End of the Month Update

It's almost two weeks since my last update and during that time I've birded locally - Bingham's Pond, Botanic Gardens and Hogganfield Park LNR and travelled a bit further afield to Irvine Harbour, Cardwell Bay, Castle Semple and Lochwinnoch RSPB Reserve.

Not many photos, I am afraid, thanks to the weather but here goes ....

On the 22nd I made the short journey to Bingham's Pond in the west end of Glasgow. Despite the 'mild' conditions (c7C) much of the pond was still frozen ...

Mallard on ice

Art installation or future nest site?

Moving on to the 23rd and a visit to my favourite LNR - Hogganfield Park. No photos but excellent views of a Kingfisher before the rain!

Wednesday 25th and we joined the RSPB Glasgow Group outing to Irvine Harbour, thanks to Judith and Mike. The winds were strong and there were less than 30 species to be seen. My camera stayed in the car although this photo, using my phone, gives an idea of the conditions we encountered looking out from the harbour mouth ....

From Irvine Harbour, four of us travelled to Cardwell Bay where we were lucky enough to see a Little Gull, just before yet more heavy rain, but no sign of the reported Bonaparte's Gull.

The next day, in the late afternoon, I spent just over an hour in Glasgow's Botanic Gardens and recorded 19 bird species , although again, no photos.

The next day it was back to Bingham's Pond, which was still partially frozen ...

... and 22 species seen including this Pied Wagtail .....

..... and this Goosander ....

We finished with a trip down to Castle Semple loch where we added birds such as Peregrine and Smew to our year total. We then moved on to the RSPB Lochwinnoch Reserve where we were really lucky to see this remarkably confiding Water Rail ...

Video grab

The whole video can be viewed here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXQQ0bEAwxQ

Since my last post I've seen 67 species, not bad considering the weather!

Other recent sightings, all courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine, include:

Monday 29 January 2018
Five Pintail in Cardross Bay.
The drake and female Scaup now on Ryat Linn Reservoir.

Saturday 27 January 2018

A spectacular flock of at least 500 Goldfinches going to roost in Elder Park, Govan.

Thursday 25 January
23 Whooper Swans on Hogganfield Loch.
A Greenshank at Erskine Harbour.
Five Ring-necked Parakeets at Bishopbriggs Golf Course.

Wednesday 24 January
20 Siskins coming to feeders in a Cathcart garden.

Saturday 20 January 2018
A 2nd-winter Yellow-legged Gull on Waulkmill Glen Reservoir, before flying to the Balgray Reservoir roost, also four Stonechats at Waulkmill; nearby, a drake Scaup on Ryat Linn Reservoir.
A Brambling in a Gardenhall, East Kilbride garden.

Cold Weather Birding!

The weather has remained cold with the added 'bonus' of snow!

I have, however, obtained some details of the ringed Black-headed Gull I spotted at a partially frozen Victoria Park pond, as reported in my last post.

The gull, with a white ring 2D34 on its right leg, was ringed in 2005 in Wiltshire, England!

Other (n)ice sightings have been had at Hogganfield Park LNR and Knightswood Park.

Much of Hogganfield Loch was frozen and this meant all the water birds  were giving relatively close views AND they were easier to count! It was rather overcast, so that made photography a bit tricky.

Female Wigeon

Drake Gadwall 

Drake Pochard 

In addition to the birds on the loch I also spotted a Kingfisher in the large marsh pond and managed a distant record shot ..

On the day, I saw 37 different species; not bad for a winter's day birding in the City.

On the 13th we travelled through to Musselburgh with Peter and Stephen but with poor overhead conditions I concentrated on birding although I took this record shot from one of the hides .....

The next day (14 January 2018) I travelled to Knightswood Park and headed for the pond, which like many other water bodies, was partially frozen  ...

I spent some time counting the wildfowl and gulls; for example, 39 Mute Swans, 38 Tufted Duck, 26 Common Gulls, 22 Herring Gulls and c200 Black-headed Gulls. 

Common Gull

Herring Gull

Black-headed Gull

Whilst mentioning gulls, both Mediterranean and Iceland Gulls have been reported in Glasgow, so keep an eye out for them. More details of these and other interesting sightings from the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

Wednesday 17 January 2018
An adult male Hen Harrier at Balmore Pool.
Four Ring-necked Parakeets in Greenbank Garden, Clarkston.

Monday 15 January 2018
Now a 2nd-winter Iceland Gull at Hogganfield Loch at midday.
18 Ring-necked Parakeets going to roost at Victoria Park, Glasgow.

Sunday 14 January 2018
A 1st-winter Iceland Gull at Hogganfield Loch.
Six Jack Snipe at Windlaw Marsh, also two Stonechats (one caught and ringed).
A Woodcock flushed at the east end of Gadloch.

Saturday 13 January 2018
An adult Mediterranean Gull at Knightswood Park Pond, Glasgow.
A 1st-winter Iceland Gull at Strathclyde Loch.
A record local estimate of at least 5,000 Pink-footed Geese coming in to roost on Gadloch late afternoon; also 51 Whooper Swans.

Friday 12 January 2018
The long-staying female Mandarin Duck on the White Cart Water at Sinclair Drive, Battlefield.

Late news for 11 January 2018
Still a drake and a female Scaup on Waulkmill Glen Reservoir.
At least 4 Nuthatches in woodland NW of Pollok House, Pollok Country Park.
Two Ring-necked Parakeets over Hillhead High School, Glasgow. 

Happy Birding New Year

Like many bird watchers, I keep lists - year lists, site lists, and garden lists. At the beginning of the year I sat down and spent a wee bit of time looking back on 2017 and the birds we encountered in Greater Glasgow and also the rest of Scotland. 

With the use of BirdTrack it is now a lot easier to explore your records and compare your bird sightings with previous years. For example, I saw 69 species at Hogganfield Park LNR in 2017; this compares to 68 in 2016 and 63 in 2015. I also recorded my 100th species at Hogganfield in 2017.

Needless to say, the listing has started again and of course Hogganfield Park LNR has been visited as well as other local sites such as Bingham's Pond and Victoria Park. We also travelled a bit further afield, with Peter and Stephen, to Baron's Haugh RSPB Reserve and Strathclyde Loch...............

At Hogganfield Park LNR there were 4 Great Black-backed Gulls present, three of which are represented below ...

3 Great Black-backed Gulls with Herring Gulls - Hogganfield Park LNR - 5 /1/18

This Kestrel gave great views before going off and successfully hunting ......

Kestrel - Hogganfield Park LNR - 5/1/18

Baron's Haugh was looking good in the sunlight and we did manage to see a Tawny Owl as well as the usual species. 

Baron's Haugh RSPB Reserve - 6/1/18

From Baron's Haugh, we headed over to the nearby Strathclyde Loch and thankfully located the famous Ring-billed Gull which has returned for its 4th 'winter'. It remained fairly distant so I had to settle for this record shot .....

Ring-billed Gull - Strathclyde Loch - 6/1/18

 On the 8th, I walked to Victoria Park and found that most of the pond was frozen ....

Victoria Park - 8/1/18

There were still good numbers of waterbirds present with this Little Grebe showing particularly well ....

Little Grebe - Victoria Park - 8/1/18

 Another sighting of note was this ringed Black-headed Gull. I have sent off details and will hopefully receive information about where and when the bird was ringed from the relevant ringer ...

Back-headed Gull - Victoria Park - 8/1/18

Finally, I couldn't help hearing the screech of the 'local' Ring-necked Parakeets and I located 3 within the park boundary, away from their nest hole ...

Ring-necked Parakeet - Victoria Park - 8/1/18

So the year is less than 2 weeks old and my bird list stands at 51. Other people have also been out birding and their records, from the Greater Glasgow area, and courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine, follow:

Wednesday 10 January 2018
11 Gadwall on Hogganfield Loch.
Two Jays flying across River Clyde from Erskine Wood to Bowling. 

Monday 8 January 2018
A male and a female Scaup still on Waulkmill Glen Reservoir.
Two Barnacle Geese with about 1,000 Pink-footed Geese at Boclair Farm, Milngavie.

Sunday 7 January 2018
The 2nd-winter Yellow-legged still at the Balgray Reservoir, roost, also 44 Goosanders.
Four Crosssbills in Mugdock Country Park.
A remarkable19 Ring-necked Parakeets at roost in Victoria Park, Glasgow.

Tuesday 2 January 2018
A male and female Scaup still on Waulkmill Glen Reservoir, also two Stonechats.