FORK Bird Report – March 2009

The last few months have been very rewarding for birdwatchers along the river – early January brought a flock of Redwings, and Dippers have been very active, feeding near the top bridge in the Arboretum and further downstream in the Kelvinbridge area. The flock of Goosanders by the Botanic Garden Bridge reached 21 this year. Two Mute Swans visited the river in February and a single Little Grebe, a species more usually found on the canal, has been present since January. A Kingfisher was seen diving from an overhanging branch, again just downstream from the Arboretum footbridge, and returning to its perch to kill and eat several small fish. In late February a pair of kingfishers flying downriver signalled their presence by calling – a distinctively ‘bright’ tone, hard to describe (‘chreee’ or ‘chee-kee’ according to the fieldguides). With daylight increasing now to over 11 hours the breeding season is well underway, with birds pairing off or renewing previous partnerships, establishing territories and looking for suitable nest sites.

Goldcrest

In early March two Goldcrests were feeding low down in the shrubs near the ruins of the Flint Mill, giving a good view from above of the gold stripe on the crown from which they take their name. These tiny birds – at 9 cm Britain’s smallest – breed in conifer plantations or mixed woodland, and in previous years have nested in the Arboretum. The nest is a deep cup, suspended in a fork near the end of conifer branches, and bound to the twigs with spiders’ webs, the cavity close to the foliage above to restrict the opening. The eggs, white to pale buff and finely speckled, are tiny – only about 11 x 14 mm in size.

Goldcrest Egg

Visitors to Kelvingrove Art Gallery may have picked up one of the RSPB’s cards showing a Peregrine: ‘Wanted! For speeding at over 180 mph! Last seen in Kelvingrove Park’. Peregrines have indeed been seen locally, in Maryhill and the Park area, and as one of their vantage points has been the roof of the art gallery the RSPB has constructed a platform in one of the towers in the hope that this might prove an attractive nesting site. If you are visiting the gallery it is worth taking your binoculars along and pausing at the bridge in Kelvin Way to have a look. The RSPB welcomes reports of sightings – just text the time, date and location to 07941 440 552.

Goldcrest

Goldcrest nest

Goldcrests and nest (c.7.5–10 cm across)

Pictures: Hazel Mills

Tags: birds, river kelvin
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