Seven Swifts were over Shawlands Cross at dusk. 

I heard Swifts flying over several times this afternoon and evening, with possibly 10+ present at one time. In the evening, a pair of Bullfinches brightened up a walk along Camphill Avenue.

A single Swift was over the bowling green this evening. A Kingfisher was under the Riverford Road Bridge.

Two Swallows and two House Martins were over Elder Park, Govan this afternoon. Later, a single Oystercatcher flew low, calling, over our building in Shawlands.

Sunday, July 27, 2025

Highlights of a morning visit to Baron's Haugh included a good selection of waders (Curlew, Greenshank, Lapwing, Ruff, Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper and Dunlin), two juvenile Shelduck and three eclipse Gadwall. An afternoon walk home through Pollok Park found Kingfishers at three locations along the river including a begging fledgling at one. Sand Martins over the river were making an unusual sound (https://xeno-canto.org/1023791) - possibly an alarm call. 

A Blackcap singing near the west gate was the most notable bird on my list for Glasgow Green today.

Very few birds were showing when I walked through Pollokshaws this lunchtime. However there were plenty of juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls making themselves heard with sixteen on a single roof in Auldhouse Retail Park. The Knapweed in Auldhouse Park was showing more open flowers, attracting lots of hoverflies and bees (especially Red-tailed Bumblebees).

Today began as yesterday ended with Swifts over the centre of Aviemore - although unlike last night, today's birds were down at rooftop height. A walk along the Spey near Aviemore failed to produce any waterbirds (too many kayakers?), although single Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher and Grey Wagtail were all recorded. I came across a long-abandoned meadow overgrown with Lupins which also contained a good number of Melancholy Thistles. Unfortunately, none of them produced the Bee Beetle that I was hoping to find. Heading home, a stop-off in Dunkeld added the usual Fallow Deer and Rabbit plusHouse Martin, Swallow, Dipper and a Hooded x Carrion Crow hybrid.

A short trip to Strathspey began with a stop-off in Pitlochry. The high water level meant that few birds were at the dam. however a break in the clouds brought a range of hoverflies and a Mining Bee (probably Grey-banded) to the flower borders at the Festival Theatre. A tour of some of the Speyside Fields for Wildlife sites produced plenty more pollinators plus House Martins, Swifts, a flock of Siskins and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers. An early evening visit to Loch Insh and Insh Marshes added Goldeneye, Osprey, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Oystercatcher, Grey Heron and Brown Hare. The evening ended with a party of Swifts screaming high above the centre of Aviemore.

I carried out a survey of the "Crossmyloof and Maxwell Park Pond" monad this afternoon. Two juvenile Tufted Ducks (smaller than the Queen's Park birds) were on the pond but there was no sign of any adults. I wonder if the same thing has happened as I suspected for Queen's Park - that the adults have left the site ahead of the (presumably still flightless) juveniles. I'd be interested to know if the adults return to the site at any point (possibly at night) or if they have completely deserted the young birds.

Monday, July 21, 2025

A walk around Queen's Park Pond produced a single Little Grebe (still in summer plumage) and two juvenile Tufted Ducks (presumably all that remains of the brood of eight hatched around 23rd June). The adult Tufted Ducks appear to have already left the site.

Swallows were twittering over the bowling green and the shopping centre in Shawlands for most of the day (only disappearing during the heaviest showers). Swifts were overhead from about 19:00 and peaked at 26 birds at 21:00.

A shopping trip to Ayr provided a good excuse to visit one of my favourite spots in the town - Rozelle Park. Birds were fairly quiet, but a single Rabbit was more unusual than a dozen or so Grey Squirrels and an extensive wildflower border was full of hoverflies, true flies and Red Soldier Beetles.

Friday, July 18, 2025

A group of very alarmed-looking Goosanders and Mallards alerted me to the presence of an Otter in the White Cart at Carmichael Place, Battlefield. The Otter decided to avod the ducks and swam (underwater) right under our vantage point and away downstream.

A Grey Heron was at Shaw Bridge when I passed this morning. Several Marmalade Hoverflies were at the Pitches and some Common Toadflax had popped up between the library and the community centre.

Mallard numbers continue to build up on Queen's Park pond but the Tufted Duck family (and indeed the small group of moulting drakes) were nowhere to be seen.

At least fourteen Sandwich Terns were feeding just offshore at Lunderston Bay this morning. Good plant finds consisted of Sand Leek and Elecampane. 

Two or three Swallows were feeding around the sycamores in Elder Park, Govan this afternoon. Back home, at least one Oystercatcher was alarm-calling from the primary school playground. 

Although the warm weather continues, today felt more like autumn than summer with lengthening shadows late evening. The odd Swift passed over from time to time and the Swallow family are still around the car park on Pollokshaws Road.

An afternoon walk around Mugdock Wood, Craigallian Loch and Carbeth Loch resulted in several Cleg bites but also good views of a Golden-ringed Dragonfly.

Swifts are showing well this week with at least fourteen over Kilmarnock Road this evening.

Highlights of a circular walk around Holyrood Park, Edinburgh were all invertebrates: Cinnabar Moth caterpillars, Small Skipper butterflies and a single Humming-bird Hawk Moth.

Two Stock Doves were again along the river. Seven-spot Ladybird and Common Red Soldier Beetle were at The Pitches. I discovered a patch of Aspen saplings which I will keep an eye on as their autumn colour develops. Between twelve and sixteen Swifts were screaming over Kilmarnock Road this evening.

A Nuthatch was calling in Queen's Park. The female Tufted Duck has moved onto the boating pond with her now, two ducklings. Six drakes were getting on with their moult into eclipse. Common Red Soldier Beetles, Common Carder Bees, Harlequin Ladybirds and Western Honey Bees were all attracted out by the first prolonged warm sunshine for around a week.

Over in Cardonald for an appointment, I did a 30-minute bird count in the Sandwood/Tweedsmuir square. Birds were fairly unremarkable but a Grey Squirrel was slightly unusual.

Two female Tufted Ducks on Maxwell Park pond had seven ducklings between them. One of the ducklings was a little bigger than the others and may have been from a third, earlier brood. Two Blackcaps sang nearby and a single Grey Squirrel was at the Hutcheson's playing fields. Also notable were a Pied Wagtail on the Bowling Green, two Oystercatchers flying over Waverley Park and three or four visiting Black-headed Gulls bickering with the resident Lesser Black-backs. 

An Oystercatcher was calling again from the top of the Shawlands Arcade.

Some of the highlights of a rainy walk from Darvel to Kilmarnock today were nineteen Rabbits in one field and fourteen Red Deer in another. I was also able to obtain breeding evidence for House Martin, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Treecreeper.

Cool, showery and windy conditions today limited the number and variety of birds recorded on my regular walk around Pollokshaws. However I was able to confirm successful breeding for Lesser Black-backed gull with three mobile juveniles on the roof of the car wash in the Auldhouse Retail Park.

I moved out of Glasgow today to do some walking in the Eaglesham Hills. Birds were fairly thin on the ground (only nineteen species in total) but included confirmed breeding records for Canada Goose, Common Gull and Pied Wagtail. Other notable, potential breeders consisted of Grasshopper Warbler, Raven, Oystercatcher and Common Sandpiper. One that got away was Twite with two tiny passerines glimpsed on a telephone wire but which flew off before I could get binoculars onto them.

Another day, another Stock Dove: This time a singing bird near the northeast entrance to Linn Park. Also present there were Kingfisher, Grey Heron, Dipper and good numbers of singing Chiffchaff and Chaffinch. Orchids (probably Common Spotted) were at three places in the park. Another singing Chiffchaff was in Newlands Park. The local Swifts were screaming around at 22:25 (presumably after a long day foraging somewhere warmer than here).