Some notable sightings from Queen's Park today included four Stock Doves sunbathing together on a small patch of grass and two Little Grebes patrolling the boating pond. 

A coffee stop at RSPB Loch Leven this lunchtime confirmed that Tree Sparrows were still present between the visitor centre and the car park. A Swallow's nest under the eaves had young ready to fledge. 

A morning walk around Carphin House found a female Mallard with eleven ducklings, a juvenile Little Grebe, singing Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap and a singing Stock Dove. In the afternoon, a trip to St Andrews revealed Seaside Daisy and Pellitory-of-the-Wall both extremely well-established in the harbour area. Birds were disappointing but included Fulmar, Sand Martin and House Martin. A Grey Heron on the Kinness Burn had drowned a Rabbit but seemed unsure what to do with it. 

Friday, June 05, 2026

Today was mostly spent getting to and settling in at Carphin House in rural north Fife. However a quick check of the birds in the area found Blackcap and Chiffchaff both in song.  

Today's walk took in Pollokshaws including Auldhouse Park. Notable sightings included a hybrid Carrion x Hooded Crow, a single Swallow, a female Mallard with three ducklings, a Grey Wagtail (possibly a juvenile) calling from a tree near the presumed nest site at Shawbridge and a total of at least 127 flowering spikes of Northern Marsh Orchid at Leckie Street.

Because this turned out to be such a busy day, I only had a brief time window to do a partial count of the singing birds in Newlands Park. Best was a Song Thrush. Later, a Mistle Thrush was singing outside the Victoria Infirmary.  

I finished yesterday's walk today, then walked from the centre of East Kilbride to Cambuslang. Most interesting site was the park along the Kirk Burn where I found nesting Grey Wagtails and flowering Sweet Woodruff. 

Today's walk took me from Rutherglen up to the Kingsgate Retail Park on the edge of East Kilbride. Some highlights included several singing Whitethroats (above the traffic on the A749), flowering Northern marsh Orchid and at least two Tree Sparrows.