Hogganfield & Strathclyde Loch

Spent an enjoyable 4 hours between the 2 sites on a cold but bright January day. I saw nothing out of the ordinary but tried hard particularly with the Gulls at Strathclyde Park.

Hogganfield had 3 Wigeon but all the Gadwall were gone & there were still no Pochard.

Reflections of Teal....

Juvenile Whoopers

Strathclyde Park had a female Stonechat & a Treecreeper of note.

Part of a large Cormorant flock

Strathclyde Park

The adult Ring Billed Gull was still present but no sign of any of the 2 Iceland Gulls that had been seen over the past few days.

Loch Ryan

After checking out the West Freugh area and Portpatrick & seeing only Pink Feet of note, we headed back to Loch Ryan & checked out the sheltered Wig Bay. There was a good selection here including Great & Slavonian Grebe, Red Breasted Merganser & Black Guillemot. Several Scaup gave close views from the car.

A flock of c50 Brent Geese were in their usual field.

Back in Stranraer I estimated 500 Scaup off the prom along with 2 Pintail. Flock of 10 Golden Plover.1  Hooded Crow.

Earlier I had had a pre breakfast walk up at the 3 Lochs & of note had Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Redwing & Raven.

Hogganfield

Hogganfield on a very grey Glasgow morning. The recent freezing conditions had partly frozen some of the loch. C35 Wigeon were present having presumably been forced off somewhere else by the conditions. There were also c15 Whooper Swans, 2 Buzzard & a Kingfisher.

Heron on ice

Gadwall - Digiscoped in poor light (2 of about 6 present)

Dipper at Rouken Glen

Very difficult. ISO on the camera at maximum. Photographing in a gorge with lots of overhanging trees in December is not to be recommended.

Ring Billed Gull at Strathclyde Park

The adult Ring Billed Gull now returning for its 4th winter at Strathclyde Park:

Female Scaup also on the loch with Goldeneye & Tufted Duck.

Baron's Haugh had a Green Sandpiper and 60 Teal. Otherwise some wintering Thrushes was about all there was.

Heritage Loch

Two runs round the Heritage Loch in the last few days have produced few birds. Presumably most of the ducks left whilst it was frozen over the past 10 days. Today there was a single male Goosander and little else.

Male Blackcap at the garden feeder today.