Birding at a Safe Distance

These are difficult times. But we all know that walking in green spaces is good for you. So provided everyone follows the Government guidelines and keeps a minimum of 2 metres apart, we shall hopefully be able to continue to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors.

With all Friends of Glasgow's LNRs and RSPB Glasgow Group events postponed, I have been 'self-birding' in the Glasgow area. An illustrated diary follows:

15 March 2020 - Bingham's Pond - Black-headed Gull survey

Some of the Black-headed Gulls

17 March 2020 - Hogganfield Park LNR

Whooper Swans

Frog spawn

Common Frogs

Canada Goose

19 March 2020 - Hogganfield Park LNR

Grey Heron family

Female Bullfinch

Blue Tit

Eastern ponds and marsh

20 March 2020 - Bingham's Pond

Moorhen

21 March 2020 - Dawsholm Park LNR

Poor record shot of Nuthatch

Pair of Mallard, up a tree

During this spell, I encounterd more people in the 'parks' than normal albeit virtually everyone did keep their distance. However, based on scenes shown on the television, I can't help think it is just a matter of time before a total lock-down is enforced. If so this will be my last post for some time. 

Thanks to everyone for reading my ramblings.

Local Birding

Since my last 'birding' post on 28 February 2020, I have visited Millichen, RSPB Loch Lomond hub, Hogganfield Park LNR, Cardowan Moss LNR, Dawsholm Park LNR, RSPB Lochwinnoch, Castle Semple, and Bingham's Pond. In the process, I have logged 66 bird species with my year list slowly increasing to a very modest 92. 

A few photos follow

Millichen Flood - 29/3/20

Whooper Swans - Millichen Flood - 29/3/20

Dawsholm Park LNR - 3/3/20 - reinstated steps to River Kelvin

Cardowan Moss LNR - woodland management underway - 4/3/20

Hogganfield Park LNR - Oystercatcher on biohaven - 4/3/20

Hogganfield Park LNR - Blue Tit investigating recently erected box

Hopefully, over the next few months we'll get a settled period of dry weather and that will result in a good breeding season for birds.

Meanwhile, some recent sightings from Greater Glasgow, courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine:

A male Blackcap (now in song) still coming to an Ormonde Drive, Netherlee garden.

1,700 Pink-footed Geese in two flocks at Boclair Farm, Bearsden.

A minimum of 20 Waxwings at Tesco, Milngavie.
51 Pochard on Bishop Loch, Glasgow is an excellent count in recent times, also 10 Gadwall on Gartloch Pool.
The female Blackcap still in a Bearden garden.

Vote for 'Glasgow's Wilds Better'

I am the chair of the Friends of Glasgow's Local Nature Reserves.

Glasgow City Council has put in place a small grant system for such Groups. They are asking that the public vote for 3 projects to receive funding from them. We have submitted a very modest bid for £600 and it would be great if you could vote for us. All the short-listed projects are listed at the link below. Our project is entitled ‘Glasgow’s Wilds Better’ and seeks funding for equipment that will allow us to raise awareness of the range and importance of biodiversity in the City. It is not a one-off project but is something that will be carried out year after year. You need to ‘register’, which takes only a few minutes, and you then vote for 3 projects. Voting closes at 12 noon 20 March 2020.

PLEASE, PLEASE vote for us – Glasgow’s Wilds Better £600
https://weegg.communitychoices.scot/

More Wind & Rain and a Climate Change Conference!

This weather is starting to get really annoying! Not much birding since the last post but I have helped the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs with their nest box work and managed a few sightings of note.

We started at Hogganfield Park LNR and enjoyed a mixture of sleety showers, wind and some sunshine! All of the nest boxes were cleaned out and two more boxes erected

Spot Box no. 8

It was nice to see a clump or two of primroses....

….whilst a pair of Canada Geese and an Oystercatcher took advantage of the 'biohavens'...

From Hogganfield Park LNR we moved to Bingham's Pond where two boxes were cleaned and a new one erected....

On Tuesday, I attended  a conference at the SEC on Sustainability & Climate Change and it proved that some people do care

I eventually managed some 'proper' birding at Bingham's Pond yesterday, for just one hour, and recorded a respectable 22 species.

Others have managed out, despite the weather, with some recent sightings in Greater Glasgow, courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine, including: 

Two Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and sub-adult) and a  3^rd-winter Iceland Gull at the Balgray Reservoir gull roost. 

There have also been some reports of Blackcaps - a female in a Bearsden garden and also at the feeders in Holyrood Crescent Pleasure Gardens, Kelvinbridge; with a male in an Ormonde Drive, Netherlee garden.

Glasgow Ecological Emergency Public Consultation Questionnaire

Hi

I've been off on holiday and then come down with man flu, so not much to report, BUT Glasgow City Council has decided to seek views in respect of the ecological aspects of the Climate and Ecological Emergency which they declared in May 2019. 

A working Group has drafted a report on Climate Change and now another working group has been formed to assess the ecological aspects of the emergency. The Group will focus on the following themes:

• Local Biodiversity Action Plan and the Glasgow Open Space Strategy
• Land Management
• State of Nature

To assist with the development of any recommendations, they want to hear your views about what they should do, how ambitious they should be, and what resources they can draw upon.

Please, please take the time to participate, show your concern and offer your views.

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EE2020/

Dull and Dreich, Once Again

Not much to report over the past week - three visits to Dawsholm Park LNR and a visit to Bingham's Pond.

Dawsholm Park LNR provided some good bird sightings - Raven, Buzzard, Bullfinch, Ring-necked Parakeet, Stock Dove and a large flock of 50+ Siskin.

However, the main reason for going to Dawsholm on three occasions was to assist with a Friends of Glasgow's LNRs event - the cleaning out and erection of nest boxes and a litter pick. My input involved:

• undertaking a recce of the ground conditions, nest box locations and litter hotspots; 
• helping with nest box cleaning; 
• producing a photographic record; and 
• checking how everything looked the day after the event - the bags had not been uplifted by the Council by early afternoon!

In the end, 16 boxes were cleaned-out and 2 were erected whilst 15 bags of litter were collected.

I would stress that I did do more than just take the photos!

Finally, today I made a 1 hour visit to Bingham's Pond with nothing unusual to report.

Meanwhile in Greater Glasgow, the Ring-necked Duck still appears to be happy at Mugdock Loch and flocks of Waxwings are being reported in Kelvinside and Cathcart - information courtesy of the SOC Clyde Grapevine.

Weather Improves - Dry and Dull

In the last few days the weather has improved albeit still, in the main, overcast.

On the 15th we joined the RSPB Glasgow Group outing to Drumpellier Country Park and Hogganfield Park LNR, thanks to Judith and Mike.

We started as ever with a coffee, this time in the renovated and extended visitor centre overlooking Lochend Loch …..

On leaving the visitor centre, whilst it was dry, it was a wee bit dull. We walked around Lochend Loch and then paid a quick visit to Woodend Loch. I found a ringed Mute Swan ...

.. and have since discovered, it was ringed at Hogganfield Loch by the Clyde Ringing Group on 01.01.16 (1475 days after ringing).

We left the Country Park and then headed for Hogganfield Park LNR when the weather deteriorated further limiting photo opportunities. However, I did find a few Stock Doves sitting in the trees on the island, only my second ever record for this species at the LNR. My first was also on a RSPB Outing! 

Despite the conditions I did take a photo record of the floating 'gull' platform which has dragged its anchor and now sits close to the loch edge.

It has been reported and I've been advised that it should hopefully be back in place over the next few weeks or so.

Despite the dull day I saw c40 different species. 

Since then I have been back at Hogganfield for the wildfowl feeding session organised by the Friends of Glasgow's LNRs on Sunday the 19th. 

In addition to the usual wildfowl we had distant views of a Kingfisher which was a welcome bonus.

This week (22nd) we visited Strathclyde Loch, again with Judith and Mike and we caught up with the Ring-billed Gull which has made a welcome return

We then headed for Logoch (south of East Kilbride) in the hope of locating a Great Grey Shrike that had been reported. Sadly, the weather beat us, as this photo illustrates

So over the past week or so I recorded 50 species and added to my year list which stands at a very modest 87 species. Wouldn't it be nice if the sun shone for a week or so?