Some of the most notable sightings from today's walk around South Cardonald were a single Goosander on a stretch of river where the species bred a few years ago, an agitated drake Mallard near the school, a Buzzard calling overhead, a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, a singing nuthatch and a single Stock Dove (one of six seen) in display flight.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

I spent the middle of the day in Edinburgh and took the opportunity to walk around the Meadows and through Holyrood Park. There was no sign of either Raven or Fulmar on Salisbury Crags or the Gutted Haddie, and no sound of Skylark on the rough grass. However Chiffchaffs were back in force (at least four singing birds) around Hunter's Bog and a Kestrel was hunting near the south gate.

Today's walk was from Carluke to Rosebank via Meadowhead Farm and the banks of the Clyde. Birds were fairly unremarkable with only the occasional Nuthatch, Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff worth reporting. Persistent rain spoiled the walk a little but it was good to see Wood Anemone and Lesser Celandine in flower and to hear newly-arrived Chiffchaffs singing all along the route.

I think there is a pair of Grey Wagtails nesting near the site they chose last year. This evening, while I was on the football field, I heard a bird approach about ten metres above me, heading for the nesting area. At the same time, a second bird (presumably its mate) passed it heading in the other direction. They both called, as if in recognition, but carried on flying.

An Oystercatcher called as it flew past the house this evening. If memory serves me correctly, that is the third such record this spring. Presumably these are birds following the river to nesting sites inland. 

With the tide fully in, there were relatively few birds along the shore at Barassie this afternoon. However fifteen Turnstones and four Redshanks were huddled together on the few exposed rocks present. Two Gannets fished offshore and a pair of Stonechats were in the dunes.

Best birds of today's walk between Kirkintilloch and Lennoxtown were two Chiffchaffs, my first singing birds of the year. Also notable were four occupied rookeries (84 nests in total) near the centre of Milton of Campsie, a warbling Redwing and Dippers at three sites. Later in the day, more Rooks (31 occupied nests) were nesting in Fountain Gardens in Paisley where another Redwing was warbling (as they tend to do at this time of year).

 

A Raven was calling from the top of one of the Pollokshaws high-rise flats this morning. Other birds in the area included Grey Wagtail, two fighting Song Thrushes, two Redwings and nest-building Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Feral Pigeon. Last bird of the day was an Oystercatcher flying past/over the house at 23:55.

Twelve Linnets were the only birds of note on a very windy walk along the shore at Prestwick today. Up to 20 Rabbits were feeding on nearby road verges.

No Dippers were on the river through Rouken Glen Park today but there were two Nuthatches in song nearby, plus several singing Greenfinches, Chaffinces and Goldcrests. The pond in the wildlife garden contained several clumps of frogspawn.

I was in my neighbouring 1km square of Cardonald this morning. At least three pairs of Lesser Black-backed Gulls seem to be paired up and potentially preparing to nest locally. The usual Pied Wagtail was flitting around the junction of Paisley Road West and Berryknowes Road. 

Three Goosanders on the river today included a lone female and a male and female which appear to have paired off and settled near the bend in the river where the species bred a few years ago. Also of note were two Long-tailed Tits going ito a bush in Rosshall Park, presumably building a nest. 

Sand Martin, Chiffchaff, Wheatear and Osprey have all arrived in Scotland over the past 24 hours. No sign of any of the above at Murdieston Park today but Mute Swan and Coot were both on nests and the wagtail count was two Pieds and one Grey. 

I directed my steps through Maxwell Park on my daily walk today. I have no idea if the Ring-necked Duck was there or not as I had no binoculars with me and had failed to read up on the features distinguishing it from Tufted Duck. However it was nice to wander around the park and neighbouring streets. Single Song Thrush and Chaffinch were singing in the area, as were plenty of Greenfinches (5), Wren (7), Robin (14) and Dunnock (5).

It was a damp and rainy day in Badenoch today. I decided to walk through the Kinrara Estate with the intention of listening for calling Green Woodpecker. However the only woodpeckers I found were two Great Spotteds. Other birds in the area included two Woodcock and plenty of singing thrushes (nine Mistle and two Song). The Bogach held Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose, Mallard and a family party of four Whooper Swans. The walk ended in Aviemore with two Rabbits in the horse field at the High Range roundabout. The total bird and mammal list for the two days was as follows: Greylag Goose, Whooper Swan, Mallard, Teal, Tufted Duck, Goldeneye, Pheasant, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Curlew, Woodcock, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Golden Eagle, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Tawny Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Carrion x Hooded Crow, Raven, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Wren, Treecreeper, Starling, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Dipper, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Goldfinch, Siskin, Snow Bunting, Rabbit, Brown Hare and Feral Goat (51 birds and three mammals).

The temperature in Newtonmore dropped to minus 13 overnight. Too cold to sleep, I got up for a walk at 05:30. Two Rabbits and ten Brown Hares were acitive in local fields, the hares particularly animated with much running and chasing. A Sparrowhawk flew up from the ground - presumably from a kill. The Pied Wagtail from yesterday was still around so presumably had found somewhere suitable to roost. Yesterday's Oystercatchers and Black-headed Gulls on sheep pasture had been joined by a small group of Common Gulls, one of which still had the grey hood of its non-breeding plumage. The moor above the farmland had Lapwings and Common Gulls. A Woodcock was accidentally flushed from a shelter belt. The remainder of the day was spent walking round the outskirts of Newtonmore and along the strath to Kingussie. More details will follow, but some of the highlights of the day were: Tawny Owl, Dipper, Goldeneye, Teal, Golden Plover, Treecreeper, Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Wild Goat, more Brown Hare and Rabbit, and flowering Stinking Helibore, Coltsfoot and Winter Aconite (the latter not wild but  planted in the centre of Kingussie). Image below from worldweatheronline.com

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Today marked the start of a short visit to Badenoch to look at the early spring distribution and behaviour of summering gulls and waders. Heading north, there were quite a lot of oystercatchers, Black-headed Gulls and Common Gulls on roadside fields. A quick stop-off in Aviemore found a Hoodie Hybrid (mostly Hoodie) near the Horses' Field, two Oystercatchers already prospecting the village centre and at least six small, dark Song Thrushes feeding quietly on lawns (possibly migrant birds). An even quicker stop-off in the Skiers' Car Park on Cairngorm confirmed the presence of at least two Snow Buntings (in song). Newtonmore itself (my base for the trip) provided flyover Raven and small numbers of Oystercatcher and Black-headed Gull on farmland (plus an early pied Wagtail). A late evening walk provided the amazing sight of over 500 Jackdaws going to roost in conifers and a crystal clear, starry sky.

With rain for most of the way, notable birds were hard to come by on today's walk from East Kilbride to Hamilton. Probably the best were a Dipper along Stoneymeadow Road and a group of Common Gulls (possibly preparing to nest) on rooftops at Blantyre Industrial Estate. Coltsfoot and Blackthorn were flowering at one site each.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Today's local walk produced 30 species including a pair of Rooks which have returned to the area over the past two days. This year I am going to try and work out if the birds which summer here actually nest locally too.

Probably the most notable birds of today's local walk were two Stock Doves which were feeding out in the open on Moulin playing fields. I almost always see them along the quietest parts of the walk, either along the riverside path or at the south gate of the park (where another two were today).

Birds were unremarkable on a walk along the river today, the overnight snow seemingly having discouraged at least some species from singing. Later in the afternoon, a female Sparrowhawk made a half-hearted stoop at a small flock of Redwings in trees next to the house.

A new sound for me today was the clear, rising and falling song of a male Treecreeper (with presumably the female answering with short squeaky calls from the next tree). This was in Auldhouse Park where the other notable bird was a Grey Wagtail feeding along the burn. 

On another beautiful day in west central Scotland, the highlight of a walk along the river in south Cardonald was a close view of two Nuthatches (one shown here) coming to food scattered on the path.

 

I had some business in Inverclyde this morning so stopped off at Lunderston Bay for a quick walk. A couple of Redshanks were feeding on the shore line and six Canada Geese were resting in one of the sheep fields. A male Grey Wagtail feeding on shoreline vegetation was singing quietly to himself and occasionally cocking his head to look skyward. Later, a walk along the shore at Barassie produced around 60 Sanderlings looking brilliant white in the sunshine while feeding right on the edge of the tide.

 

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Highlights of a walk around Hogganfield Loch this afternoon were five Gadwall and an Oystercatcher (the latter roosting on one of the nesting/roosting platforms). I don't think I have recorded Oystercatcher at the site before. Presumably it was on its way to an inland breeding site.

 

A male Teal landed on the river near Rosshall High School this lunchtime. Although I occasionally come across Teal in adjoinging 1km squares, I have found this species to be extremely rare in my own 1km square with only one other record in the twenty years I have been surveying wildlife hereabouts. Also present today were at least three singing Coal Tits (they have suddenly become much more vocal), two calling Great Spotted woodpeckers, two calling Nuthatches, three Stock Doves, a Grey Wagtail and three Lesser Black-backed Gulls (the numbers of Herring and Black-headed Gulls locally having much declined recently).

 

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A walk along the Brock Burn near Silverburn Shopping Centre produced my first flowering Lesser Celandine of the year.

 

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