Waxwing Invasion

Over the last few weeks there have been more and more reports of Waxwings being seen in the country. This indicates that there has been a 'berry failure' on the continent.  In Glasgow, birds have been reported from around the city e.g. Garscube Road, Partick, Hyndland, Whiteinch, Cardonald, Kings Park, Newlands and Hogganfield Park (all reports courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine).

Tom Rankin also reports c40 birds near the Botanic Gardens on Saturday 17 November 2012.
 
Sadly I have still to see one this winter despite walking for hours around their usual haunts in Anniesland. So I'll have to make do with a bird photographed at Binghams' Pond in 2008....

 

and one taken in our garden also in 2008.......................................

 

 

 

 

Mega rarity!

I led another RSPB Glasgow Local Group outing yesterday (11 November 2012). The planned location was the RSPB Loch Leven Reserve. However, by mutual consent we headed for Kilminning and were all lucky enough to get great views of the long staying Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. It was good to see it actively feeding and preening, despite some reports earlier in the week that it was looking tired and weak.

 

 

Record shots of Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Some of us also saw a Barred Warbler which was an added bonus.

At mid-day we headed for Loch Leven and were most impressed by the recent improvements to the habitats and visitor centre. On the loch we got distant views of Smew plus lots of other wildfowl. From the Carden Hide there was a nice group of Whooper Swans plus a Black-tailed Godwit in amongst the Teal and Lapwing. A late walk along the Loch Leven trail, east of the hides, turned up a Blackcap.

All in all a cracking day both from a birding and weather point of view!

Calendar For Sale

I have a few 2013 calendars for sale entitled 'Memories of Zambia and Botswana'. It features 5 animals, 6 birds and 2 landscapes (one on the cover).

Costs only £4.99 plus postage & packing.

Extracts are reproduced below:

 

These images will feature in my talk to the RSPB Glasgow Local Group on Thursday 7 March 2013.

 

See their web site for more information www.rspb.org.uk/groups/glasgow

 

 

 

Bingham's Pond Survey

On Friday (2 November 2012) I paid one of my regular visits to the Pond to undertake a survey of the birds. There were 17 species plus the cayuga/domestic ducks. The usual 5 wildfowl species were present with numbers of Moorhen remaining impressive with at least 23 counted. 

On the gull front there were a minimum of 97 Black-headed Gulls and one solitary Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Black-headed Gull (winter plumage)

Other species of interest were 1 Mistle Thrush and 2 Goldfinches.