The Ivy bushes along Shawhill Road were covered in hoverflies this afternoon while a Mistle Thrush chased a Sparrowhawk overhead. A big patch of Glistening Inkcap was growing beside the pavement in front of Newlandsfield Park.  

I managed to squeeze in a short walk around the bottom half of the Dams to Darnley Country Park this morning. Highlights were a Little Grebe on the pond and three Red Admirals feeding on Ivy flowers. 

Another busy day severely limited any opportunities for natural connections. For instance, a walk through Rutherglen Town Centre only produced four species (Magpie, Feral Pigeon, Starling and Robin).

The highlights of a wet walk along the river this afternoon were a Song Thrush diving into cover (they are virtually invisible at this time of year!) and two tit flocks (both dominated by Long-tails). 

The wind and rain on today's walk from Alva to Stirling were not really conducive to good birding, and consequently few notable sightings were made. However plenty of Rabbits were present and plant highlights included Blackthorn bushes in berry and Orange Hawkbit in flower.

A single Whooper Swan was among the Mute Swans on Richmond Park pond this lunchtime. A Chiffchaff there was singing quite strongly between "hooweets". 

I had the pleasure of visiting a private wood in Stirlingshire today. Apart from a good selection of songbirds (including Chaffinch, Siskin, Bullfinch and Crossbill), a walk around the wood produced Common Frog, Common Toad, a dragonfly sp, Larch Ladybird and a range of flowering plants and fungi.

A walk around my home square of south Cardonald today produced no surprises and normally common species such as Blackbird, Goldfinch and House Sparrow absent or very scarce.

Friday, September 22, 2023

I decided to explore my neighbouring 1km square covering North Cardonald this evening. In the event, there were few birds about (only ten species in total) but flowering plants were better represented with Field Forget-me-not, Shepherd's Purse and Common Ramping-fumitory all noted. I was really struck by the diversity of plant species present compared to the situation in my home square (which ostensibly appears much "greener").

Most of today was spent in the Borders between Peebles and Innerleithen. Some typical birds on the Tweed through Peebles consisted of Dipper, Goosander, Grey Wagtail and Gray Heron. There were also at least four Nuthatches calling within half a kilometer of the centre of the town - and three Swallows still patrolling the skies overhead. In Innerleithen, it was two House Martins that were over the town centre (although the best sighting there was a single Tree Sparrow with House Sparrows in a Queen Street garden). Other finds today included Common Carder Bee, Common Drone Fly, Yellow Fieldcap mushroom and various plants still in flower (including Feverfew, Red Campion and Meadow Crane's-bill).

It was another very wet day today, a factor probably accounting for the earthworm which was wriggling across the path at Moulin this afternoon (I see few of them around here).

A good count of Tufted Ducks (38) and two each of Grey Wagtail and Pied Wagtail were probably the highlights of today's belated WeBS count at the Murdieston Park dams. Later, Gannets were fishing off both Lunderston Bay and Newark Castle. Inkcaps were growing in profusion on the mown lawns at the latter site.

Monday, September 18, 2023

Hogganfield Loch was brim-full of birds when I visited this morning. Most interesting were up to eleven Shovelers, some of the drakes coming into breeding dress but most still in tatty, eclipse plumage (the spatulate beaks being the biggest give-away). Also notable were at least ten Gadwall and a single, drake Pochard. In the afternoon, a Woodpigeon was brooding at least one large young in a nest in Shawlands. This evening, a Tawny Owl called repeatedly as it flew around the estate. 

At least one of our local Chiffchaffs has made it into the second half of September - judging by the diagnostic 'h-weet' calls coming from the back garden this evening. 

Saturday, September 16, 2023

In an extremely wet Linn Park, a Grey Wagtail flew along the swollen river. 

On a dreadfully wet day in south Cardonald, only a few corvids (two Carrion Crows and four Jackdaws) were braving the conditions.

Two Grey Wagtails were near the weir under Shawbridge Street at lunchtime today. Meanwhile a Pied Wagtail was in Auldhouse Park.

A Bullfinch was calling anxiously from the front of the house. Around the back, a Woodpigeon nestling was begging quietly from a nest in a tree overlooking the garden.

A quick count of the birds around the house in Woodfarm this morning revealed a Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Chiffchaff, the latter breaking into full song. Late in the day, a Chiffchaff in the back garden in south Cardonald was doing the same. In between, a walk around the Heritage Loch in East Kilbride found all the geese departed but a Grey Heron was giving good views near the visitor centre and a couple of Little Grebes were near the island.

At the end of a busy day working on the house in Woodfarm, a single Sparrowhawk soared over the traffic on the A74 approach to the Kingston Bridge.

At least two calling Chiffchaffs were among the birds encountered during a walkj around the local area. Long-tailed Tits were at three sites, all involving large, roving flocks. 

Today started early with the three-leg bus journey that was required to get me to Kinneil Lagoons for 08:30. There then followed a very enjoyable day spent exploring both that site and Skinflats (Bothkennar Pools). Some of the birding highlights of the day included sightings of Peregrine, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard, a good range of waders, a similarly good range of waterbirds and up to three distant skuas. Mammals consisted of four Roe Deer and an unidentified seal. Also notable were several Rosa bushes affected by the Bedaguar Gall wasp, included one plant with at least fifteen separate galls.

Today began with the sound of a Nuthatch tapping on the bark of a Walnut tree outside the gite where we had been staying in south-west France. A Kestrel flew over the farm track as we began our journey home. However there was no sign of the three Black-shouldered Kites which had been our regular companions since we arrived a week ago. Heading down to San Antonin, a Jay flew over the road, confirming the status of this species as perhaps the most obvious and ubiquitous of the region's birds. Apart from a single Buzzard in a roadside tree, there was nothing else to report on the journey to Toulouse. Instead, a White Wagtail feeding close to the departure gate for our flight home was the last natural connection of an interesting week (more to follow).

The day ended with spectacular views of the Milky Way, two bats hunting over the swimming pool and a Tawny Owl calling across the fields.

E

Todays main events were a walk along the Rousseau La Baye near Alzonne (where Marsh Tit was probably the main bird highlight) and a visit to the Abbaye de Beaulieu-en-Rouergue near Ginals. Both sites were notable for clouds of butterflies and day-flying moths of a variety of species including Swallowtail, Brown Argus, Speckled Wood, Woodland Grayling, Southern White Admiral, Lesser Purple Emperor, Silver-washed Fritillary, Common Blue, Clouded Buff, Six-spot Burnet, Common Crimson-and-gold Moth and Brimstone Moth.

 

We headed south today, intending to visit the Jardin de Martels near Toulouse. The gardens were closed until the afternoon so we stopped off at Giroussens where House Martins were still nesting in houses near the main square. The gardens themselves were beautiful, although perhaps a little past their peak for this year. This was the hottest day of our holidays so most birds were again staying in cover. However we managed to find some Mallards on the pond, some House Sparrows in the bushes and a few other species here and there. Green Frogs were living among the water lilies and Pool Sliders had taken over one of the irrigation tanks. Back near our base, two Black-shouldered Kites again showed well.

 

A Buzzard and a Nuthatch were calling as we left the gîte this morning. The first excursion of the day was along the cliffs at Belvédère du cirque de Bône. Birds were very scarce in the stifling heat (36°C) but Tamarind bushes were covered in bright red berries, Autumn Squill flowers were popping up all over the scrub floor and there were fantastic views both up and down the Aveyron. Later in the day we headed up to Roc d'anglars for fantastic views down to San Antonin and birds-eye views of the Crag Martins which nest on the cliff face.

 

After settling into our accommodation at Cadourel in the southwest of France, we had an afternoon walk along the Ayeron near Saint Antonin-Noble-Val. Species seen or heard consisted of: Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Grey Heron, Kingfisher, Jay, House Martin (with at least one occupied and still active nest on a building near the main square in San Antonin called “Las Irondèlas” - “The Swallows” in old Provençal), Long-tailed Tit, Blackcap and Nuthatch. Passing near La Vaissière, three Black-shouldered Kites were showing well on telephone wires and after dark, a single Tawny Owl called nearby. The photographs below show a Silver-washed Fritillary in the gite garden and the occupied House Martin nest (just visible) in San Antonin).

Some notable observations from today's local walk included the first Little Grebe of the "winter" on the river, three Swallows feeding over Rosshall Park, the odd Blackcap and Chiffchaff still around and a significant increase (up to12) in the Rook flock feeding on the playing fields at Moulin.