Hogganfield Highlights

Since the last post I've visited Bingham's Pond, Loch Leven, Hogganfield Park LNR and the Loch Thom area.

My wife and I are currently suffering from what I would call 'man flu' so this will be a short update concentrating on Hogganfield Park LNR on Sunday 25 March 2018.

Firstly, I was pleased to see that there were still some Whooper Swans present ..

Whooper Swans

But the highlights were two rare species that had appeared, namely Slavonian Grebe and Glaucous Gull.

Slavonian Grebe

This was my second Slavonian Grebe for the loch, the other turning up almost exactly 20 years ago when the LNR was first declared. The bird is starting to moult into its breeding plumage and hopefully it will stay long enough so we can all see it looking like this before moving on to breed ...

Slavonian Grebe (breeding plumage)

The other rare bird - Glaucous Gull - was a first for me for both Hogganfield Park LNR (101st species) and for the City of Glasgow (145th species) .......

Glaucous Gull

All we need now is for our colds to disappear and the summer migrants to appear and we can get back to enjoying our birding

Birding before the Snow returned!

Lots of places visited over the past week including a trip to the Forth Valley RSPB group who kindly asked me to speak at their indoor meeting on Thursday - all of their kind, supportive comments were much appreciated!

Destinations included Dawsholm Park LNR; Baron's Haugh/Dalzell Woods and Carbarns Pools (thanks to Judith and Mike); and Dipple/Maidens/Garnock Floods and Lochwinnoch RSPB Reserve (thanks to Stephen).

A few photos ........

My first ever Nuthatch at Dawsholm Park LNR

Carbarns Pools

One of many frogs in the vicinity of Carbarns Pools

American Wigeon (with 2 Eurasian Wigeon), Dipple

Sadly, today's snow scuppered my hopes of helping to feed the wildfowl at Hogganfield Park LNR with the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs - https://friendsofglasgowlnrs.wordpress.com/

Hopefully, it can be rearranged for next week.

Birding at Last!

After being 'snowed-in' it has been good to get out and about!

On Wednesday (7th) I travelled down to the Gourock area, with Stephen, and had a great day - gulls being the key species.

At Lunderston Bay, we witnessed a few porpoises with a large feeding flock of birds - a couple of gannets, auks, mergansers, eiders and lots of gulls. So I was really pleased to find an Iceland Gull amongst the flock.

We also travelled to Cardwell Bay where we had good views of common waders ...

Curlew

Dunlin and Ringed Plover

However, we were hoping that one of the 'rare' gulls that have been seen over the winter would arrive. And they did, firstly a beautiful Mediterranean Gull ......

The light was starting to go so I was pleased to get a recognisable shot of the Med Gull. Then with the light almost gone the Bonaparte's Gull arrived. This poor shot of the bird with a Black-headed Gull was the best I could do, note the grey nape  ...

On Friday, I travelled to Hogganfield Park LNR in Glasgow and saw 40 species including this Oystercatcher - an unusual species for the Park/LNR ..

Finally, on Friday, another trip with Stephen, this time through to Lothian. We managed some more new birds for the year with Greenshank and Grey Plover seen, however, the star birds were three Snow Buntings at Belhaven Bay ...

In total, I had 75 species for the week and it was really good to get out having been stuck indoors thanks to the snow. Let's all hope for a good spring!

Snow = Garden Bird Watching

Since my last post, Glasgow has 'enjoyed' biting easterly winds and snow, so birding has been limited. 

In the garden we have had 18 different species of bird during the week but only a few of each. The maximum count consisted of 6 Magpies and these were harassing a Sparrowhawk, that had caught a male Blackbird ....

Sparrowhawk (male)

Soon after, the snow arrived and photography was limited to a few shots from our bedroom window ..........

Garden

Redwing

Mistle Thrush

The only other sighting of note, again from a bedroom window, was a Peregrine circling around the nearby gasometer.

Hopefully, the snow will start to thaw soon and we can get out birding once again!