An afternoon walk round the Kilpatrick braes yesterday. Warm and sunny, occasionally clouding over.Egrets, Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage, lesser celandine, the first primroses of 2026. 5 ravens flew low and fast overhead two pairs twisting together wings loud. A few stonechats on the Muir.
A nice walk round the Ardmore peninsula yesterday, quite windy, low clouds & dull. I’ve updated the script that makes the photo & map grids to show the gpx track as well as the picture positions, pleased with that.
Walk round the Glen Douglas trio on Thursday. Glorious day. blue sky & touch of frost. Very quite a few skylarks singing & the first frog spawn I’ve seen. walkmap with photos & notes..
A bright almost spring like afternoon at Greenside. First toad of the year, unfortunately squashed by a motorbike on the footpath. A couple of ravens with big crusts of picnic bread by the reservoir.
A little egret & a pal were quartering the horse field at the star of the Loch Humphrey track. A few minutes later I head a nuthatch. Both are fairly recent arrivals in Scotland I believe. Due to climate change. It is a very mild start to December & fields are surprisingly green. Drizzle & mist
A dull afternoon, breezy with the threat of drizzle. Walked round the short loop on the Kilpatrick braes. As I came back on the road by the cattle grid I heard a harsh call from the ‘hawthorn field’ next to the gate. It kept going and Merlin suggested a jay. I watched for a while and saw one, moving from bush to bush, looking and calling. I could hear a crow and buzzard too. I wonder if they were getting worked up at a cat or fox. Quite a good view through my camera, the distance and dull weather making for a blurry shot. I’ve not seen jays here very often and mostly retreating. Further down in the horse field, near the drainage ditch I saw a little egret! I’ve watched a few down the Clyde recently but always on the shore. Another blurry photo.