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?