Millichen Page Updated on 3 August 2026

I've updated the 'Millichen Selective Sightings and Photographs 2026' section of the Millichen page.

Here is the LINK - Millichen Sightings 2026

Millichen

Highlights - May 2026

 A few of my birding highlights captured over the past month.

Isle of Iona, Scotland - 25th to 26th May 2026

From top to bottom: Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Song Thrush, Skylark, Hooded Crow, Sanderlings

Hogganfield Park LNR, Glasgow, Scotland

Great Crested Grebes

RSPB Lochwinnoch Reserve, Aird Meadow, Scotland - 16 May 2026

From top to bottom: Shoveler, Little Ringed Plovers (record/distant shot), Common Sandpiper, Spotted Flycatcher (record shot in poor light)

Bingham's Pond LNR, Glasgow, Scotland

The first breeding pair of Canada Geese at the pond. The local male Mute Swan proved to be aggressive resulting in the geese spending most of their time out of the water. Only one gosling has survived.

Millichen Page Update

The Millichen Selective Sightings for 2025 has been finalised with at least 69 species of bird known to have been recorded in the area. The link can be found within the Millichen section of the web site at Millichen Selective Sightings 2025.

A new link for Sightings for 2026 has also been prepared.

Millichen

 

Hogganfield Park Local Nature Reserve

The Friends of Glasgow's Local Nature Reserves have created a Crowd Funding page to help improve Hogganfield Park LNR for wildlife and people. See this link:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/foglnrhogganfieldhabitats?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL

I know the Group would be extremely grateful for any donation you can make. For more details of the works planned, have a look at their web site.

https://friendsofglasgowlnrs.wordpress.com/

Hogganfield Park LNR

PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN

Video Page Updated

 I have updated my 'videos' page.

Hopefully, this will make it easier for people to find what they are looking for!

The videos can be found under the following links and the 'Videos button' above.

Wildlife Videos from Glasgow

- Hogganfield Park Local Nature Reserve

- Bingham's Pond Local Nature Reserve

- Glasgow Other Locations

Wildlife Videos from Other Scottish & English Locations

Scottish Wildlife (general)

English Wildlife

Wildlife Videos from the Rest of the World

World Wildlife - the Americas & Antarctica

World Wildlife - Asia 

World Wildlife - Australasia

World Wildlife - Europe

Millichen Page Update

Just to say I've updated the 'Millichen Selective Sightings and Photographs 2025' section of the Millichen page.

My Bird Sightings in Scotland - update

 Since my last update, records include:

• Ring-necked Duck at Bingham's Pond in Glasgow, presumably the returning bird.
• White-rumped Sandpiper at Skinflats.
• Marsh Harrier at RSPB Lochwinnoch.
• Bittern at RSPB Lochwinnoch.
• Spotted Redshank at Musselburgh Lagoons; and
• MARSH SANDPIPER at Mussekburgh Lagoons.

The Marsh Sandpiper was a UK/Scottish first for me, previous sightings having been in Africa, India and Sri Lanka. It is my 324th sighting in Scotland!

Also my year Scottish list now stands at 185. Is 200 possible?

A few record shots of some of the above birds:

Marsh Sandpiper - Musselburgh Lagoons 17/09/25

Spotted Redshank - Musselburgh Lagoons 17/09/25

Ring-necked Duck - Bingham's Pond 10/08/25

Marsh Harrier - RSPB Lochwinnoch 20/08/25

174 Bird Species seen in Scotland in 2025, so far

Following on from a visit yesterday (28th) to RSPB Baron's Haugh Reserve near Motherwell, my 'Year Bird List for Scotland' now stands at 174 species with the addition of both Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper - record shots follow:

Wood Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Also note that the Millichen page - see the link at the top of the page - has been updated.

323rd bird species in Scotland!

Not Glasgow, further afield! 

Travelled down to Maidens Harbour in Ayrshire on Wednesday 25 June 2025 - thanks to Stephen. Rewarded with terrific views of a Western Sandpiper, my 323rd bird species seen in Scotland.

Western Sandpiper - note webbed feet

Western Sandpiper

Millichen Update

 Just to say I've updated the 'Millichen Selective Sightings and Photographs 2025' section of the Millichen page.

Millichen area

Whinchat at Millichen in Glasgow

Visited the Millichen area on 3 May 2025 and was pleased to find a Whinchat posing on a fence post!

Whinchat - Millichen - 3 May 2025

All sightings from my visit and recent sightings by others can be found on the Recent Sightings section of the Millichen page - see link above.

Millichen Update

Just a quck message to say I have updated the Recent Sightings Section of the Millichen page (see link above) and will continue to do so.

Millichen

'Spring' Update

Birds are singing and some even nesting whilst frog spawn is appearing in many ponds. The drake Ring-necked Duck remains, having visited a number of Glasgow ponds and a Red-necked Grebe makes a welcome return.

Reed Bunting singing

Common Frog and frog spawn

Grey Herons nesting

Red-necked Grebe - Hogganfield Park LNR

Ring-necked Duck - Bingham's Pond LNR

A few Chiffchaffs have been heard In Glasgow and a few Sand Martins reported from elsewhere in Scotland. So the Spring migrants are on their way.

Finally, remember to check out the Millichen page as it gets updated with recent sightings on a regular basis.

'Ringo' Returns to Bingham's Pond LNR!

A drake Ring-necked Duck, known locally as 'Ringo', has made an appearance at Bingham's Pond LNR, Glasgow on 16 January 2025 - see photos.

I first saw it at the pond in January 2021 - a first for Glasgow - and it has come back to the area every year since then. It is mobile and also spends some time at Victoria Park pond and the lochs and reservoirs in Bearsden and Milngavie. No one has been able to confirm where it goes in the summer!

The New Year starts with a 'summer' visitor

Happy New Year to everyone and to this female Blackcap that visited our Anniesland, Glasgow garden on the 1st. 

It is unlikely to be one of  'our' summer migrants but a bird that has moved across from the continent.

Female Blackcap - 1 january 2025

Apologies for the poor quality of the photo.

Happy Christmas & a Guid New Year

 

Millichen - surprise bird sighting!

 Having produced a new page focussing on the Millichen Area - see tab above - it was only right that I should make another visit to this piece of countryside in the north of Glasgow.

I arrived at 11am on 9 December 2024, courtesy of a taxi! It was a beautiful, albeit cold, day.

I walked from Balmore Road along the new path that runs parallel to Millichen Road and almost immediately saw a flock of around 10 Meadow Pipits -  a good start.

Footpath next to Millichen Road - 9 December 2024

Soon I could hear Pink-footed Geese and eventually had good views of small groups flying to and fro.

Pink-footed Geese - 9 December 2024

Walking past the new housing at the former East Millichen Farm, I stopped to view the 'flood' which was frozen and only had a couple of Herring Gulls plus lots of  'corvids'.

Millichen Flood - 9 December 2024

Continuing along Millichen Road, I was pleased to meet two locals who were also out birdwatching - Douglas and Gina.

Millichen Road and hedgerows - 9 December 2024

We all saw a beautiful male Bullfinch in the hedgerow and I stopped to try and get some photos as Douglas and Gina carried on. When I got home I discovered, by checking my records, that this was a new bird for me at Millichen, being my 107th!

Bullfinch - 9 December 2024

I also managed a record shot of a Pheasant in one of the fields to the north of the road.

Field north of Millichen Road - 9 December 2024

Pheasant - 9 December 2024

I carried on along Millichen Road towards West Millichen Farm and then turned left down towards the 'Steadings' passing a bold little Robin.

Towards the 'Steadings' - 9 December 2024

Robin - 9 December 2024

In and around the Steadings, I added Ring-necked Parakeet, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Tree Sparrow and Greenfinch to my list. 

I walked to the end of the road before retracing my steps and in the distance I could see the new housing built on the former East Millichen Farm.

New housing in the distance - 9 December 2024

At this point I also realised that it was time to leave in order to catch a bus at Allander Toll, only one per hour, to Milngavie Railway Station!

Back towards West Millichen Farm - 9 December 2024

I did, however, have time for one last photo - a Roe Deer.

Roe Deer - 9 December 2024

Only 21 bird species seen but getting a 'new' bird for the area made it special.