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).  

Today was the day of my annual survey of the birds on Loch Lomondside from Rowardennan north. In the event, today's figures are not comparable with those from previous years because I started significantly later this year and walked significantly less far. Nevertheless here they are: Wood Warbler (7); Willow Warbler (22); Chiffchaff (11); Blackcap (18); Garden Warbler (4); Tree Pipit (1); Redstart (1 at Cashel); Pied Flycatcher (0); Spotted Flycatcher (0); Nuthatch (7). Best sightings included good views of the Garden Warblers and at Least two Bee-flies.

Sandwich Terns calling over the river channel and Linnets calling as they flew back and forward to the shore were the highlights of a non-birding visit to Irvine this lunchtime.  

The main outing of today was to the ruined church and graveyard on the Rothiemurchus estate. On a beautifully sunny day, many birds were in song including Nuthatch, Chiffchaff (both firsts for me for that site), Willow Warbler and Blackcap. A walk down to the river produced two Ospreys, a Buzzard, Goldeneye, Mallard, Goosander, Common Sandpiper and Redstart (a singing male and a female feeding nearby). From there we headed to Loch Insh where three Common Sandpipers were interacting over the loch, one flying extravagant undulations quite unlike the normal surface-hugging flight of this species. Also down there were two Goldeneye and a pair of Teal. Finally, an evening visit to Insh Marshes found the landscape bathed in beautiful golden light. Many birds were active over the marsh including a Redshank singing and flying vertical zig-zags with the song reaching a crescendo at the top of each undulation. A Snipe flushed by one of the reserve staff got up in towering flight over the marsh. If I had been closer, I suspect I might have heard it drumming. Oystercatchers were at the back of the marsh but Lapwings and Curlews were dotted all over and frequently took to the air to display or sing. The drive home produced a single Roe Deer, a group of five Red Deer, an Oystercatcher standing on the road verge at Drumochter and a Common gull there feeding on roadkill.

An early walk to an undisclosed location in Strathspey today produced some excellent finds in the form of White-tailed Eagle, Goshawk, Red Deer, Tree Pipit and Cuckoo. In the evening, four Pine Martens came to a garden feeding station and two Woodcock were roding over the forest.

Heading for a few days in Badenoch and Strathspey today, almost the first birds encountered were three Ospreys flying overhead. Other birds added at various sites in the course of the afternoon and evening included Peregrine, a further four Ospreys, Common Sandpiper, Red-throated Diver, Goldeneye,Teal, Curlew and Greylag Goose. 

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Today was a day of traveling (from Drumnadrochit to Fort William and then on to Glasgow) so very few birds were recorded. Even the shore at Fort William, often full of birds, held only Common Gull, Herring Gull and Feral Pigeon.