FORK Bird Report – December 2007
In early December I found a Little Grebe diving in the Kelvin under the Clydeside Expressway Bridge. Although I have never actually seen one on the Kelvin before, the find was not entirely a surprise, as they are common on the Clyde itself in winter. Much more unexpected, half an hour later, was finding a second bird on the Kelvingrove Park pond. These two records presumably represent birds leaving their breeding areas on smaller lochs and canals, and making their way to larger, more open bodies of water for winter feeding.
Another bird using the Kelvin for post-breeding dispersal is the Dipper, which has been exceptionally evident on the Kelvin this autumn. In early November there were no fewer than four together below Benalder Street Bridge. There is still (10 December) at least one regularly to be seen, most recently giving superb views on the tree caught on the weir just below the Art Gallery.
Apart from these two stars there are other good winter birds coming in. The Goosander party at the Botanic Gardens bridge is 15–20 strong this year, with several males in superb plumage. The improvements to the Park pond have attracted not just the Little Grebe, but also up to eight Moorhen at a time, with one juvenile as well. The short days now mean that our small resident birds need to feed almost all the daylight hours. Taken with the bare trees this means that on a walk through the Park and up to the Arboretum you have a good chance of seeing all four resident Tit species, Goldcrests (in the Arboretum), and Tree-Creeper as well as thrushes and crows. And there is a Sparrow-Hawk active along the river.
Finally watch out for Waxwings – there is already a small party reported in the West End this winter.
This FORK Bird Report is taken from the Winter 07 edition of FORK News