Renfrewshire and Glasgow Area (1 Viewer)

Having just spent 4 weeks on holiday in this area, I needed somewhere to talk about my sightings. So here it is.

I won't be back for a while, but hopefully others can pick this site up and run with it. After all, there is no shortage of people in this neck of the woods.

So let's kick off with a pair of opportunistic Blue Tits, nesting in an ormamental lampost in a Giffnock garden. The tits - not necessarily the same ones - have used this nest site for a few years now, and breeding is usually successful, in that the site is probably magpie-proof. And in case anyone is worried about possible disturbance, the pictures were taken from inside my bedroom through the window. The tits were in residence during my entire stay.

An excursion to the coast led to finding this group of Redshanks foraging along the shore close to Gourock Pier, and a walk through the RSPB reserve at Lochwinnoch delivered this nice little long-tailed tit.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

Rouken Glen Park

Okay, let's take a look at one of the Glasgow area's finest public parks. Anyone in the area who is interested in taking up birding would find it well worth while taking a walk round this beautiful Park. You can walk into it from Whitecraigs Station, from Davieland Road which runs between the station and Rouken Glen Road, or from Rouken Glen Road which runs down from Eastwood Toll to Spiersbridge and Thornliebank.

There is a large boating pond, with three islands where swans, ducks etc breed. There are woods, large open areas of grassland, rocky outcrops, and best of all the Auldhouse Burn, which runs through the park via a crashing waterfall and a tumbling, white-watered, thickly-wooded gorge. Park notices say that Dippers have been found in the gorge - I would love to hear from anyone who has seen one there. The habitat would certainly suit them.

You can expect water birds, grassland birds, woodland birds, and when your feet are sore and you could murder a sandwich you will find that the boathouse at the lake has been converted into an excellent restaurant.

On our short excursion there recently, we noted Black-headed and Common Gull (which is not all that common), Mallard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Robin, Blackbird, Wren, Coal Tit, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, Magpie, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Starling, and Dunnock.

I’ve attached a few pictures of birds in the Park. They are 1) Summer-plumaged Black-headed Gull 2) Tufted Duck 3) Wood Pigeon 4) Carrion Crow 5)Common Gull. All pictures taken in April 2009.

Car, train or bus, it’s easy to get to. I’d be interested to hear what you find. And if you know of other good areas in the Glasgow/Renfrewshire area, please tell us all about them.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy