Happy Christmas & a Guid New Year

 

Millichen - surprise bird sighting!

 Having produced a new page focussing on the Millichen Area - see tab above - it was only right that I should make another visit to this piece of countryside in the north of Glasgow.

I arrived at 11am on 9 December 2024, courtesy of a taxi! It was a beautiful, albeit cold, day.

I walked from Balmore Road along the new path that runs parallel to Millichen Road and almost immediately saw a flock of around 10 Meadow Pipits -  a good start.

Footpath next to Millichen Road - 9 December 2024

Soon I could hear Pink-footed Geese and eventually had good views of small groups flying to and fro.

Pink-footed Geese - 9 December 2024

Walking past the new housing at the former East Millichen Farm, I stopped to view the 'flood' which was frozen and only had a couple of Herring Gulls plus lots of  'corvids'.

Millichen Flood - 9 December 2024

Continuing along Millichen Road, I was pleased to meet two locals who were also out birdwatching - Douglas and Gina.

Millichen Road and hedgerows - 9 December 2024

We all saw a beautiful male Bullfinch in the hedgerow and I stopped to try and get some photos as Douglas and Gina carried on. When I got home I discovered, by checking my records, that this was a new bird for me at Millichen, being my 107th!

Bullfinch - 9 December 2024

I also managed a record shot of a Pheasant in one of the fields to the north of the road.

Field north of Millichen Road - 9 December 2024

Pheasant - 9 December 2024

I carried on along Millichen Road towards West Millichen Farm and then turned left down towards the 'Steadings' passing a bold little Robin.

Towards the 'Steadings' - 9 December 2024

Robin - 9 December 2024

In and around the Steadings, I added Ring-necked Parakeet, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Tree Sparrow and Greenfinch to my list. 

I walked to the end of the road before retracing my steps and in the distance I could see the new housing built on the former East Millichen Farm.

New housing in the distance - 9 December 2024

At this point I also realised that it was time to leave in order to catch a bus at Allander Toll, only one per hour, to Milngavie Railway Station!

Back towards West Millichen Farm - 9 December 2024

I did, however, have time for one last photo - a Roe Deer.

Roe Deer - 9 December 2024

Only 21 bird species seen but getting a 'new' bird for the area made it special.

Ring-necked Duck at Bingham's Pond

 Once again, I'm pleased to report that I found a drake Ring-necked Duck on Bingham's Pond LNR on Monday 2 December 2024. Presumably it is the same bird that I first found on 12 January 2021. The bird generally visits a number of ponds, lochs and reservoirs, mainly in north west Glasgow, over the winter and spring and then disappears in summer before returning in early winter. This is the first report for winter 2024.

Ring-necked Duck - Bingham's Pond LNR - 2 December 2024

Millichen

I have produced a new page (with links) featuring the Millichen area of Glasgow. See page link above.

In the meantime a few photos from Millichen and the species seen there, over the years.

Grasshopper Warbler - Millichen

Tree Sparrow - Millichen

Yellowhammer - Millichen

Roe Deer - Millichen

Looking towards the 'Steadings' and West Millichen Farm

Looking down towards Millichen Flood and some of the Steadings in the foreground

Autumn 2024 Update

 Autumn is a good time of year to find and see unusual species.

Over the past week or so I've travelled on various trains and buses to Barns Ness and Dunbar in East Lothian; Strathclyde Country Park in South Lanarkshire; Balgray Reservoir in East Renfrewshire; and Hogganfield Park LNR and the Millichen area, both in Glasgow.

Some photos and record shots of a few of the 'special' birds seen.

Steppe Grey Shrike - Dunbar 11/09/24

Great White Egret -  Balgray Reservoir 07/09/24

Pied Flycatcher - Barns Ness 03/09/24

Kingfisher - Hogganfield Park LNR 10/09/24

(Distant) Black Tern - Strathclyde C.P. 05/09/24

Tree Sparrows - Millichen 13/09/24

A First for Hogganfield Park LNR and the City, plus a first for Bingham's Pond LNR

 The web site is still in 'cold storage' BUT thought these two sightings were worthy of some defrosting!

Yesterday I found a Reed Warbler at Hogganfield Park LNR. This was the first record of this species at the LNR and the City! Apologies for the quality of the photo but I was at full zoom.

Reed Warbler - Hogganfield Park LNR - 25 May 2024

Also of note was a drake Garganey at Bingham's Pond LNR on 14 May 2024. This was a first for the Pond.

Garganey - Bingham's Pond - 14 May 2024

Hogganfield Park Local Nature Reserve

 Note that the Hogganfield Park LNR page has been updated and additional photos posted.

Glasgow's Wilds Better: Hogganfield Park LNR (glasgowswildsbetter.blogspot.com)

As a taster -