Hogganfield Park LNR - just love it

Another trip to Hogganfield Park LNR yesterday (28 November 2013) and I managed to add to my 'Hoggy Year List' with a Pintail and Great Black-backed Gulls seen.

Very poor record shot of Pintail - 28 November 2013

It was also good to see the Whoopers back (18 of them) following their absence from my last visit. Thankfully, the light was just perfect, albeit just for a few minutes, resulting in a few 'good shots', one of which follows...............................................

Whooper Swan - 28 November 2013

I had been told that people can turn up with 'van loads' of bread for the birds but had never witnessed it until yesterday. The ensuing feeding frenzy was worthy of a few photos .....

Feeding frenzy - 28 November 2013

In a 2 hour spell, I managed to see 37 different species of bird with my year Hogganfield total standing at 55. Not bad for a site just a few miles from Glasgow City Centre.

Latest Sightings from Greater Glasgow and a Trip to Caerlaverock

Some excellent recent reports from Greater Glasgow, courtesy of SOC Clyde Grapevine:

Sunday 24 November 2013

A 1st-winter male Pintail still on Hogganfield Loch.

15 Tree Sparrows with 22 Reed Buntings at East Millichen Farm, Glasgow.
An Otter, again, on the White Cart Water at Linn Park, Glasgow in the morning, later downstream at Scottish Power, Spean Road, Cathcart, Glasgow early afternoon.

Saturday 23 November 2013
A Green Sandpiper at Ryat Linn Reservoir (part of the Dams to Darnley Country Park)
A Otter showing well at the White Bridge, Linn Park, Glasgow, also a Nuthatch in the trees.

We had a good trip to Caerlaverock WWT Reserve on Saturday, thanks to Douglas and Liz.

The sheer number of birds at Caerlaverock can be breath-taking and today my personal highlights included a male Green-winged Teal, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and amazing views of a Water Rail at the feeding station on the Peter Scott trail ......

A record shot of the Green-winged Teal

Poor record shot of two of the Black-tailed Godwits

An unconventional shot of the Peter Scott Observatory building (taken from the Peter Scott trail)

 

It certainly is a Reserve worthy of a visit!

New Species for Bingham's Pond - but can I count it?

I popped down to Bingham's Pond just after lunch today anticipating that the pond would be frozen - and it was.............................................

.....only a small area, to the left of the gulls in the picture above, was open. This meant that the water birds were concentrated and easy to count (and feed!) There were 2 Mute Swan, 21 Mallard, 13 Tufted Duck, 1 Goosander, 19 Moorhen, 7 Coot, 112 Black-headed Gulls and 1 Common Gull.

Goosander - Bingham's Pond 22 November 2013

Tufted Duck - Bingham's Pond 22 November 2013

 

Whilst feeding and counting, my attention was taken by a screeching sound that I last heard in Dorset and India! Sure enough above my head high in a tree was a Ring-necked Parakeet - probably the same bird that was recently reported on the SOC Clyde Grapevine.

 

I managed a few record shots but it did manage to stay quite hidden despite flying from one tree to another....................

 

Ring-necked Parakeet - Bingham's Pond 22 November 2013

 

The question is, should I count it as a 'wild bird'? If I did, it would be a Scottish, Glasgow and Bingham's Pond 'tick'. What would you do?

 

Other recent sightings, courtesy of SOC Clyde Grapevine include:

 

Thursday 21 November

An 1st-winter male Pintail on Hogganfield Loch.

An Otter showing well at the White Bridge, Linn Park, Glasgow.

 

Monday 18 November 2013

A female Peregrine flying west over Priesthill and Darnley Station, Glasgow at 1545 hrs.

 

 

 

 

Glorious Hogganfield!

I visited Hogganfield Park LNR yesterday (18 November 2013) and was not disappointed. I spent almost 3.5 hours there and managed to see 41 different bird species ranging from the tiny Goldcrest to the powerful Mute Swan. The only disappointing aspect was the lack of any Whooper Swans. A few images of wildfowl, taken on the day, follow:

Male Gadwall

Male Goosander

Female Goosander

Greylag Geese

Mute Swan

 

The Park was looking wonderful with all the autumn colours...............

 

 

...............and I also explored the marsh area where the Council has undertaken some habitat works creating some more open water in amongst the extensive stands of reedmace ..............

 

 

....this should help complement the existing open areas of water ...............

 

 

All in all a great day..................

 

 

 

Weekly Update

I have spent much of the past week submitting grant applications on behalf of the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs but did manage out to Baron's Haugh RSPB Reserve and Carbarns Pool with the RSPB Glasgow Local Group on Wednesday. Thanks to Mike and Judith for the lift. Nineteen people turned up - testament to all of Mike & Judith's hard work and organisational skills.

I personally saw around 45 bird species with my highlights being a Green Sandpiper and a good few Whooper Swans at Baron's Haugh and a Black-tailed Godwit at Carbarns Pool.

Green Sandpiper (Spain)

Other notable sightings over the past week, courtesy of SOC Clyde Grapevine include:

16 November 2013
A pair of Stonechats at Cathkin Marsh.

10 November 2013

A Jack Snipe at Hogganfield Marsh, also nine Gadwall on the loch.

A male Blackcap in a Barrachnie Avenue, Baillieston, Glasgow garden

 

Interesting Sighting

An interesting report from my neck of the woods, courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine

6 November 2013
A Ring-necked Parakeet at Ashburton Road, Kelvindale in the morning.

Is this the start of a movement north from their strongholds in southern England or just a local escapee?

Ring-necked Parakeet - Dorset

Knightswood Park + ringing

Yesterday  (4 November 2013) I walked to Knightswood Park for the first time in many a year. I had hoped to get a photographic record of the Mute Swans prior to the planned pond naturalisation works. However, the pond was already drained and works were underway...

 

This caused some confusion for the Black-headed Gulls as they joined the Feral Pigeons on the grassy verge of the pond..............................................

 

 

The park was awash with autumn colours....................................

 

 

......but there was little sign of any bird life with only a few corvids, a Blue Tit, a Goldfinch, a couple of Blackbirds and 4 Redwing being the sum of my efforts. As can happen at this time of year there are more birds in our small garden than in some parks and, for example, we have had up to five Redwing over the last few days.............................

 

Redwing - Anniesland Garden - 5 November 2013

 

Last night I attended the local SOC featuring and illustrated talk by Martin Scott on 'Banding at Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory in Canada.'

 

This brought back fond memories of a trip to Long Point Bird Observatory in Canada four years ago where we were lucky enough to see a few birds in the hand after ringing (or banding as it is called in North America)........................

 

Black-billed Cuckoo - Long Point Bird Observatory 2009

 

Finally, don't forget this Thursday's meeting of the RSPB Glasgow Local Group featuring John Calladine of the BTO with a talk on 'Shrub Woodlands and Upland Conservation' - see www.rspb.org.uk/groups/glasgow for more information.

 

Hogganfield - Feeding in the Sun!!!!!

Yesterday (3 November 2013) I helped at the third feeding event held by the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs at Hogganfield Park LNR. For once the sun shone, albeit it was cold and a short shower did try to spoil things. Thanks to the good weather lots of people turned out and helped feed the wildfowl................................................

 

As we were handing out free barley and giving bird ID tips, ten Whooper Swans flew in - four adults and a family group of six - to join those already present.

 

10 Whooper Swans fly in

3 of the 4 adults and the family group of 6

 

Formation swimming by the gang of four!

 

Once we had finished feeding, I led an informal guided walk attended by eleven people and we also filled two bags with litter found on our walk; thanks to Daphne and Lynda.

 

Yet again there were good numbers of Gadwall, Coot and Goosander; we also saw Greylag Goose, Little Grebe, Pochard, Goldeneye, a few Teal, a solitary Wigeon, Moorhen, Cormorant, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Redwing and Fieldfare. A nice end to a good day!

The next feeding event is on Sunday 8 December 2013.

 

Other news courtesy of SOC Clyde Grapevine:

Sunday 3 November 2013

A Slavonian Grebe near the southwest corner of Balgray Reservoir.