Roslin Glen

Walked a stretch of the river North Esk in Roslin Glen today, an area of mixed woodland with a very natural feel. Clear and cold with rock hard ground underfoot. Pair of jays calling very loudly and close by for several minutes and had a good glimpse of one. Three gooseanders on the river above a weir. Blue and great tits calling frequently. Large party of long tailed tits feeding in a gorse thicket.

Only vegetation of note was large clumps of great woodrush leaves carpeting the ground thickly in places.

Bavelaw Wildlife Reserve, Edinburgh

First chance to visit Bavelaw, above Balerno in the south west of the city, since the recent thaw. Plenty of activity at the bird feeders in front of the hide - mainly finches and tits, including a single brambling I managed to get a brief glipmse of on the camcorder. Bird colouring looked fantastically vivid today. At least 50 teal on the water, quite noisy and agitated with what look like signs of early courtship display. Sadly no sign of the great spotted woodpecker which is seen regularly here.

Birds at Bavelaw, Edinburgh

Birds in song

Heard first dunnock singing early this morning in my front garden. Later this afternoon with darkness coming on, heard song thrush piping loudly in Regent Rd near Edinburgh city centre.

East Lothian Birds

Went on a trip along the E. Lothian coast today with the local RSPB group, visiting several hotspots from Prestongrange to Longniddry. Birds seen on sea included some very striking long tailed ducks, several slavonian grebes, and a good many velvet and common scoter. Waders included grey plover and bar tailed godwit. A short woodland trip around Prestongrange offered lesser redpoll, siskin, bullfinch and a variety of tits and thrushes. It was very heartening to see these small songbirds around in such healthy numbers after the past months harsh weather.

Water birds at Duddingston, Edinburgh

Went round to Duddingston, one of Edinburgh's prettiest villages today. The loch is mostly still frozen over but with a patch of open water big enough for a collection of coots, moorhens, mallards, tufted ducks, dabchick and goldeneye. Video'd a few of these and caught some of the goldeneye showing signs of their acrobatic 'head throwing' courtship display. Another sign of spring to come can be heard from a greenfinch beginning to sing off camera - a bit faltering but quite distinctive.

Goldeneye courtship display and dabchick, Duddinston loch

Birds at Cramond

Managed down to Cramond village on the city outskirts today after a general thaw set in. Tide pretty high and several wading birds viewable at quite close range, including single greenshank, small party of dunlin and a scattering of bar tailed godwits. One male red breasted merganser fishing the river Almond opposite the boat club. Further out on the mud saw a couple of lesser black back gulls amongst a throng of black headed gulls(one with more or less complete summer plummage of black/brown head).



Dunlin feeding at Cramond harbour

Canal freeze-up

The Union canal has been completely frozen for at least a week now. All the water birds - swans, ducks, moorhens and coots, have gone - where exactly I don't know. Some may have gone to the Water of Leith, though even it has started to freeze round the edges, others to larger expanses of freshwater (many of these are frozen too) or perhaps to the seashore. Small birds are so much more visible at present against the white backdrop. Wrens in particular I've seen so many of along the river and canal. No doubt this makes them more vulnerable to predators, in additon to the danger they face from the intense cold. Woke briefly in the middle of last night to hear snow granules blowing hard against the window, then the unexpected and eerie sound of a tawny owl calling through the snowstorm.

Walking on ice-covered Union Canal, Edinburgh

Roof-top heron

Had an early morning walk along the Union Canal and Water of Leith to greet the new year. Lovely crisp, clear day with fresh snow underfoot. Photo'd this heron perched on the roof of the local Booker Store above the river, having a break from fishing duties.

Also saw two female goosanders diving throughout a stretch of the water further down, which set me thinking about a chat I had with an ecologist from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency last year. He told me they'd surveyed a city stretch of the river recently and found literally hundreds of the non-native bullhead, against only a few brown trout. Bullheads seem to be generally bad news for at least some native species but no doubt they provide food for fish eating birds and mammals.