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.