More Fledging (and the flu!)

Click on photos to create a slide show and improved viewing 

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!