies (the latter by far the commonest).

Friday, July 15, 2022

Today marked the beginning of a week based in a gite on a farm in the Tarn et Garrone Department of the Occitanie Region, southwest France. After settling in to our accommodation (the garden full of Hummingbird Hawk-moths and a variety of butterflies including Small Heath, a fritillary species and a Southern White Admiral) we took an evening walk along the track through the farm. Birds present included two Jays, five Ravens, a Kestrel feeding a brood in a tree nest and a Stonechat with fledged young. Other wildlife included a blister beetle (probably Mylabris variabilis), some European Striped Shield Bugs and some enormous carpenter bees.

 

Two big Brown Rats were beside the park pond today.

A Kingfisher was on the river this evening. Back home, some interesting moths were attracted to the lit windows. 

A female Mallard was carefully shepherding three ducklings on the river this afternoon. A pair of Stock Doves on the path included a bird with a damaged right wing.

Three Swifts were screaming low down over Levernside Road, Pollok this lunchtime. A House Martin and two Swallows were also in the general Pollok area. 

Some of the highlights of a sunny walk along the cycleway fom Dumbarton to Old Kilpatrick were two types of Helliborine (Broad-leaved and another, narrower-leaved species), plenty of Red Soldier Beetles, a fledged brood of Treecreepers and an adult Spotted Flycatcher attending a juvenile. The "new" piece of cycletrack at Bowling is very impressive with lots of interesting information, an extensive planting scheme and great views over the sealock, the basin and the Clyde.

First thing today a very mangey Red Fox cub was hobbling around the back garden. I came across three Kingfishers on the river between Cardonald and Leverndale this afternoon. The Otter was on its regular stretch of river but was keeping mostly submerged. A Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff were singing in adjacent squares to mine (only the usual three Blackcaps here). A few Rooks seem to have moved back into the area. The strategy of setting aside areas of amenity grass and leaving them uncut seems to be bearing fruit - I heard a Grasshopper "singing" from one such area in Rosshall Park. I don't think I've ever heard one in the area before. This evening, a single Swift was over the river behind the house.

The Otter which has taken up residence on the local river gave prolonged views today as we followed it for two or three hundred metres. It followed a very regular pattern of behaviour, swimming along for spells, then exploring an area of bank before continuing to swim. Altogether, it was in view for around 20 minutes and seemed unconcerned by our presence. Earlier in the day, four Swifts were feeding over the river and a Kingfisher called, unseen.

A late night (early morning) last night eventually located two Glow-worms in Loch Ard Forest. Also present were a Smooth Newt, Common Toad and small bats. Heading home, two Fallow Deer were a surprise find near Gartmore. A Swift was over Burnblea Street, Hamilton this afternoon. Later, Chaffinches and Blackcaps were the main singers in Kelvingrove Park.

The blustery, overcast weather which has afflicted west central Scotland over the past week continued today. Few birds were on show around Uddingston but two Blackcaps were singing down at the grammar school playing fields. 

Two Oystercatchers were calling as they flew down-river past the house this afternoon. A Nuthatch calling in the woods was the first I'd heard for over a month. A female Mallard on the river had three ducklings.

Both a Sparrowhawk and (later) a Buzzard braved the local gulls and corvids to soar lazily over  my home patch this afternoon.

A couple of House Martins were flitting around Balloch Castle when we visited this morning, although I couldn't locate any nests. With the cool, cloudy weather, the House Martins and a few Swallows were being forced to feed almost at ground level. Blackbird was the commonest species in the area. Almost everywhere I go this year I find bumper numbers.

Two lost-looking chickens were the highlight of a walk through Cardonald to Halfway this morning. Also notable was a Moorhen with at least one chick under the Mosspark Station footbridge.

 

 

After I announced two days ago that I hadn't heard a Chiffchaff on my local patch for several days, the usual bird started singing again today.

Thursday, 30 June, 2022

An Otter was terrorising two Mallard broods on the river near the Bonnyholm Footbridge this evening. Earlier in the day. Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warbler were singing at the East Kilbride Heritage where a Little Grebe was sitting on its nest.