.....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.
Hi there, I know I'm not answering your question but we have ring-necked Parakeets in the crematorium gardens where I live and they are classed as a wild bird as they have been breeding there for years.
ReplyDeleteHi David, thanks for your comment. I suppose it really depends where you live. I hope you don't mind me asking but where do you live - city/town. For example, in London they are wild birds and I would tick them. I have seen them in Studland near Poole in Dorset and I know they are wild birds so I have ticked them. It's just that they are not at all common in Glasgow/Scotland and it may have been an escapee. But then again if it was part of an advance party moving north then I would tick it. Whatever, it was a cracking bird!
DeleteHi Jim - I'm from Lytham Lancashire on the Fylde Coast - I'm visiting Glasgow tomorrow and will be visiting Hogganfield and Lochwinnoch. I googled birding in Glasgow and this is how I stumbled across your blog :-)
DeleteHi David - hope you enjoyed your visit to Hogganfield Park LNR.
DeleteI had a really good time thanks. I was lucky enough to meet a couple of nice people who spoke highly about the conservation work you do a Hogganfield. All in all a great trip.
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