Long Hot Summer ??

Temperatures in Glasgow this week have been up to 27 degrees, a record for May apparently. Rachel was off to Alton Towers with the school and this meant dropping her off at 1:30 am and as a consequence I had had the 25th booked off work for some time. It just so happened to coincide with the good weather and an opportunity for some birding was not to be missed.

I was out the house before 7am heading North towards Aberfoyle and onward along the largely single track road to Inversnaid. The Inversnaid Hotel is popular with "Lochs & Glens" tour buses and I met 3 coming from the hotel as I headed along. Now from experience, they don't reverse for you but fortunately I met them all at bits of the road where there were easy passing places. Not so the lorry in front of me who had to do an awkward manoeuvre up a farm track in order to let one of them pass.

Anyway just after 8am I was in the 'upland' car park at the RSPB Inversnaid Reserve and was quickly enjoying lots of Cuckoos (still appear common in this part of the world). Nice also to get the female's bubbling calls. 3 Whinchat and 2 Spot Flys were welcome year ticks. 'Hairy Beasties' were showing well:

The next target species were Black Grouse, but despite spending a good time scanning the hillsides with my new Swaro EL32's, with their massive field of view, I could not connect.

By 9:30 am the heat was already beginning to build and I headed for the shade of the main Inversnaid Reserve with its oak woodlands and Bluebell carpets:

The usual target species were quickly located:

Pied Fly

Tree Pipit

Wood Warbler

Other birds included 2 singing Garden Warbler, Blackcap and lots of Redpoll and Siskin. The banks of Loch Lomond produced at least 2 Common Sand & 1 Dipper.

Off up Loch Lomondside again tomorrow for a meal at The Lodge on the Loch (yet another 50th birthday treat!). Weather still forecast as "glorious" for tomorrow so looking forward to that.