There were quite a lot of new birds present during my usual Thursday walk around Pollokshaws today. Plenty of (migrant?) Starlings were in the treetops and Robin, Wren and Great Tit were all singing in the brighter weather. Jackdaws were flying around in pairs and a group of them were mobbing a Raven which had perched on a pole behind Costa's. A female Goosander was under Shaw Bridge and three drakes (two still moulting into breeding plumage - one already there) were under the Riverford Road bridge. A Kingfisher flew upriver near there and a Wood Duck was at the confluence with the Auldhouse Burn.

Dozens of Redwings (plus Mistle Thrushes, Blackbirds, Siskins and Chaffinches) were in the Bent Cemetery today. Five each of Rabbit and Grey Squirrel were also notable. Unusual plants consisted of Royal Fern and Cedar.

A single Redwing was over Hairmyers Hospital when I popped out to the car park at 9pm. 

A brief visit to the James Hamilton Heritage Park found at least four Little Grebes near the island and a single Cormorant on the pontoon.

A Kingfisher was on the pond in Rosshall Park again today. Earlier, a Harlequin Ladybird was an unexpected guest in a garden on Barnbeth Road.

The weather at Ardmore Point today was blustery but thankfully dry. Between three and six Little Egrets were around, as were twelve Whooper Swans. Otherinteresting birds consisted of Jay, Slavonian Grebe, Red-throated Diver and Bar-tailed Godwit.

On another mild and relatively windless day, a Robin was singing wistfully in the garden. Recently, I have gained the distinct impression that there are few if any Woodpigeons around my local patch. This is normally a very common species here. Perhaps the major movement of Woodpigeons I noticed around two weeks ago involved local birds moving out. 

Another long walk today completed the route from Glasgow to Carlisle. Wildlife encountered along the way included wayside Crabapple, Silver-Y Moth, four Dippers, two Kingfishers, six Buzzards plus Cormorant, Grey Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Teal and three species of goose.

Today's walk from Annan to Gretna was notable for two Kingfishers (one fishing in a flood produced by seawater spilling over an embankment), a party of eight Whooper Swans (including three juveniles) and both Crabapple and Apple trees in fruit.

A Cormorant on the river today was my first of the "winter". A Kingfisher on the pond had clearly been displaced from the nearby river by high water due to overnight rain. The Acers in the sunken garden were beautiful today.

A Raven and a Wood Duck were the highlights of a walk around Queen's Park today. The latter, a female, was on the small pond. I initially reported it as a Mandarin but was quickly corrected by the local birding grapevine. Apparently female Mandarins have the white line under the eye, while Wood Ducks have the white line through the eye.

I timed today's WeBs count to avoid the storm which was predicted to arrive this afternoon. Consequently, all was quite on the Murdieston Dams, making bird counting much easier. A Grey Wagtail and a Little Grebe were the most notable finds. The Mute Swan brood on Town Dam was down to two well-grown juveniles (from three). The juveniles were moulting into their (mostly white) first winter plumage.

A Kingfisher and a Grey Wagtail were the highlights of a short walk along the river today. 

Today was the calm before tomorrow's predicted storm in North Berwick. Birds along the shore included Rock Pipit, Shag and Great Black-backed Gull. Other wildlife consisted of Grey Seal, Fox Moth caterpillar, Sea Buckthorn, Red Valerian and Sea Rocket.

Today we finished walking from Dumfries to Annan with the second leg from Clarencefield to Annan. Some nature highlights included Roe Deer, Brown Hare, Badger (sadly dead), Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, a Malus species, Whooper Swan, Barnacle Goose, Shoveler, Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover, a leucistic Oysercatcher, Kingfisher and Rock Pipit.

With heavy rain for the majority of the route, today's walk from Dumfries to Clarencefield was a bit of a washout. However there were actually plenty of birds about including: Whooper Swan, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Shoveler, Teal, Goosander, Little Egret, Lapwing, Curlew, Kestrel and Skylark. 

A walk around Barshaw Park this morning produced a site first in the form of a Nuthatch calling from near the top of the hill. Also notable were two Chaffinches in the Peace Garden. 

The usual walk around my home square found a single Grey Wagtail catching flying prey from a rock in the river and a notable increase in Mallards away from the park pond. Speaking of which, a Brown Rat was among the Grey Squirrels attracted to bird food scattered there. 

Howwood, like the rest of west central Scotland, was beset by heavy rain (with some thunderstorms) today. However a wander from Garthland Bridge up to Bowfield Road and back again (via an interesting, long vennel) produced a fair list of birds, the highlights being Canada Goose and Buzzard.

Quite a long walk from Largs to West Kilbride started in fairly clear conditions but ended in heavy rain. Nevertheless, some notable birds were seen along the way including Red-breasted Merganser, Gannet and Little Egret.

A male Pied Wagtail was searching for food in the car park behind Asda, Govan this morning. In the afternoon, a shed Ginkgo leaf on the pavement in Portobello led me to discover five trees growing at the town cross. I had never noticed them before.

On another surprisingly mild day, a single Raven low over the park was the highlight of a walk around Bishopbriggs.Goos numbers of Woodpigeons were feeding on Beech mast and the air was filled with (what I assumed were newly-arrived) Starlings. A flock high overhead may have been winter thrushes but were too far up to see.

Four species of gull were on Barshaw Park pond this morning. Although it was another calm day, the cold temperatures appear to have finished off the last of the bees - I couldn't find a single one. 

Monday, October 08, 2024

A Chiffchaff was singing quite strongly from the willows along the river at Moulin today.

The relatively settled weather of the past week or so has meant that my local trees have retained their leaves longer than normal. Consequently, we are being treated to a beautiful show of autumn colour.

A single Common Carder Bee was visiting the late-flowering Lobelias in the back garden today. Apart from the odd Buff/White-tailed Bumblebee, this is the only species I have come across for weeks.

A swirling flock of twelve Swallows plus Raven, Kestrel, Buzzard, Skylark and Meadow Pipit were some of the notable species on Craigluscar Hill today.

A Kingfisher called as it flew along the river in Shawlands today. A Ladybird larva was on the parapet of the Riverford Road bridge.

Wednesday, October 02, 2024

An afternoon walk around my home square produced most of the expected birds with a flock of Long-tailed Tits being the noisiest. I listened for Redwings after nightfall but to no avail. 

At least nine (and possibly as many as twelve) Little Grebes were around the island in the loch at James Hamilton Heritage Park today.