Shrike and Thrushes

Another busy week - up to Dalmally by bus on Monday and 30 minutes later we were looking at a Great Grey Shrike ..............

Great Grey Shrike - 26 October 2015

 

We also saw a Jay, a really big tit/finch flock and a Red Squirrel! The views over Loch Awe were also stunning ....

 

A distant Loch Awe - 26 October 2015

 

We had a nice lunch in the Glenorchy Lodge Hotel and got the next bus to Oban where we stayed the night. Early the next morning we were on the Oban-Coll-Tiree ferry and lots of Kitttiwakes and Guillemots. A few Gannets remained and two Great Northern Divers had returned from their northerly breeding grounds. An immature Peregrine also caused some excitement at the ferry terminal in Tiree. Thankfully, the weather forecast was correct and we enjoyed a nice calm, sunny sail .....

 

 

 

Back home my time has been spent on Friends of Glasgow's LNRs business - phone calls, grant applications, etc. Also note our next event is at Hogganfield Park LNR on Sunday 1 November 2015 from c11am to c2pm. Why not pop along, say hello, learn about our proposed Biohavens Project and get some stunning views of wildfowl.

 

Thankfully, despite 'being indoors' I can still enjoy some birding as our garden is playing host to five species of 'thrush'. I reckon by Sunday they will have devoured all the rowan berries .........

 

Song Thrush - 29 October 2015

 

Redwing - 29 October 2015

 

Finally, other recent sightings in the Greater Glasgow area, courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

 

Friday 30 October 2015
A Jay at Pollok Country Park this morning, along the main drive near the Pollokshaws Road entrance.

 

Thursday 29 October 2015
A drake Green-winged Teal at Bridgend Farm Pool with 316 Teal; also five Barnacle Geese, 504 Pink-footed Geese and 250 Lapwing.

Sunday 25 October 2015
A female Brambling at Loch Ardinning.

 

Photos R Us

Worked out how to post photos again!

A few that you have missed over the past month or so:



Yellow-browed Warbler - Thortonloch, Lothian



Arctic Warbler - Skateraw, Lothian



Red-backed Shrike - Fair Isle

So hopefully, back to normal over the next few days!

Two Go Wild in Dorset

Not long back from a few days birding in the Poole area in Dorset - Firecrest, Dartford Warbler, Spoonbill, Avocet, Spotted Redshank and Brent Geese, just to name a few.

Was guest speaker at the RSPB South Dorset Group - nice and friendly - and the talk went down really well!

Sadly still no photographs despite managing to restore our Microsoft 2010 packages that mysteriously disappeared having uploaded Windows 10.

Locally, we had our first Glasgow Redwing of the autumn in our garden, whilst elsewhere in Greater Glasgow recent sightings, courtesy of SOC Clyde Grapevine, include:

Sunday 18 October 2015
Eleven Jack Snipe at Cathkin Marsh SWT Reserve, also three Crossbills.
Five Jack Snipe, 28 Snipe and a Water Rail at Windlaw Marsh, Carmunnock.
A drake Pintail at Harelaw Reservoir, Barrhead, and 20 Fieldfares over.
A flock of 26 Fieldfares over Linn Park, Glasgow in the morning.

Saturday 17 October 2015
12 Shoveler on Frankfield Loch, Glasgow.

Thursday 15 October 2015
Seven Tree Sparrows at East Millichen Farm, Glasgow.
A pair of Ravens again on the Stobcross Crane, Finnieston, also an adult female Peregrine.
Two Ravens over Athole Gardens, Hyndland, Glasgow.

Wednesday 14 October 2015
A drake Ruddy Duck on Hogganfield Loch; nearby 14 Shoveler on Frankfield Loch.
Six Tree Sparrows at East Millichen Farm, Glasgow.
A male Peregrine on Finnieston/Stobcross Crane, Glasgow, also a pair of Ravens, flying north at 1340 hrs.
Two Ravens SW over Gartloch Village, Glasgow at 1100 hrs.

Talking, Eventing and Birding

Still no photos plus a total loss of Microsoft 2010 functions including the ability to prepare or amend power point presentations. All I'll say is this has coincided with the downloading of Windows 10!

Since the last update, it has been hectic.

I have given a talk at the RSPB Glasgow Local Group (1st), which seemed to go down well and led an outing on their behalf to Musselburgh on 7th (see www.rspb.org.uk/groups/glasgow for trip report).

On Saturday (3rd) I co-ordinated the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs event at Dawsholm Park LNR. A big thank you to all that helped out and to Action Earth for the grant that made it all happen (see the following link to the Friends Facebook page for a few photos - https://www.facebook.com/friendsofglasgowlocalnaturereserves

Taking advice from my 'East Coast Magic' talk to the Glasgow Group, I travelled through to Torness Power Station on the 5th and 6th (Perryman's bus no 253 from Edinburgh bus station to Thorntonloch) and was rewarded on the Tuesday with 3 Yellow-browed Warblers.

Finally, I met a number of key folk on Thursday (8th) to discuss the Friends BioHavens proposal at Hogganfield Loch. Everyone was supportive, so here's hoping (for more information see http://www.mypark.scot/projects/biohaven-islands-for-hogganfield-loch/) Any help you can give would be gratefully received.