An interesting sighting today was of a male Treecreeper singing strongly from an Ivy-covered tree near Bonnyholm Footbridge.

Some good, early-morning sightings in Stirlingshire today consisted of a Tawny Owl in the car headlights, three Blackcock on their lek, a flyover Jay and singing Cuckoo and Grasshopper Warbler. Later in the day, the east Loch Lomond woodlands produced a whole range of interestng records with the highlights being Tree Pipit song flighting, Treecreeper feeding young, Common Sandpipers at two sites, a pre-breeding flock of Meadow Pipits and particulaly good numbers of singing Wood Warblers.

Another day searching for Rookeries, this time in the Langbank area. I managed to locate three of the seven or eight that have previously been reported from the area (Station Road, Elmbank Road and Seath Avenue). Another visit will be required, although new leaf growth is already hampering visibility so it may have to wait until next year. Other good birds in the area consisted of House Martin, Swallow and Sedge Warbler. I also came across a wall absolutely covered with Rusyback Fern plants (several hundred, I would guess). I found an isolated specimen in another part of Langbank a few years ago, but this site has the most I've ever seen in one place.

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A male Swallow with lovely, long tail streamers had become trapped in Aldi's supermarket in Paisley today. I tried triggering the door mechanism to give him an escape route but to no avail. I really hope the store staff managed to free him. Back home, a Red Fox was making its way along the edge of the river while at least three tiny cubs were playing on the bank.

I went to check on a couple of Rookeries in Renfrewshire today - at Shanks Park, Johnstone and in the woods to the south of Brookfield. Unfortunately, nether appeared to be occupied. On the way home I checked Corkerhill Cemetery, a local site that has held nesting birds in recent years. Again however there were no Rooks present and no sign of any nests at all. In between, I came across two singing Yellowhammers and plenty of Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. Also notable was a group of Rabbits consisting of two adults and at least four tiny juveniles.

Only one pair of Mute Swans appear to be nesting in Murdieston Park, Greenock this year. A bird was sitting tight on a nest beside the island on Cowdenknowes Dam, but there was only a deserted nest mound at Town Dam next door. A female Mallard had elevn newly-hatched ducklings in the overflow channel at the western end of the site. Down the hill, a Dipper flew across the road from the settling pond. Back at the dams, at least three Coot pairs appeared to be incubating. Tufted Duck pairs were still on the water but most of the Mallards present were drakes, the females presumably on eggs. Back home, a single Raven was attempting to hide in a Birch tree behind my neighbour's garden (What is the attraction of that small area?) but was flushed by two Carrion Crows and two Magpies and flew off a few metres over my head. Also notable were two drake Goosanders on the river and a female pulled out on a rock (the latter presumably a failed breeder). Two pairs of Moorhens were having a firce territorial dispute just downstream from the Cardonald Place footbridge. 

The sudden return to cooler weather seems to have had an effect the local Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps with only one of the former and none of the latter singing around the square. A Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from just across the river was slightly unusual for that particular spot.

Two small Mallard ducklings on Rosshall Park Pond were my first of the year. A Treecreeper in the grounds of Leverndale Hospital was my first for that particular 1km square (Crookston Castle and Brock Burn).

Up to four each of Chiffchaff and Blackcap, and up to two Willow Warblers continue to sing around my home 1km square in South Cardonald. It has been a real pleasure, this week, to hear the first two species singing on-and-off all day as I have worked around the house and garden. The Willow Warblers are at Moulin and Rosshall Park. I am still hoping a Whitethroat will take up territory behind the house as one has done in five of the last seven summers.

A single Raven was back in the area around my house today. Sightings have been sufficiently regular over the past week to suggest that one or two birds are resident locally (perhaps in the wood to the side of the house). Whether they are a breeding pair or non-breeding birds is unknown.

No sign of the Ravens today, although the local Carrion Crows were calling angrily from time to time so they may have been about. A Bullfinch was singing just beyond the back garden fence, and a Blackcap was singing around at the front of the house - my first of the year for this site (although there was one about half a kilometre away a week ago). Also a first of the year was an Orange Tip butterfly which wandered through the garden. Other insects have included more solitary bees (which arrived in the garden two days ago) and the first Fruit Flies (coming into the kitchen to check out the food waste bin) of the year.

The two Ravens which have been around the estate for the past few days were back again today, causing much annoyance, particularly to the local Carrion Crows. 

A Willow Warbler was singing over the garden fence for a short time this morning. Later, two Greylag Geese called as they flew low over the house. A Cormorant was also a notable flyby, heading first downriver and then back up again.

A Raven was causing great consternation among the local corvids today. I was working outside for most of the day and listened hard for singing warblers but only heard the usual two Chiffchaffs.  

Sunday, April 18, 2023

A singing Willow Warbler on today's walk was my first local bird of the year. Meanwhile two Mistle Thrushes were scolding a Magpie that had strayed too close to their nest. Later in the day, notable birds at Carron Valley Reservoir consisted of pairs of Mute Swan, Greylag Goose and Goosander in suitable breeding habitat plus a big group of Black-headed Gulls at the west end which were presumably settling to breed.

At least eight singing Chiffchaffs were heard during an early morning walk around Restalrig, Edinburgh (where there are interesting remains of a shrine to Saint Triduana). Other birds in song included Woodpigeon, Wren, Blackbird, Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Dunnock, Robin, Starling, Goldfinch and Chaffinch. 

Linnets in the gorse and Rock Pipits on the beacjh were some of the best birds in North Berwick this morning. Later, four Little Egrets were flying over Gullane Bay.

Birds were fairly unremarkable during a walk around Pollokshaws this lunchtime. However Wren, Robin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Great Tit and Blue Tit were all singing in the sunshine. Back home, a singing Collared Dove and two flyover Black-headed Gulls were good "patch ticks".

Craigton Cemetery was alive with birdsong this morning. The usual residents (including at least 13 Wrens) were joined by three Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps.

The usual Chiffchaff sang all day outside the house - until heavy rain arrived.

Fewer birds in song today, due to a change to much windier and rainier weather. 

Today's local counts of singing Warblers were six Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps. Nuthatch, Stock Dove and at least ten Greenfinches were other notable singers.

Saturday, April 08, 2023

Highlights of a walk around Hogganfield Loch this morning were the long-staying Smew and Red-necked Grebe, up to four pairs of Great Crested Grebes (with display) and my first singing Willow Warbler of the year.

Today proved to be a lovely day for our planned trip to Colintriave to celebrate my sister's birthday. The ferry trip to Dunoon was windy but sunny and the weather just got better as we headed west and down into the Kyles of Bute. A Black Guillemot and four Rock Pipits were near the ferry terminal and the village was alive with common birds including House Sparrow, Robin and Chaffinch.

 

With the weather improving again, lots of birds were singing and active in my neighbouring 1km square centred on Crookston Castle. Disappointingly, in an area that used to be very reliable for Kingfisher, I had no sight or sound of the species. There has definitely been a decline in the species locally over the past year. I need to look up the data, but I am fairly sure I haven't seen or heard one on the White Cart Water or Brock Burn in the half dozen squares they flow through hereabouts since last year.

A deterioration in the weather today was accompanied by a reduction in the number and variety of birds encountered on my usual local walk. For instance only three singing Chiffchaffs were heard instead of yesterday's five, and Stock Dove, Nuthatch and Bullfinch were not seen at all.

A pair of Treecreepers were showing interest in a fissure in the bark of a big Leylandii beside the path to Pollok Wood today. Other signs of potential breeding in local birds included five singing Chiffchaffs and one singing Blackcap (my first of the year), synchronised flying by a pair of Stock Doves, mating attempts by Woodpigeons and Feral Pigeons, a pair of Moorhens going in and out of some overhanging branches and several drake Mallards out on the river without their partners (the latter presumably on nests). Other notable sightings included a Raven being mobbed by Carrion Crows in trees at "Tinkers' Corner" and the pair of Goosanders back on the river (hopefully the female just having a break from egg-laying).

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Jackdaws left roost at 06:30. Early start - Rabbit, Brown Hare (one Blue), Roe Deer - pair Goosander on Spey - lots of singing thrushes in forest - Meadow Pipits on grassy clearings - large flock of winter Thrushes at Upper Dellifeure - only stopped chattering when Red Kite flew over - pair of Teal flushed from field drain - two Crossbills and 77 Pink-footed Geese nearby - birds/mammals on Moor/ Moor grass included Meadow Pipit, Skylark, Curlew, Snipe, Raven, Kestrel, Buzzard and Redpoll - Pied Wagtail ubiquitous at upland farms - Pheasant, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow also common - a high altitude rookery at Auchnagallan - only Chiffchaff singing near Lady Catherine's halt - potential gull colony in Castle Grant policies but flooding will be necessary first - Vole on wall nearby - Rookery next to Dava Way - increasing number of Great Spotted Woodpeckers as Grantown-on-Spey approached (with agitated calling and chasing) - three Common Buzzards (two talon grappling) over the viewpoint - Moorhen, Grey Heron and four Call Ducks notable on Grant Park Pond - another Crested Tit in Anagach Woods - Red Kite over Spey - Herring Gull, Black- headed Gull on rocks - good showing of Goldeneye. Rookery at Cromdale.

I saw very few birds on the journey up to Aviemore this morning - partly because the windows of the bus were dirty and hard to see through. Nevertheless I had the distinct impression that there were fewer small gulls and Oystercatchers than there were two weeks ago. The first Common Gulls I saw were not until just before Bruar, while the first Black-headeds were on the marsh at Lynchatt. In contrast to last time, there WERE some Common Gulls on the higher ground around the Dromochter pass - a few on river shingles just before Dalwhinnie. Both species were to prove to be very numerous in the Cromdale area but more of that later. A quick stop off in Aviemore only provided confirmation that there is still at least one pair of Oystercatchers near the Macdonald Resort. 

Grantown-on-Spey was full of the sounds of the typical Highland village birds with Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Jackdaw, Song Thrush and Greenfinch all in song,  House Sparrows chirrupping and Black-headed Gull, Oystercatcher and Buzzard calling overhead. Birds in the grounds of Castle Grant consisted mainly of Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Siskin and Wren. However a wander off the main track allowed me to find Jay and Roe Deer. Poorhouse Wood had similar birds but I also heard Crested Tit at two sites.

The River Spey below Anagach Woods is intensely fished and therefore I assume is heavily keepered. I was therefore not expecting to see many river birds and initially that was the case. However the best birds were actually just beyond the Anglers' Clubhouse - a lovely pair of Goosander, at least two pairs of Goldeneye and a single Grey Wagtail. Other birds along the river included Pied Wagtail, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Meadow Pipit and increasing numbers of Oystercatcher. These were either probing in sheep pasture or flying up and downriver in noisy squadrons.

Four more Goldeneye and a Grey Wagtail were near the bridge at Cromdale Church (where the patch of Winter Aconite I regularly visit is now nearly completely 'gone over'). Approaching the village, the ploughed fields on the left and right of the road held small numbers of Oystercatcher, Black-headed Gull (following the previous species around in the hope of snatching a food item), Lawing (two pairs displaying) and Curlew. Jackdaws appeared in increasing numbers, and up ahead I could hear the sound of an occupied rookery.

Other village birds in Cromdale included Greenfinch, Collared Dove, and House Sparrow. Heading out again at 18:20 to walk some of the Speyside Way towards Advie, I spotted a Rabbit being chased away by the sheep it was sharing a field with. However the main species was definitely Oystercatcher with noisy groups constantly in the air and several flocks on sheep pasture including one of 125 birds. That particular flock was spread out over the field (at Pollowick Farm), presumably to feed. However another group (of 53) near the Shinty pitch and one later (of 43) on the grassy banks of the Spey may have been gathering to roost. The same field at Pollowick Farm held well over 100 Common Gulls and over thirty Black-headed Gulls, again possibly preparing to roost. A Dipper was on the Cromdale Burn (where one of two nest boxes seemed to be occupied) and farmyard birds included Collared Dove, Greenfinch and Song Thrush. However the best experience of the day was watching a partially-flooded field at Starindeye Farm which had attracted a pair of Redshank (including a displaying male), pairs or small groups of Lawing, Oystercatcher and Curlew, three pairs of Teal, a Snipe and a Pied Wagtail. The final part of the walk was back along the bank of the Spey to check an old farmstead for Barn Owl. None were found but two Roe Deer and three Brown Hares were just about visible in the fading light.

Friday, March 31, 2023

A day devoted to shopping 😟meant natural connections were severely curtailed. I tried to conjur up a bird list from the car parks around Braehead Shopping Centre but only three singing Chiffchaffs and four singing Greenfinches were at all notable.