Birds in the Eglinton area of Glasgow today included singing Dunnock, Greenfinch and Goldfinch - and hundreds of Feral Pigeons.

It was a lovely, calm day along the Inverclyde coast this afternoon. Some good birds between Port Glasgow and Cardwell Bay included Red-throated Diver, Red-breasted Merganser, Black Guillemot and Rock Pipit. Redshank and Common Gull were particularly prominent, birds no doubt getting ready to move away to their breeding areas further north or inland. 

At least eight Redwings were feeding on the woodland floor below Crookston Castle this morning. A Roe Deer buck in velvet and two Red Foxes together were also notable - as were my first singing Nuthatches (2) for that 1km square. 

A female Sparrowhawk perched quietly on a tree branch between the path and the river was the unexpected highlight of today's local walk. After dusk, at least three Palmate Newts could be discerned in the garden pond. 

Friday, February 24, 2023

Some notable birds in my neighbouring 1km square of Cardonald today were Pied Wagtail and Sparrowhawk. 

Elder Park in Govan was full of Redwings this lunchtime. As they often do at this time of year, a group of twenty or so had gathered in the treetops and were chattering and whistling along with a similar number of Starlings. Every so often they would fly down to forage on the grass or in the bark-covered flower beds. The local Mistle Thrushes (I counted at least eight so they may well have included migrant birds) were greatly agitated and were chasing everything in sight including a Jackdaw and a Black-headed Gull. Other birds around the park included a single Pied Wagtail, two Common Gulls and a couple of immature Greater Black-backed Gulls.

The sun came out today, making my walk around Shawlands all the more pleasant. Daffodils were flowering along the river with banks of small narcissi also flowering in the park. The Tufted Ducks among the Mallards and Coots on the pond were wearing their best breeding plumage but the many Black-headed and Herring Gulls out on the water were only partly moulted.

Today's delayed WeBs count at Murdieston Dams was fairly unremarkable except for the presence of a single Great Black-backed Gull on the main dam (dwarfing the accompanying Herring Gulls). I remember seeing one catch and swallow a Tufted Duck at this site a few years ago. Heading home, five Shelduck were off Langbank and nine Whooper Swans were in fields next to the airport.

Strong winds overnight gave way to a slightly damp but peaceful day. All quiet on the bird front.

An Otter was on the river when I walked past around 10 this morning. It dived and surfaced a few times, eventually finding some prey which it chewed for a few seconds before diving again. I was struck by how perfectly camoulflaged the species is. This individual was exactly the same shade of brown as the river it was swimming in. 

Today's walk was a long one - from the Newbridge roundabout to Willowbrae in northeast Edinburgh. The route was mostly along the towpath of the Union Canal. Birds were fairly unremarkable but some notable exceptions included four singing Skylarks on farmland at Long Hermiston and calling Nuthatches at two sites near Ratho.

Long-tailed Tits seem to be thriving following another mild winter. Birds were present at three different locations in Paisley town centre today.

My regular walk around South Cardonald today produced a good total of 31 bird species. I might have managed an even higher total if I hadn't missed a few regular species including Nuthatch, Collared Dove and Rook. Best birds were probably the six Redwings overhead (a small flock has spent the whole winter here). Two Goosanders on the river, a good total of four Stock Doves, a calling and drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and Long-tailed Tits at five different sites were also notable.

Good birds were hard to come by on a circuitous walk through Bishopbriggs this afternoon. I had been heading to Lenzie and was hoping to pick up some farmland and wetland birds on the way. However the construction works at Scotrail's Cadder Depot meant there was no easy walking route ahead so I was forced to turn back. Altogether only 20 species were recorded: Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren, Starling, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Bullfinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Heading out of Bonnybridge in the direction of Rough Castle this morning, I was surprised by the number of birds about. Greenfinches were singing just outside the town Centre and Dunnocks, Jackdaws and House Sparrows all seemed to be doing well. Two Rabbits were in a field towards the edge of town and the first of two pairs of Oystercatcher was in a damp field corner next to the railway. St Helen's Loch held the other pair and a cursory scan turned up Mute Swan, Mallard, Teal, Goosander, Coot, Moorhen and Little Grebe. At Rough Castle itself, a big flock of Chaffinches and mixed tits feeding on Beech mast contained a single female/first winter Brambling. The walk to Falkirk was less good but there were a few Common Gulls among the Black-headed Gulls on the canal and a single Buzzard was soaring over the town centre, being mobbed by corvids.

Plenty of species were in song around Balloch today including Mistle Thrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, Robin, Treecreeper, Wren, Dunnock, Chaffinch and Goldfinch. The Long-tailed Duck which has wintered in the area was showing well from the shopping centre and there were plenty of Goldeneye on the Leven (although no Mandarins on this occasion). Most interesting record was probably the pair of Oystercatchers I saw flying over a corner of Loch Lomond - my first inland birds of the year. 

A few of the highlights of a walk along the river in perfectly calm conditions (due to a big area of high pressure which is currently over England) were four singing thrushes (two Mistle and two Song), six singing Goldcrests, a singing Chaffinch and a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

A quick look around Kinning Park and the Clyde beside the Squinty Bridge produced little of note apart from two Grey Wagials along the Clyde Walkway. I've reached the conlusion that the Peregrine calls I've heard coming from the Quay retail and entertainment complex recently are actually recorded, and possibly being broadcast to deter gulls. I had better delete that Birdtrack record!

A Raven flew silently over North Cardonald this morning. Its flight is quite different from that of Carrion Crow being direct, deliberate and unhurried. I'm sure it went unnoticed by all the people below, even though it gave a single "cronk" just as it disappeared from view. Back in my home square, two Pied Wagtails at Moulin were behaving as if they had already paired.

With a continuation of the recent spring-like weather, the local Blue Tits are now singing their full territorial songs and one was showing some interest in the nest box on the back wall.

I happened to be in Bishopbriggs this afternoon with an hour to spare so hopped on the bus to Torrance to see if the reported Waxwings were still there. Sure enough, eight birds were showing well at the top of a small tree and periodically dropping down to feed in the gardens below. I only had a few minutes to spare before my bus back, but it was nice to connect with a species which has been far from common over the past few winters. Notable birds in Bishopbriggs were nine Redwings, three Pied Wagtails and a soaring Buzzard.

Today's walk from Cumbernauld to Bonnybridge produced sightings of a number of interesting species including Woodcock, Red-legged Partridge, Raven, Dipper, Jay, Pheasant and Kestrel. 

I paid a visit to Darnley Woods this afternoon. It was good to find the patch of Winter Aconite doing well and possibly even spreading a little from previous years. As usual, lots of Scarlet Elf Cups were scattered about the woodland floor. Corms of Butterbur were pushing through along some of the soft road verges nearby. A Dipper, a Grey Heron, a Cormorant and a pair of Goosanders were the best of the birds present. A singing Blackbird was also notable.

Notable birds during today's walk around my home square were a Little Grebe on the river, a single Grey Wagtail (which has been present in the same area for several weeks), singing Greenfinches, a singing Nuthatch, three Rooks (scarce recently) and my first singing Blackbird of the spring (in a friend's front garden).

Three Goosanders were pulled up on the far bank of the river this lunchtime. Earlier, a Raven sailed quietly over the bowling green, flipping and diving in a muted display. Three Goldcrests were singing along the river and three Redwings were in the treetops at Moulin as they have been for most of the winter. The Black-headed Gull flock remains around the fifty mark but Goldfinches appear to have split off from the main group with singing birds now all over the area.

Nuthatch was a new bird for me in one of the adjacent 1km squares (Ralston/Crookston) to mine with two birds present (one singing) this morning. Song Thrush and singing Mistle Thrush were also notable.

Thursday, February 02, 2023

Birds were difficult to find in the area around Kilmacolm this afternoon due to very high winds which would have made flying difficult and rendered most songs and calls inaudible. However a Dipper singing under a bridge over the Gryffe Water was a pleasant exception. Two Goldcrests in a sheltered area of forest were the first of that species I'd heard in song this year. Earlier in the day, a Pied Wagtail was inside the Lidl supermarket in Linthouse, although it managed to escape when I activated the exit doors.

Only the usual birds were present on my local patch today. However highlight of a trip into Glasgow was a Peregrine calling from the roof of a tall building next to the Clyde.