Wednesday 26 June 2013

Bingham's Pond and Dawsholm Park Update

I visited Bingham's Pond yesterday (25 June 2013) and was pleased to see how lush the vegetation was, with yellow flag being particularly prominent...................

 
I also used the opportunity to try and undertake a wildfowl count but this proved difficult with the vegetation being so thick! However, I can report that there were 2 Mute Swans; at least 27 adult Mallard and 23 duckling; 24 Tufted Duck all but 4 being males which suggests that the females are sitting on eggs; at least 10 Moorhen plus 1 juvenile and 8 Coot plus 5 juveniles - a photo of one follows....................
 
 
The weirdest sight of the day was an adult Moorhen using one of the 'fox/gull/crow' proof litter bins to help itself to what appeared to be left-over banana!
 
 

Today I paid my first visit since mid-May to Dawsholm Park. The Highland cows have been temporarily removed from the Park to allow the grasslands to regenerate and they certainly were extremely colourful.....................................................................
 
 
They also attracted loads of insects and these in turn attracted 3 Swallows swooping low over the flower heads.

Elsewhere in the Park I was pleased to find some common spotted orchids..............

 
The woodland was alive with the sound of birds, young and old and included Woodpigeon, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff ....
 
Record shot of Chiffchaff - Dawsholm Park - 26 June 2013
 
......Blue Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Jackdaw and Carrion Crow. On the river there were a family of Mallard plus a Dipper whilst Lesser Black-backed Gulls cruised overhead.
 
On my last visit, none of the nest boxes were being used. I am pleased to say that one box was being used by Blue Tits and another looked as if it had been recently used by Great Tits - a pair were inspecting a box as if to say 'where are the kids?' whilst in the background you could hear young birds calling for food.
 
In total, I saw 19 species of bird, with my year total for the park now standing at 31.
 

Tuesday 25 June 2013

The Trossachs - revisited

Last year (in April 2012), I reported on our visit to the Trossachs - Glasgow's Lake District. Yesterday we were able to make a return visit - thanks Fiona!

Our main aim was to check out the summer migrants along the West Highland Way at the RSPB Inversnaid Reserve. After a short distance, we were lucky enough to see a pair of Pied Flycatchers entering a nest box with food for their hungry young. Shortly afterwards we located a Spotted Flycatcher high in a tree. At this stage were were also 'spotted' by hordes of midges, so we beat a hasty retreat!

We travelled to the Pier Café at Stronachlachar (www.thepiercafe.com) for a much needed coffee. From the cafe's conservatory and the car park we got tremendous views of Loch Katrine....................

Loch Katrine - 24 June 2013
 
..... and decided to walk along its western shore and, in doing so, we encountered some stunning wildflower meadows...................
 

 

These and the many other wildflowers alongside the path attracted a whole host of insect and bee species......

 
 
 
There were also a good range of birds to be found, with the added bonus of very few midges! We were lucky enough to see and/or hear a host of summer migrants - Osprey, Common Sandpiper, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Swallow, House Martin, at least 3 more Spotted Flycatchers and a female Redstart feeding young -  a poor photo of one of the young Redstarts follows.................
 
 
In addition to the summer migrants we also got great views of Lesser Redpoll and Siskin before returning to the car park and home......................
 
 
It was a really pleasant, productive walk and one we shall be recommending as suitable for a RSPB Glasgow Local Group or Friends of Glasgow's LNRs mid-week outing!
 

 

Friday 21 June 2013

At last, an UPDATE!

I've been offline for a few weeks, but the updates should now be back to normal. A recent report courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

20 June 2013
A female Blackcap still coming to feeders at a garden in Greentree Drive, Mount Vernon.