Birds and Butterflies

The weather has become changeable and reports from around the country suggest birds are on the move, although it is still early days.

At this time of year I concentrate more on finding, identifying and watching birds so sometimes the camera is seldom used or even left at home. So future posts may have fewer photographs than normal!

I'll start with a new species for our garden which appeared on the 3rd - a Small Copper butterfly. It was simply stunning and a welcome addition to our garden list ….

On Sunday (5th), we helped out at the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs event at Hogganfield Park LNR. This involved wildfowl feeding, advising visitors on the birds to be found and de-littering - 4 bags collected!

Wildfowl feeding

Rubbish collected from the edge of loch, next to car park

We visited Doonfoot on Tuesday, thanks to Judith and Mike, and saw a range of common species with 2 Greenshank being the 'rarest' record. We also saw lots of butterflies and dragonflies with this Peacock and Common Darter standing out …..

After lunch, we headed for a new site for us - the beach on the southern edge of Troon as far as Meikle Craigs. This proved to be full of birds with lots of Dunlin and Ringed Plover plus at least 30 Sanderling. We also spotted two Red Knot, in breeding plumage, and 3 Mediterranean Gulls. Definitely a place we shall visit again.

Finally, some 'local' sightings found by searching the internet:

10 August 2018
Six Snipe, 2 Common Sandpiper and a Water Rail at Frankfield Loch.

Spring still struggling to arrive!

The weather since my last post has really been pretty poor apart from a few days. Most of the spring migrants have arrived but not in any great numbers. Hopefully, the next few days will see an influx.

Despite the poor weather, I've managed out on a number of occasions and had some excellent sightings. I say sightings because I have concentrated on bird watching rather than taking photographs but I do have a few to represent the diverse range of species and habitats seen on my travels.

On the 12th we travelled with Mike and Judith to the Loch Lomond National Park and more specifically the Loch Katrine area. Although the scenery was superb, we struggled to see 30 species, with overcast conditions and a strong wind causing us problems! However, I did have my first Sand Martins of the year and a Red-throated Diver was a bonus.

Then on to the Borders on the 15th with singing Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff being the predominant memory. The four of us then made our way north towards Aberlady Bay and then Musselburgh. We were pleased to see Ring Ousel, Black Grouse and Red Grouse plus displaying Snipe and a host of other birds before arriving at Aberlady Bay. Here we were rewarded with Green-winged Teal and Common Sandpiper. At Musselburgh most of the birds were far out in the estuary, probably because I carried my camera with me, but this Guillemot was incredibly close and I managed my only photos of the day ....

... from here we called in at Garnqueen Loch and saw a good number of hirundines, some common wildfowl and a Ruddy Duck. An excellent end to a day that saw us record 55+ species, many new for the year.

On the 19th, we travelled down to Ayrshire with Judith and Mike and started at Rozelle Park in Ayr. The weather was overcast to begin with and I left my camera in the car explaining 'we'll get stunning views of a whole range of birds if I do so' and I was right! We saw most of the common woodland birds up close and got incredibly good views of Blackcap with Nuthatch being another species of note. 

Despite the camera being in the car, I managed some landscape shots with my phone ..

Rozelle Park - 19/4/18

We then headed to Doonfoot, the weather became really pleasant and we added a good range of waders, wildfowl (including 2 Whooper Swans), Gulls (including Little Gull) and summer migrants to our list (3 Sandwich Terns and 3 Wheatears).

Doonfoot - 19/4/18

I managed to retrieve my camera from the boot and managed to photograph the Little Gull before we left - a great end to a great day!

Little Gull (top) with Black-headed Gull

I joined Stephen on a trip to the Lothians on the 21st and was surprised at the lack of migrants despite another reasonable day weatherwise. At Barns Ness, however, we did see 20+ White Wagtails, a Yellow Wagtail and this race of Yellow Wagtail (Channel or Blue-headed) ...

On the 22nd and 23rd I visited Hogganfield Park LNR - the 22nd to help with the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs event. The event was abandoned due to rain but not before we spotted a few Swallows. I returned the next day, which was really cold, and managed some more Swallows, my first House Martin of the year, a solitary Blackcap and c10 singing Willow Warblers. My favourite sighting, however, was of a pair of Great Crested Grebes that have nested on a Biohaven on the loch ...

In addition to the above trips, I have popped down to Bingham's Pond a few times with two fly-over Ring-necked Parakeets and a pair of Blackcap being my most memorable sightings.

So a great couple of weeks birding and over this period, from 12-25 April, I have seen 100 species!

With the weather hopefully getting better, who knows what will turn up in May.

Twitching a Spotted Crake!

Following on from my spell of local birding, I travelled down to Doonfoot in Ayrshire on the 14th in the hope of seeing a Spotted Crake. It has been some time since I've seen one so thought the trip down, by train and local bus, would be worth it.

Sure enough within minutes of arriving at Doonfoot I had caught up with the bird ....

Doonfoot

Spotted Crake

Surprisingly, there was only one other birdwatcher present although I believe more had been there earlier. The bird would disappear for short periods and then reappear as if by magic. Despite this, I managed to take some video of the bird - link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X13lroETThs 

It was a bit windy and having managed to see another 24 bird species, I decided to quit and make my way home, a cold but happy birder.

Hoggy, Dawsholm and further afield!

A lot to report, so ............

On Sunday (31st) I helped with the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs wildfowl feeding event at Hogganfield Park LNR. The birds seemed to be really hungry and some of the Mute Swans were exhibiting what some people are calling 'pink wing syndrome' ...........

Hogganfield Loch - 31 January 2016

 

For more background on this 'syndrome' see http://www.communicatescience.eu/2011/11/irish-scientists-unravel-mystery-of.html

 

It was good to see 17 Whooper Swans present and take time to examine the difference in bill structure, which superficially all look the same. Photos of two different birds ..........

 

 

Sadly, a couple of litter bins were lying on their side and the car park area and loch edge was litter strewn. However, a keen 'Friend' volunteered to help out, filled a large bag with rubbish and soon had the place spotless!

 

Hogganfield Park - 31 January 2016

 

On Tuesday (2nd) I tried Dawsholm Park LNR for the first time this year. A piece of advice if you intend to visit, take your wellies!

 

I only saw 9 species of bird, in just over an hour, and was a bit disillusioned by the flooding at the entry points, litter along Dalsholm Road and dog muck. However, credit where credit's due with one professional dog walker actually seeming to have all his dogs under control and, on approaching his vehicle, he even managed to get all 9 on their leads! 

 

Yesterday (3rd) the sun actually shone and thanks to Mike & Judith we headed off down to Ayrshire. We started at Trabboch Loch ...........

 

Trabboch Loch - 3 February 2016

 

.... and quickly spotted the Ring-necked Duck that has been present for a few days along with a Scaup ..

 

Ring-necked Duck

Scaup and Tufted Duck

 

In and around both lochs we saw at least 28 species including Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch, Fieldfare and Redwing.

 

After a quick coffee we headed over to Doonfoot and added to our year lists with all the common waders and gulls being present.

 

Doonfoot - 3 February 2016

 

We then walked a short distance along the River Doon walkway and caught this Grey Heron enjoying a  waterfall 'shower'!

 

Grey Heron - 3 February 2016

 

We finished with around 45 species for the day and it was so good to get out in the sun after weeks of poor weather.

 

Other recent sightings from the Greater Glasgow area, courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

 

Sunday 31 January 2016
An adult Yellow-legged Gull again at Balgray Reservoir gull roost.
Two Woodcock at Cathkin Marsh SWT Reserve.

 

Saturday 30 January 2016
An adult Iceland Gull at Wickes, Mount Vernon.
Two Nuthatches at the feeding station in Pollok Country Park.

Thursday 28 January 2016
Ten Stock Doves visiting a Mugdock village garden, also a Nuthatch and a Pine Marten.
Four Otters playing with a tennis ball on White Cart Water in Linn Park.