I have been referring to "the" Little Grebe which is wintering on the river behind my house. However this evening I found four together. It was nearly dark and I guess they had gathered to roost in the river shallows. The local Mallards were roosting on the adjacent bank.

Birds encountered during today's walk around Shawlands included a pair of Goosanders, two Redwings and a Buzzard.

Quite a few interesting birds were in the bay in front of Lomond Shores retail park today, including a Little Grebe, a Goosander, a Cormorant and a Grey Wagtail. Singing Nuthatch and Mistle Thrush were in the woods.

Three different Mistle Thrushes were singing when I walked around my home monad today. Other notable birds were Goosander, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk. The latter two species were both being pursued by angry crows, and as usual it was the calls of the crows which alerted me to their presence.

Still saying fairly close to home, I headed over to Cardonald Cemetery in a neighbouring monad today. In the past, a few pairs of Rooks have set up a breeding colony there, and I was keen to see if they were showing any signs of doing the same this year. However no Rooks were present and there was no sign of any early nest building. A few Redwings were feeding among the gravestones and a pair of Mistle Thrushes flew in from the housing estate over to the west. Snowdrops were doing well in a couple of spots.

The Little Grebe which has been wintering on the river behind my house was a little bolder today, allowing me to get within ten metres of it before taking fright and swimming over to the far bank. Redwings continue wintering locally as do Herring Gulls, but mysteriously I haven't seen any Black-headed Gulls for the past week. Usually there are 40 or so along the river and around the playing fields.

A wander around Robertson Park, Renfrew today produced 15 Redwings and a Mistle Thrush feeding in a quiet corner and a Grey Wagtail skipping around the pond. Plenty of Snowdrops and Crocuses were already in flower. 

Still local but a longer walk today as I'm starting to feel better. Lots of birds singing between the showers including three Stock Doves. A Nuthatch and a Treecreeper were good finds in a tit flock. After yesterday's big, black bird (a Cormorant), today produced another, in the form of a Raven. It appeared from the northeast heading purposefully southwest (no doubt towards the nearest local breeding site which is in a neighbouring monad). A few Carrion Crows perched in the treetops saw it coming and cawed a few times but they seemed to lack the commitment to rise to challenge it. 

On another wet and windy day with the river swollen still further, the local Mallards were hauled up on the banks. As I counted them, a Cormorant powered down stream just below tree-top height. This species has become less regular on my stretch of the river since the demise of the daytime roost at Lochar Park a few years ago.

My principal natural connection of this week has been with the flu virus, and as a result I have only managed out as far as my local patch. Today's walk took place towards the end of the day, so few birds were  about. However I did pass a row of villas with well-established privet hedges where there were plenty of House Sparrows chattering as they settled down to roost. A look along Paisley Road West to gathering storm clouds sent me hurrying home.

The river was even more swollen today (although still nowhere near the highest level I have seen it) with the local playing fields flooded along the line of the old canal. Birds were mostly sheltering from the persistent rain, although a single Blue Tit ventured to sing. 

With a thaw overnight, the river had risen by a good half metre or so. Not surprisingly, the regular Little Grebe was nowhere to be seen. 41 Black-headed Gulls was a good count.

The Little Grebe which seems to be wintering in the area was fishing just above the weir next to Moulin playing fields. A couple of Redwings were in their usual trees outside the estate but another eight were feeding under bushes near the high school.

A different walk today, this time down to Paisley Road West. As a result there was not the usual variety of species. However Pied Wagtail was a welcome addition. 

With even colder weather today, birds were fairly quiet when I finally ventured out around 3pm. The local river was partially frozen but at least nine pairs of Mallards were positioned along the short length that I cover. Singing birds today consisted of Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit and Starling. A lovely afternoon was topped off with a glorious sunset.

Today I found myself in the centre of Paisley so I took the opportunity to survey a 1km square which I used to visit regularly, incorporating the White Cart Water between the Hammils and St James' Bridge. Birds on the river consisted mainly of Mallards but a single Moorhen was beside the mill building and a Cormorant flew downstream close to there. Also notable were two Grey Wagtails.

Notable records from today's local walk consisted of a singing Stock Dove at a second site (after the one yesterday), two singing Greenfinches and one Goosander.

Once again, plenty of species were singing around my home square today including Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Wren, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch, Nuthatch, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon and Collared Dove. A Little Grebe on the river was a slightly unusual sighting although I suspect it has wintered there, mostly unseen. In the afternoon, Murdieston Park had 13 Mute Swans (including one pair circling overhead), four Goosanders and a Grey Wagtail.

Today was the day of the Clyde SOC outing to Lochwinnoch, so I headed out early to get the first of the two buses I needed. The changeover was in Paisley so I had a look over the parapet of St James' Bridge just in case there was a Kingfisher or Dipper on the river below (there wasn't). Then off on the 902 to the Newton of Belltrees roundabout and the short walk downhill to the reserve. Almost the first bird of the day was a Meadow Pipit which called several times as if flew overhead. The first notable bird at the reserve was Treecreeper. The Barr Loch produced a good selection of waterbirds and a single Fieldfare on a pasture field. Aird Meadow meantime had four Whooper Swans while Castle Semple Loch had its long-staying Long-tailed Duck. The only flowering plants along the way were Snowdrops at the RSPB Visitor Centre. The only insect was nevertheless a good one - a single 2-spot Ladybird on Hazel catkins near the bus stop on the A737.

A long walk around the south east of Edinburgh today was notable for Bullfinches at three sites (including a flock of 20+), thirty Linnets near Queen Margaret University and a mixed flock of c150 Redwings and Fieldfares on fields at Shawfair. Plants in flower included Daisy, Dandelion and an umbellifer species. Other botanical highlights included fruiting Crabapple and (upright) Cotoneaster and Honesty gone to seed.

A Coal Tit was singing in the Grassmarket, central Edinburgh first thing. I have definitely noticed an increase in song from this species since the turn of the year. Later, Linlithgow Loch had a good selection of birds as usual. Most notable sightings however were not bird-related: a large number of recent molehills and an Apple tree which had shed almost all of its fruit (which was lying, untouched, on the ground below). Also of interest were the Herdwick sheep in a nearby field - I don't see many in Scotland.

Around 30 Redwings were in the trees around the old parish church in Corstorphine village. Also notable were a large number of Chaffinches queueing up to use a garden feeder and three Coal Tits in song. A yellow Crocus flower in St Margaret's Park was my first of the "spring".

A busy day at home meant I didn't manage out until after dark. I couldn't hear any wildlife sounds but the fantastic show of stars overhead suggested that we are in for another frosty night. News on the book front is that the newest addition to the New Naturalist library (Ponds, pools and puddles by Jeremy Biggs and Penny Williams) will be published this month.

The recent settled, cold conditions continued for my usual walk around south Cardonald, although puddles of water under pathside trees indicated that a thaw had begun. Two Nuthatches were active - one inspected a newly-installed nest box and a second (with two blue rings on its left leg) approached me, assuming I was coming to put out food. Three Goosanders (a duck and two drakes) were on the river, around eight Redwings "see-eeped" overhead and singing birds included Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren and Robin.

A Nuthatch was singing from a corner of Queen's Park when I passed this morning. Later two first winter birds were among fourteen Common Gulls on Barshaw Park pond. 

Saturday, January 06, 2024

Today we walked along part of the Loch Leven trail between Kinross and Vane Farm, although we eventually had to turn back because of flooding on the path. Commonest birds were Reed Buntings - at least three flocks of 5-7 individuals. 

I spent part of the morning walking along the Black Cart shore path at Kirklandneuk, Renfrew on what was a lovely, calm day. Mallard, Teal and Goldeneye were the most numerous species on the river with redshanks on the mud and both Greylag and Pink-footed Geese overhead. I also discovered a new site for Jelly Ear fungus (on Elder, as it almost invariably is).

Around a dozen Redwings were chattering in the top of a tall tree in Elder Park, Govan this morning. At least three Blue Tits, a Coal Tit, a Wren and numerous Starlings were in song. Two Pied Wagtails were around the pond.

A rather damp couple of hours in Darnley woods late morning failed to locate the Winter Aconite which I have found flowering there on previous occasions. However amongst the general neglect and decay (great for wildlife in the short term but potentiallycatastrophic for the ecosystem as a whole) were various fungi (including Hairy Curtain-crust, Honey Fungus and Elf Cup) and Slime Moulds, male and female flowers of Hazel, my first Snowdrop flower of the year and a Woodcock inadvertently flushed from the woodland floor.

After overnight rain, lots of birds were active around my home 1km square this morning, most notable being 66 Black-headed Gulls and eight Rooks (the majority feeding on flooded playing fields), six Redwings, three singing Nuthatches, courting Mallards and a single Greenfinch.

With the weather remaining quite bright, plenty of local birds are starting to sing including Woodpigeon, Feral Pigeon, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Wren and Song Thrush. A Treecreeper was a rare sighting. My New Year Plant Hunt found only four ornamental shrubs in flower. In spite of intensive searching, I couldn't find a single Dandelion, Daisy or Dead-nettle flower.