Local Birding and another Rarity

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It has been a busy 10 days since my last post with year and patch ticks …

Starting on the 18th, I travelled to Frankfield Loch by train (to Stepps) and then walked to Cardowan Moss LNR and Hogganfield Park LNR …..

At Frankfield, I managed better views of the Blue-winged Teal 

before heading for Cardowan Moss LNR ..

.. where I saw a range of common woodland birds, butterflies and damselflies. This Grey Heron, in one of the ponds, was a bit of a surprise …

I carried on to Hogganfield Park LNR where I spotted this colour-ringed Greylag Goose.

Turns out it was ringed in 2003 in Gloucestershire and is part of the moulting flock that arrives at Hogganfield Loch every year from Slimbridge/Gloucestershire!

On the 23rd, I helped at the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs wildfowl feeding event at Hogganfield Park LNR and then led a guided walk on their behalf to Cardowan Moss LNR 

Pink-footed Goose - Hogganfield

Great Crested Grebe with young on its back - Hogganfield

Large Red Damselfly - Cardowan

On Wednesday, we travelled with Judith and Mike to the River Kelvin near Torrance and Balmore Pool ..

River Kelvin

Balmore Pool

There wasn't much on the Pool but the river corridor played host to a range of farmland birds such as Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow and warblers, including this Sedge Warbler….

Returning to the car we decided to make a quick stop in the Millichen area where we got even better views of Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow 

Finally, on the 27th I managed some birding with Stuart, Sandy and Haitham at Hogganfield Park LNR and Frankfield Loch before returning to accompany 'Green Flag' judges and Council staff around Hogganfield.

Hogganfield Park LNR was looking great in the sunshine..

and we saw at least 38 bird species including young Swallows.

Heading off to Frankfield Loch we were surprised to find a Little Egret present - a probable first for the City of Glasgow and my 148th species seen within the City boundary. I managed a distant record shot of the egret .. 

Frankfield Loch

I had to leave Frankfield earlier than I would have wished as it would have been good to explore further - other birds included Ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper. However, I had to get back to Hogganfield Park to join Council officers and the 'Green Flag' judges. Hopefully, they were impressed enough to renew the LNRs Green Flag status. 

Rarities - local and distant

Over the weekend, we had an excellent two days birding with Stephen.

We started in the mid-afternoon at Frankfield Loch in Glasgow where we managed to see the reported Blue-winged Teal. For those that don't know what it looks like, here is a photo I took in North America.



If you haven't been to Frankfield Loch it is worth a visit as it normally has a good range of birds and, of course, anything can turn up; Pectoral Sandpiper and Osprey have been recorded in recent years!

From Glasgow, we headed north to the Ythan Estuary where we spent the evening birding at 3 different locations - near the estuary mouth, Inch Point and north of the road bridge.



We were rewarded with Little Terns, 3 Spoonbills and a drake King Eider.



The following morning we set off for the Buller's of Buchan and 'seabird city' ..



Here we added Puffin to our year list and had superb views of Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Guillemots and Razorbills on the cliffs and in the water.



The cliffs offered a wonderful spectacle but we couldn't help thinking there were fewer birds than on previous visits.

On the return to the car, we added Tree Sparrow which we found on bird feeders in a local garden!

Leaving the seabirds, we headed further north to the RSPB Loch of Strathbeg Reserve where we were treated with superb views of a Common Tern colony. Other birds seen from here included Buzzard, Dunlin, Lapwing, Gadwall and Shoveler ….



… and close-ups of yet more Tree Sparrows, Goldfinches and a Lesser Redpoll on the bird feeders



Having spent some time at the Visitor centre we drove to the car park for the Fen Hide, although note you can walk.



Walking to the Hide from the car park, we came across a number of butterflies including this Painted Lady ..



On reaching the hide, we had good views over the loch and reedbeds ..



.. and I managed this poor record shot of a distant Marsh Harrier .



.. a nice way to finish our trip.

Thanks to Stephen for all the driving and organising the accommodation.

PS apparently the Blue-winged Teal is still at Frankfield Loch!

More Fledging (and the flu!)

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Despite our coughs persisting, we managed a trip with the RSPB Glasgow Group, outwith the Clyde area, and I visited two Glasgow sites.

On Wednesday (12th) we were due to head off to the Hirsel in the Borders with the local RSPB Group. However, due to an adverse weather forecast the trip was changed to RSPB Ken Dee Marshes -  a good choice.

RSPB Ken Dee Marshes

Here we saw a good range of birds with my personal highlights being Red Kite, Spotted Flycatcher, Nuthatch and Pied Flycatcher. Despite the overcast conditions and being in the woodland, I managed a couple of photographs of the latter birds at nest boxes!

                           Nuthatch                    Pied Flycatcher

From the Reserve we then travelled to NTS Threave Castle

…. and we saw one of the local Ospreys on its nest …………

A really nice trip and we thankfully avoided the rain that hit the Borders and east coast.

Meanwhile in Glasgow, I visited Bingham's Pond and Hogganfield Park LNR.

The brood of Mute Swans at the Pond still stands at an impressive 8 and the three pairs of Coot still have 5 young between them ……

Mute Swan family - Bingham's Pond - 10/06/19

Young Coot - Bingham's Pond - 10/06/19 

The visit to Hogganfield Park LNR, on the 13th, produced an impressive 45 species including my personal 107th for the LNR - Pink-footed Goose. 

Pink-footed Goose - Hogganfield Park LNR 13/06/19

A young Great Crested Grebe was a welcome sight, as all three nests were now unoccupied, perhaps due in part to the poor weather 

Young grebe on adult's back - Hogganfield Park LNR 13/06/19 

Other species included Kingfisher, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow and Swift. Six Canada Geese have appeared as have c130 Greylag Geese, some of which, if not all, have arrived on their annual visit from Slimbridge for their summer moult! 

Greylag Geese - Hogganfield Park LNR 13/06/19

I'll finish with a note that the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs are hosting a free wildfowl feeding and bird ID event at Hogganfield Park LNR on Sunday 23 June 2019 from 10.30am to c1pm. This will be followed by a guided walk, from 1pm-c4pm, around the adjoining Cardowan Moss LNR. More details from their web site www.friendsofglasgowlnrs.wordpress.com

In the meantime, I am thinking of investing in firms that make cough mixture! 

Fledging and the flu!

Since coming back from the Western Isles the weather has generally been poor and we've both been struck down with a bad cold - in my case it is obviously 'man flu'!

This has limited my birding to 'birds in the garden' and a few local visits to Dawsholm Park LNR and Bingham's Pond and one longer bus journey to Hogganfield Park LNR.

In the garden we've had visits from numerous bird species with a Collared Dove the most unusual sighting. Two Magpies fledged and spent most of the time hiding in the bushes

Young Magpie (through window)

Our Blue Tits also appear to have fledged with one leaving the box yesterday at c8.30am but the parents were still entering the box in the early evening! We never did see this one leave!

Young Blue Tit (through dirty window!)

At Bingham's Pond there were some young Mallard and Coot plus 8 cygnets - the largest brood ever at the pond …

8 cygnets and two young Coot

I led a guided walk at Dawsholm Park LNR on behalf of the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs and we saw Blue Tits, Great Tits and a pair of Nuthatch using the 'Friends' nest boxes plus a pair of Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding a youngster at the mouth of a natural hole.

We also noted a Tawny Owl box that has been erected by Glasgow University - not sure that it's in the best location, but we shall see.

Finally, at Hogganfield Park LNR you could hear lots of young birds calling in the trees and hedges and one brood of Mallard on the loch were of a sufficient size to assume they will make it.

A pair of Great Crested Grebes were spotted mating ….

.. and another pair were on a nest …

A distant Kingfisher was a nice surprise …..

and the remaining Whooper Swan looks as if it is going to spend the summer with us …

The only down side to these visits, apart from my cough, was the 'litter' left by dog walkers at Dawsholm Park LNR …

and the fly-tipping on the edge of Hogganfield Park LNR ….

Both incidents have been reported to the Council. Now where's my cough mixture?