Bird Listing - 100 barrier broken!

Well it has been a mild week, with temperatures up to 10C, but still mainly dull and dreary. However, the birding has been anything but dreary!

It started with a visit to my local pond - Bingham's Pond - on Saturday to undertake the monthly 'wetland birds survey (Webs)'. Nothing unusual to report although the sun shone long enough to get this photo of a Tufted Duck ......

 

and this of a Black-headed Gull .........

 

 

On Sunday we headed west, with Stephen, to Lothian and had a terrific day with Black-necked Grebe and Long-tailed Duck at Whitesands Quarry; Stonechat at Barns Ness; Great Northern Diver, Kingfisher and Mandarin Duck at Seafield Pond; and Shorelark and Twite at John Muir Country Park!

Great Northern Diver (aka Common Loon) - Seafield Pond

For those that haven't been through to Lothian for a while, note that you have to pay for the car parks, although you can use your day ticket at all coastal sites ....

On the 16th, I paid another short visit to Bingham's Pond and added to my 'Pond Year List'.

Tuesday was meant to be a quick visit to Hogganfield Park LNR. However, I spent c3.5 hours there and recorded 50 different bird species and two mammals; quite remarkable for a Glasgow 'park'. Sadly, it was a really dull day with drizzle but I did manage a few record shots ...

Buzzard

Roe Deer

Whooper Swan family

The birding week finished on Wednesday with us joining the RSPB Glasgow Group, thanks to Judith and Mike, on their outing to Fairlie and Portencross. Again it was a dullish day, so no photographs, with the highlights for me being Peregrine and at least 12 different Greenshank.

So, since my last post I have managed to bird most days and have added to my 'year list' which now stands at 102 - this time last year it was 51!

As ever, I finish with some recent sightings from Greater Glasgow courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

Thursday 19 January 2017
The immature drake Scaup still on Heritage Loch, East Kilbride.
At least five Jack Snipe and 100 Snipe in the marsh at Littleton Reservoir, Dams to Darnley Country Park.

Wednesday 18 January 2017
The 1st-winter Glaucous Gull still at the Balgray Reservoir gull roost.

Tuesday 17 January 2017
103 Goldfinches at Elder Park, Glasgow.
An immature drake Long-tailed Duck on Bardowie Loch.
17 Whooper Swans and 18 Gadwall on Hogganfield Loch.
Two Ravens at Commonhead Moss LNR, Glasgow.

Monday 16 January 2017
A 1st-winter Glaucous Gull and an adult Mediterranean Gull at the Balgray Reservoir gull roost.

Sunday 15 January 2017
Three Jack Snipe (two caught) at Windlaw Marsh, Carmunnock, also three Water Rails and three Ravens.
The immature drake Scaup still on Heritage Loch, East Kilbride.
Eight Waxwings at the Partick junction of the Clydeside Expressway. 

Saturday 14 January 2017
A flock of 55 Siskins on alders in the area of Darnley Mill Pond, Dams to Darnley Country Park.