Our guided walk around the sights of Central Berlin this morning left little time for birdwatching. However lots of House Sparrows were chirruping around the (so-called) luxury flats that used to house East Germany's elite athletes. Hooded Crows were a constant presence and I heard a Peregrine calling while we visited what was left of the Berlin Wall. I was disappointed to find that the Linden trees along the Unter den Linden were still in their winter dormancy. In the afternoon, a very short walk through one edge of the Tiergarten produced Blue Tit, Great Tit and a calling woodpecker (possibly Great Spotted).

A male Blackbird was singing in the Shawlands darkness as we headed out for our flight to Berlin. Once settled into our hotel, we headed out for a walk along the River Spree. Birds on or beside the river consisted of a Great Crested Grebe, two Cormarants, two Coot, a Hooded Crow and about 20-30 Black-headed Gulls.

Lochwinnoch was wet and windy this morning but a walk around produced all the common village birds. I checked on the patch of Rustyback Fern on the gable end of a building in Calderhaugh Lane. Unfortunately it is now quite small and may not last much longer, especially as the building itself seems to be crumbling away. I checked lots of suitable-looking walls around the village but was unable to find any other sites supporting the species. Back home, I found my first frogspawn of the year in the nature pond in Queen's Park. 

I enjoyed a windy walk up to the summit of the Braid Hills in Edinburgh today. Botanical highlights consisted of Giant Butterbur beside the Braid Burn and Winter Aconite in Faimilehead Public Park. Best bird was probably a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over the top of the Braid Hills as I started walking down.  

I caught the bus out to Hairmyers first thing, then walked back to Clarkston over the farmland to the west of Thorntonhall. A flyover Yellowhammer, a single Tree Sparrow and a flock of about thirty Redwings were the highlights of the first section (from Peel Road to Waterfoot). The later section through Flenders Farm was notable for large numbers of Tree Sparrows.

I only had time for a short walk around Langside today. Best finds were not avian but botanical: flowering Snowdrop, crocus, dandelion and daffodil (the latter in a garden - the feral ones around here have still not opened) and a small growth of Yellow Brain fungus on a fallen branch.

I headed down to Greenock first thing to do you monthly WeBS core count. Always "the usual suspects" were present as expected but I was struck as I often am by the lack of diversity in the bird population. Years ago I would regularly record Pochard, Goldeneye and Goosander as well as occasional Teal and Wigeon. I have seen few of any of those species in recent years.

Eighteen Tufted Ducks were on Maxwell Park Pond today - continuing a recent run of high counts here and at Queen's Park.  

Very wet weather and family commitments meant natural connections were limited today to a short walk around Queen's Park. A Cormorant on the kinetic sculpture, a Coot defending a completed nest and (still) a good count of fourteen Tufted Ducks were the highlights. 

I was pleased to be offered a lift to Devilla Forest, Fife and back today with a four-hour gap in between. That allowed me enough time to walk through the forest and explore the north side of Peppermill Dam and adjacent farmland before returning via Tulliallan Castle. The forest had all the usual birds such as Coal Tit, Great Tit, Siskin and Chaffinch but I failed to find either Red Squirrel or Green Woodpecker, two of my "target" species. Peppermill Dam held large numbers of Canada and Greylag Geese plus a single White-fronted Goose of unknown origin. Other birds on the dam included Goldeneye, Goosander, Teal, Tufted Duck and Cormorant. One bird I had hoped to find was Grey Partridge and a check of the fields north of the dam proved successful with around fifteen birds found in a scrubby field margin. I inadvertently flushed the covey and after they had flown off, a single Woodcock also flew up and away. My walk then took me past the Keith Family Mausoleum, a neglected building and graveyard on a quiet knoll, rather spoiled by being next to a working quarry. I spent the next hour exploring the various other buildings associated with Tulliallan Castle including a watermill, an ice house, a wash house and the old parish church. Sadly, all but the church were in advanced states of disrepair and seemed well on their way to being swallowed up by the encroaching countryside. Notable birds seen or heard along the way included Raven, Nuthatch, Buzzard and Jay. A walk along the edge of Moor Loch added Wigeon, Mallard, Little Grebe, Coot and Mute Swan to the day list. Finally, I heard a Tawny Owl calling from the forest, a remarkable record given the time of day.

With the Lanarkishire Common Crane going AWOL this morning, I decided to change my plans and visit Pollok Country Park instead. I had seen a photograph posted on BlueSky showing dozens of Daffodils in flower in front of Pollok House and I wanted to check it out as I have only seen two plants flowering so far this year. In the event, the photo must have been taken in a previous spring as every daffodil in the park (I felt like I checked them all) was still in bud. I spent three hours having a really good look around the south of the park and finished up with a bird list of 37 species (plus two mammals: Grey Squirrel and Roe Deer). Notable bird species included a pair of Teal (my first site record of the species, as far as I can remember), seven Stock Doves (including one in song), two Cormorants, an immature Grey Heron, two Common Buzzards, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, three Jays, five Nuthatches, a Treecreeper, three Mistle Thrushes (one in song), two Redwings and five finch species. Notable plants remain scarce (I found one Cherry Plum in flower and a row of Alder trees) and any insect at all completely absent.

While many of the birders in the Clyde area were looking for the Common Crane in Lanarkshire, my birds of the day today were Wigeon and Chaffinch. I heard the latter species in song at several locations today, namely Lunderston Bay, Inverkip Marina and Rouken Glen Park. I definitely have the impression that Chaffinch song started earlier this year than in previous years. Wigeon provided two interesting records today. Firstly, a single drake was feeding quietly along the shoreline at the south end of Lunderston Bay (while I was watching the much more regular Eiders offshore). I have not recorded this species here before. Later, the pond in Rouken Glen Park held at least 40 male and female Wigeon with plenty of calling and mild display. I have recorded this species at this site in early spring before, but never in such large numbers. A Dipper was in the "Glen" nearby.

I heard two Song Thrushes and a Goldcrest singing in Langside this morning.  

My usual Sunday morning walk produced a total of 26 species including five finches (Bullfinch; Chaffinch; Greenfinch; Siskin; Goldfinch). Winter Gnats were lekking in the woods beneath Crookston Castle and the acres of Daffodils planted by the council are on the point of opening. 

A good number of bird species were in song in the Pollokshaws sunshine this morning, most notably Dunnock, Starling and Coal Tit. Feral Pigeon squabs were begging for food under the railway bridge over Kilmarnock Road.

Beecraigs Loch held an interesting range of waterbirds this morning including Little Grebe and Goosander as well as the usual Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen and Mallard. Two Ravens were near the car park with a Peregrine mobbing a Buzzard not far away. Notable birds at Linlithgow Loch consisted of a Slavonian Grebe (apparently there were two present) and a drake Pochard. No Little Grebes and only one Great Crested Grebe were surprisingly low counts. Perhaps the usual birds are still on coastal waters.

It was bitterly cold at RSPB Lovhwinnoch today. However an Oystercatcher and four Black-headed Gulls on the nesting rafts suggested that spring wasn't too far away. Birds on Barr Loch and Aird Meadow Loch mainly consisted of Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and Goosander. Noisy Groups of Greylag and Canada Geese were on surrounding fields. 

Today, the south side of Glasgow experienced some of the heavy rain that the east of Scotland has endured for the last two to three weeks. Water birds in the park seemed unconcerned but passerines were few and far between. Tufted Duck numbers were high at sixteen and there was a noticeable increase in the number of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Boating Pond.

With time to spare this morning I decided to walk from Hamilton to Motherwell via Bellshill. Best feature of the walk was the dramatic scenery along the South Calder Water with the 33.5 meter Jerviston Railway Viaduct spanning the Calder Vale. Best birds were two Ravens over the Old Holm Forge Bridge. Plant highlights were Scarlet Elf Cups, Teasel, Bulrush and Goat Willow. 

The most interesting finds during a long walk through Queen's Park to the Gorbals and back via Pollokshields were actually botanical: Winter Jasmine in flower and Yellow Brain fungus growing on the stalk of a small shrub. The boating pond in the park held single Cormorant and Goosander. Nearby, a Chaffinch was singing strongly. Other notable singing birds were a Song Thrush in the park, a Collared Dove in Strathbungo and a minimum if eight Dunnocks at various locations. Later, two Grey Squirrels and a Brown Rat were in Pollokshaws.  

Another busy family day meant natural connections had to be severely curtailed. However a short walk in Queen's Park while waiting for a restaurant table produced a good total of five Moorhens on the upper (small) pond. 

The only birds I connected with during a busy day of driving and doing family stuff were a few Buzzards along the M8 towards Edinburgh and two more sharing the same tree near Craigmillar Castle.

Navelwort and Wallflower were two interesting finds on the rocks surrounding Calton Hill in Edinburgh today.

A flock of 40 Black-headed Gulls was over Pollokshaws today. Meanwhile, four Lesser Black-backed Gulls were back at their nesting site on the roof of "The Range" in Auldhouse Retail Park. 

Wednesday, February 04, 2026

A lunchtime walk through a very wet Strathaven was notable for two Dippers interacting on the River Avon, just east of the mill buildings. Other good birds were Buzzard, Collared Dove and Treecreeper.

Snowdrops and Crocuses are in flower across my part of southwest Glasgow but I have still only found one Daffodil in flower. A Kingfisher at Shaw Bridge caught and ate two fish whie we watched it.

A long local walk today took me over to Hampden Stadium (via Queen's Park and Cathkin Park) and back (via Holmlea Park and the White Cart). Best birds were Dipper, Raven, Goosander and Redwing. Mammals consisted of Grey Squirrel and Red Fox. Plants were Daffodil, Golden Crocus, Dandelion and Myrobalan Plum, all in flower. 

I recorded a total of 31 bird species on my way to church in Pollok today. Highlights were a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, singing Nuthatch and Stock Dove and five Redwings. The Cherry Plum at the White Cart / Levern Water confluence had its first open flower of the spring.