Glasgow Patch Ticks plus more!

Despite yet more rain and dreich skies I've managed to bird watch near and far, since my last post.

Firstly, two days at Hogganfield Park LNR:

26 October 2019 - Whooper Swan family, Cormorant and Mistle Thrush

27 October 2019 - I helped at the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs Wildfowl Feeding event and managed to see and photograph 2 'rare' ducks - an eclipse male Ruddy Duck (my 72nd species for Hogganfield this year) and a very distant female Common Scoter (my 73rd for the year and a life Hogganfield tick for me, meaning I have now seen 108 bird species at this wonderful site). Thanks to Agnes, Karen and Lynda. As an aside, the scoter was the 143rd bird ever recorded at Hogganfield Park LNR!

28 October 2019 - a quick bus trip to Knightswood Park Pond to search through the many gulls for ringed birds. Luckily I managed to find two ringed Black-headed Gulls. 

31 October 2019 - our weekly birding trip with Judith and Mike and we headed to Troon.
On the south beach we found the Snow Bunting that had been reported and around the harbour we had good views of Purple Sandpiper (no photos) and Ringed Plover and Dunlin. We also saw the ringed Herring Gull which spends most of its time here - ringed on July 2013 on Lady Isle

1 November 2019 - a new month and a trip to Fife in heavy rain with Stephen. It actually stayed dry for around 1 hour in the Balcomie/Kilminning area but, thereafter, it poured down so we headed for the visitor centre/hide at Guardbridge. Despite the weather we managed c40 species including Little Egret, Black-tailed Godwit and Golden Plovers - but no photographs!

5 November 2019 - Yesterday and another good trip with Judith & Mike, this time to Ladies Pond, Dougalston, Milngavie - a new site for all of us. And then on to an old favourite of mine, the farmland at Millichen, Glasgow.

The walk to Ladies Pond proved to be very pleasant with Nuthatch seen along with other more common woodland birds. The pond itself played host to a small range of wildfowl including a drake Blue-winged Teal, probably the bird that spent much of the summer at Frankfield Loch in Glasgow.

From Ladies Pond we headed, after a civilised coffee stop, to the Millichen area where we saw Tree Sparrows, Yellowhammers and large numbers of Pink-footed Geese flying around and then landing out of view!

However, the obvious highlight was a 'Millichen' tick for me in the form of Ringed-neck Parakeet - two of them - which is the 105th species I've seen at Millichen.

So nearing the end of the year and still getting 'ticks' and some enjoyable days birding - thanks to our friends and other birders we met on our travels. Hopefully, there will be more to come over the next few weeks.

Autumn Update

Since the last post I've visited Troon, Barns Ness, Ardmore Point and Hogganfield Park LNR (twice).

Sadly the winds have been 'wrong' and so the hoped for fall of migrants on the east coast has failed to materialise, so far. However, there are always good birds to see, if you look hard enough.

On the 28th we travelled down to Troon with Judith and Mike and had a distant view of a Black-throated Diver which was unexpected. There were also good numbers of Golden Plover and a ringed herring Gull caught my eye.

Record shot of Golden Plovers - Troon

Herring Gull A:B24 - Troon

I discovered from the ringer that it was ringed as a chick on 8/7/13 on Lady Isle, near Troon as part of a wider research project.  It has only wandered away from Troon/Lady Isle on one occasion during the past five years when it was recorded in Stranraer in March 2014.

It can be amazing what you find out about birds by reporting ring numbers and I know that more and more people are now participating in this as part of their day-to-day birding.

On the 30th, we travelled through to Barns Ness and White Sands Bay with Stephen bad sadly no obvious migrants, but yet more Golden Plover ….

Barns Ness

Another record shot of Golden Plover - Barns Ness

We also visited Ardmore Point with Judith and Mike on Friday, but no photos and no surprises.

Thankfully, birding locally at Hogganfield Park LNR (on the 2nd and 6th) did prove fruitful  with Black Tern (I wonder if this is the same bird I found on 20/9/18 or  a new one), Ruddy Duck and the return of the Whooper Swans being the highlights.

Black Tern resting - 2/10/18

Whooper Swan preening - 2/10/18

Ruddy Duck resting - 6/10/18

So, having travelled a good few miles, the most unusual birds were to be found almost on my doorstep! Indeed the Ruddy Duck was the 76th bird I've seen at Hogganfield Park LNR this year.

Next week could be good with the winds changing, for a couple of days at least, to south easterlies and this could result in migrants turning up on the east coast - fingers crossed.

Birding the Clyde area and beyond

Generally, another week of dull and dreary weather, but we managed out a couple of days - Lochwinnoch and Troon Harbour with Stephen on Sunday and Loch Lomond NNR and Craigendoran with Judith and Mike on Thursday. I also popped round to Cairnhill Woods on Monday.

Sunday was really good with Stephen getting two life ticks and I added to my year list with Purple Sandpiper and Golden Plover being the star birds. (Lynda doesn't do lists - she just enjoys the birds!)

Visiting Cairnhill Woods was a last minute, late afternoon visit but I was pleased with both the variety of common birds and the 30 Redwings appearing almost at dusk.

Sadly, the weather on both these days was not conducive to any photography!

However, we awoke to a clear blue sky on Thursday and our birding trip, to Loch Lomond NNR and beyond, provided excellent birds and scenery. We started by exploring some of the minor roads around Croftamie and picked up 4 species of geese, including 13 Barnacles.

After a much needed cuppa and hot roll, we headed over to the RSPB Loch Lomond Reserve and were pleased to discover that a new woodland trail has been opened. Lots of common woodland birds were seen with Siskins being the most notable .. 

RSPB Loch Lomond 'Hub'

RSPB Loch Lomond woodland trail

 

Our next stop was at Craigendoran in search of a reported Black Redstart. After a walk south along the shoreline, we found the Black Redstart - a record shot follows ...........

Black Redstart

 

...  as well as 2 unexpected Little Egrets....

 

Little Egret

 

The sunset provided a glorious end to an excellent day ..

 

 

I finish once again with some recent sightings, courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

Thursday 26 January 2017
The 1st-winter Glaucous Gull still at the Balgray Reservoir gull roost.

Tuesday 24 January 2017
A Jay at Pollok Country Park.