Notable records from Queen's Park today were three female Tufted Ducks sleeping in the middle of the boating pond (not a great sign, I'm afraid, as it suggests that they don't have eggs to incubate) and the usual Mistle Thrush pair gathering food for a second (or even third) brood. An Oystercatcher called over Shawlands in the evening.  

A singing Chiffchaff and a calling Oystercatcher provided the main interest as I was doing some gardening in Woodfarm this afternoon.  

I spent a very enjoyable day touring some sites in Stirlingshire. Flanders Moss NNR held Skylark, Stonechat, Meadow pipit, Redpoll and Reed Bunting; the Lake of Menteith and Inchmahome Island held Cormorant and Greylag Goose; Stronlachachar had Red-breasted Merganser, Common Sandpiper, Common Gull, nesting House Martins and two Twite; Loch Ard had another two Red-breasted Mergansers plus Goosander, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose and Common Sandpiper; finally, David Marshall Lodge held Red Squirrel and singing Wood Warbler. Best birds of the day were those two Twite - a bird I seldom encounter - giving great views as one of them perched on the pier head railings.

There was a noticeable increase in insect life when I walked around Pollokshaws this afternoon. Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder bee, Western Honey Bee and the Soldier Beetle Cantharis nigricans were the main species involved. Swallows were overhead quite a lot but I failed to locate any House Martins or Swifts.

A pair of Tufted Ducks were on the boating pond in Queen's Park today. It remains to be seen whether they will breed, or indeed if any other females are hidden somewhere on eggs. 

Today I walked from Shawlands to a meeting in St George's Cross. Breeding was confirmed for Blackbird (carrying food) and possible for Chiffchaff and Blackcap (singing males). 

A belated WeBS count this morning produced interesting breeding records in the form of a Mute Swan pair with four cygnets and two Coot broods, both of two chicks. I also recorded one Common Swift overhead - my first for the site. The remainder of the day was spent on the Clyde SOC "cruise" around the Clyde basin. Wildlife highlights consisted of good numbers (perhaps 50 or more) of Porpoise plus Puffin, Great Northern Diver, Red-throated Diver, Golden Eagle, Cuckoo and Little Egret.

Yesterday evening, two Oystercatchers touched down briefly on the bowling green. Today's visitors were two Swallows.  

A male Pied Flycatcher singing from an exposed branch was the highlight of a walk in Coulter Glen today. Also of note were numerous Whinchats, a couple of Wheatears, two pairs of Stonechat plus all the usual upland species (excepting, unfortunately, Ring Ouzel).

Highlights of a trip to a windy but sunny Edinburgh were Peregrine, Kestrel and Raven.

I dropped into Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park this morning while I was in the Lochwinnoch area for something else. Almost the first birds seen were two Cuckoos (presumably a pair) swooping and flying very fast around the area of the Visitor Centre.  Other good birds were five warblers in song (Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat and Wood Warbler), Common Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail on the river, displaying Goldfinch, Siskin and Redpoll and a Carrion Crow mobbing a Buzzard overhead. 

Three House Martins were racing around the buildings on Pollokshaws Road this evening, calling loudly and diving at eachother. It will be interesting to see if they say to nest - and to see if I can locate the nest site.  

A female Goosander had eight ducklings on the White Cart in south Cardonald today. Later, two Swifts over Shawlands were my first local birds of the year. 

A cool day in Shawlands with no Swallow activity and certainly no Swifts. 

The songs of Chiffchaff and Blackcap wafted in to my room as I prepared to start my duties at Lendrick Muir first thing. 

An Oystercatcher flew over Lendrick Muir Outdoor Centre when I arrived there at 07:00. Later in the day, a bird running quietly around the side of the building made me wonder if there were mobile chicks present. Rooks, Starlings and Jackdaws were all bringing food to nests in the vicinity, and I saw at least two young Rooks (with noticeably short tails) in flight.  

Highlight of a short visit to Balloch Castle today was a sighting of a "squirrel" which turned out to be a Stoat. We were able to watch it running through the grass and diving into a hole at the base of a tree. Singing birds included Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Also good were Nuthatch and Treecreeper. 

I ventured a little further afield today - to the 1km square containing Crosshill and Govanhill. Highlights consisted of singing Treecreeper and successful breeding by Ravens (the latter confirmed by the presence of three well-grown chicks in a nest on a church spire).

Today's walk around Pollokshaws took place in light showers so the birds on offer were fewer than yesterday. Nevertheless I saw my first two local Swallows of the year - a pair interacting over the car park behind the Shawlands Arcade. 

Interesting birds encountered in Pollokshaws this afternoon consisted of a Dipper flying upriver near Coustonholm Bridge, an Oystercatcher flying over Morrisons Car Park near Riverford Bridge and a pair of Grey Wagtails under Shaw Bridge. Birds I failed to see consisted of Swallow and Swift. Neither appear to have returned to the area so far this year.

Coot pairs had chicks at three sites in Queen's Park today. Other good birds included Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Collared Dove and Little Grebe. 

On a busy day spent rushing around different sites, the highlights were: Little Egret and Common Tern at Montrose Basin; an Osprey, 150+ Pink-footed Geese and a singing Yellowhammer at The Lurgies; two Red-breasted Mergansers on the River South Esk at Bridge of Dun; Osprey, Marsh Harrier and Whooper Swan at Loch of Kinnordy and finally, three Yellow Wagtails and a Peregrine at East Haven.

An excellent visit to RSPB Loch of Strathbeg produced records of Common Crane (4), Spoonbill, Great Egret, Ruff (2), Wood Sandpiper (3 - 4) and Marsh Harrier. It was then on to Bullers of Buchan for a single Puffin and two Ravens. Later, Gight Wood held Treecreeper, Yellowhammer and Grey Wagtail (as well as Sweet Woodruff and Bugle).

After a busy day in coastal Aberdeenshire, the best birds were Dotterel, Great Skua, Little Tern and Grey Partridge.

A drake Gadwall at Lochwinnoch was my first for the site. Other good birds included three Oystercatchers, three Little Ringed Plovers and a Snipe (the latter feeding out in the open). A Water Rail called and Sedge Warblers were everywhere. 

At least one and possibly two Fulmars were occupying potential breeding ledges on Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh when I checked from Regent Road today.

Having noticed Chiffchaffs becoming commoner on Loch Lomondside and Strathspey last week, I found evidence today (albeit rather limited) of Willow Warbler doing better locally too. Putting in my birdtrack records for Queen's Park (today) and Pollok Roundabout (Sunday), I noticed that I was entering my first records ever for the species for these two sites.

A walk around Mugdock Park this morning found four Swallows near the Khyber gunsights, a Moorhen pair with two young on Craigend Pond and two or three singing Tree Pipits.

A Whitethroat in song was the highlight of my regular Sunday walk through Crookston in southwest Glasgow today. Also of note were Starlings feeding young, apple trees in flower and Chiffchaff and Blackcap in song.  

Saturday, May 02, 2026

A busy family day meant natural connections were severely limited. Only a Collared Dove singing in Hamilton managed to register. 

A quiet day in Shawlands today. It appears that our local Swifts have not made it back yet (although a few have been recorded elsewhere in Clyde).