More Local Stuff

On a typically gloomy January day I started at the Heritage Loch where there were small numbers of Tufted Duck & Mallard. A drake Pochard was new whilst the female Goldeneye remained as did the Scaup which I think is a 1st winter male ?

Scaup

At the west end a typically cryptic Snipe & the usual small flock of Lapwings the latter of which allowed a surprisingly close approach:

Lapwing

I can see you

Down at Strathclyde Park I located the adult Ring Billed Gull on the water off the 3rd car park. It was just about close enough for a record shot:

Ring Billed Gull

No Sign of Gyr Falcon

Spent about 2-3 hours down at West Ferry this morning more in hope than expectation of seeing yesterday's white morph Gyr Falcon.

The tide was high and there weren't many birds at all. Best was c10 Great Crested Grebe, RB Merganser, Wigeon & Goldeneye.  

Scaup

Started the day at Heritage Loch & located the Scaup reported from the day before. A female Goldeneye, not very usual here, was also present. The Scaup was only close looking into the light:

Scaup

Went over to Strathclyde Loch in the afternoon. Started at the mouth of the Calder which had a few Goldeneye and a Kingfisher.

I could not locate the RBG so I walked over to the Island Pond that had Wigeon, Gadwall & Whooper Swan on it.

Ring Billed Gull

A good start to the new year catching up with the adult Ring Billed Gull on Strathclyde Loch. After I was put on it it was fairly obvious with the paler mantle, heavily banded bill, nape streaking, restricted white on the tertials & larger size than the Common Gulls.

Heritage Loch & Calderglen

It was foggy all day down in Cambuslang but 5 miles up the road in East Kilbride it was a crisp & bright winters day.

Nothing much bird wise apart from calling Nuthatch at Calderglen. I predict that Nuthatch will eventually appear on my garden feeders. They are now in all of the bigger parks in the Glasgow area so given a hard spell of weather I think I'll get it in the garden.

Calderglen CP

Greylag Goose (1 of about 15 feral birds present)

Frosted Seedheads

Greylag Goose

Mallards in the Sunshine

Horseshoe Falls at Calderglen

Snipe frozen into the open

Horseshoe Falls

Wintry Hogganfield

Common Gull

Common Gull

Coot

Goldeneye

Goldeneye

Goosander

Mute Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swan

Black Headed Gull

Aberlady

For me & Patricia's Christmas night out we had chosen Kilspindie House Hotel convenient for Aberlady. Unfortunately, the weather was often very windy and at times wet.

The Wooden Bridge