A very rainy walk in the direction of Pollok House found the river overflowing and the wood beside the golf course under several centimetres of water (and therefore impassible). A Bullfinch near Corkerhill Road was the highlight. 

Monday, December 30, 2024

My 2024 year list for the four monads surrounding my house in southwest Glasgow has added up to a rather underwhelming 58 species. Notable omissions include Grey Heron (!), Kestrel, Jay and Grasshopper Warbler. The full list is: 

Canada Goose

Greylag Goose

Mallard

Goosander

Pheasant

Feral Pigeon

Stock Dove

Woodpigeon

Collared Dove

Moorhen

Little Grebe

Oystercatcher

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull

Great Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Cormorant

Sparrowhawk

Buzzard

Tawny Owl

Kingfisher

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Magpie

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

[Carrion x Hooded Crow]

Raven

Coal Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Sand Martin

House Martin

Swallow

Long-tailed Tit

Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Blackcap

Whitethroat

Goldcrest

Wren

Nuthatch

Treecreeper

Starling

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Redwing

Blackbird

Robin

House Sparrow

Dunnock

Grey Wagtail

Pied/White Wagtail

Chaffinch

Bullfinch

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Siskin

Some notable sightings from today's walk from south Cardonald to Govanhill consisted of: four Grey Herons fishing the same short stretch of the White Cart near the Corkerhill Road bridge; a Little Grebe fishing the river just west of Pollokshaws Road; a Mistle Thrush in full song (my first of the "spring") near "The Pitches" in Pollokshaws; and a selection of plants in flower consisting of Annual Meadow Grass, Dandelion, Daisy, Groundsel, Shepherd's Purse, Thale Cress, Common Chickweed, Feverfew, Gorse and Hazel.

Blue and Great Tit were both breaking into song in the garden at first light.

The usual Grey Heron was at his winter post on the weir at Shawbridge this lunchtime.  

On another mild day in South Cardonald, two Redwings were in the treetops near the Cardonald Place Farm footbridge and three Moorhens were feeding on scattered seed. 

Four Moorhens were in a tree overhanging the river this afternoon. 

A Stock Dove in song and a Buzzard being chased by two Carrion Crows were the highlights of a quick walk around Craigton Cemetery this lunchtime. Someone important must have been laid to rest there today as I have never seen so many cars in the cemetery grounds (I estimated 100 - 150).

A small flock of Siskins along the Brock Burn in Pollok was my third sighting of the species in southwest Glasgow the last three days. Presumably there has been a recent influx. Also notable were pairs of Mallard and Goosander on the burn. At least four Pied Wagtails were in front of Silverglade Shopping Centre. 

Sunday, December 22, 2024

The Mistle Thrush which was guarding a Rowan tree at bonnyholm seems to have failed in his quest as the tree was completely bare when I checked today. Windy weather meant few birds were seen (or heard) but a Kingfisher was again on the pond. 

A small flock of Siskins feeding on Alder cones was the best sighting from an afternoon walk through Kelvingrove Park. 

Both Woodpigeon and Stock Dove were singing along the river this lunchtime. A flyover Greenfinch was the first I'd noted for a few weeks, as was a single Lesser Black-backed Gull with the Herring Gulls. 

A Grey Heron was back on the weir at Shawbridge this afternoon but other birds were keeping out of sight due to the inclement weather.

A Moorhen at Leverndale was my first winter record for that section of the White Cart (although I have seen them several times in the breeding season). Crows were chasing a distant raptor (presumably a Buzzard, Kestrel or Sparrowhawk) but I couldn't make out which.

A Robin woke me up with its singing this morning. Since then, we have had six hours and 59 minutes of daylength here in Cardonald - the equal shortest day of the year. A week from today, we will have seven hours....

.

Monday, December 16, 2024

.

A Cormorant and five Goosander were the highlights of today's delayed WeBS count in Greenock.

A Raven was being chased over the houses along Dormandside Road this morning. Winter Gnats were lekking near Crookston Castle.

A single Stock Dove was feeding with Woodpigeons along the riverbank this afternoon.

Small parties of Redwings moving through the treetops were a feature of a walk from Falkirk to Larbert today. Three Roe Deer were in Camelon Cemetery and a Kingfisher called along the River Carron. 

Redwings were "Chack"ing and "See-eep"ing in the treetops when I walked along the canal in Clydebank today. As dusk fell, a group of Mallards that had been feeding on the bank drifted into the centre of the canal, presumably to spend the night there.

Twenty-four Common Gulls were on an icy Barshaw Park Pond with the usual Black-headed Gulls, Mute Swans and Mallards. It was nice to hear their evocative mewing calls from away over at the main gate. Three Coal Tits were singing near the walled garden and there were also short bursts of song from Blue Tit, Wren and Starling.

Today was cold, frosty and misty. The conditions kept the smaller birds in cover but brought the larger ones out onto the paths and playing fields, looking for food. Six Stock Doves were feeding along the path with 46 Woodpigeons. Two Brown Rats and seventeen Grey Squirrels were also present.

Four species of gull were standing on the ice on Elder Park Pond this morning: Black-headed, Common, Herring and Lesser Black-backed.

A female Goosander was on the river and a Buzzard was being mobbed by a Carrion Crow and a Magpie.

A Kingfisher was on the pond this morning. One of the Rowan trees at Bonnyholm is still being guarded by a Mistle Thrush and as a result is covered with berries while neighbouring trees are nearly bare.

Edinburgh was enjoying mild and calm conditions when I visited today (ahead of Storm Darragh), so much so that we were able to eat our lunch out near the elbow of the Granton Harbour breakwater. Birds in the area included big rafts of Goldeneye and scattered Redshank, Oystercatcher and Turnstone.

Both Grey and Pied Wagtails (singles of each) were in Shawlands, south Glasgow today.

Two Stock Doves coming down to scattered seed were the best birds of toda's local walk. Numbers of Black-headed Gulls, Moorhens and Grey Squirrels were all higher than usual.

A quick run to New Galloway to help out a family member allowed a short visit to the RSPB Ken Dee Marshes reserve. I couldn't locate the main target species, Willow Tit. However birds which did appear included a single Woodcock, a mixed flock of Redwings and Fieldfares, overflying Red Kite and Buzzard, and a good number of Nuthatches. Birds on the journey included a hunting male Kestrel.

Four Whooper Swans flew over Bothwell Road Park while I was walking there this lunchtime. Other notable birds included a dozen Rooks waiting for the local school to come out and a single Pied Wagtail.

I came across four Bullfinches on a walk around Crookston Castle today. Other notable species included Rook (in the usual place), Kingfisher (flying along the river) and a Goldcrest in full song.