The clocks have gone back and the dark, cold Autumn nights are truly upon us. Amongst all of the doom and gloom of a long winter lies promise of a sensational thrill for the senses. This thrill is the sights and sounds coming from the mass arrival of migrant birds coming down from the frozen north to spend winter with us.

Here in Glasgow, we are lucky enough to have weather milder than the bitter winters of Iceland and Greenland. It is warm enough to encourage a good number of visiting migrant birds who will spend the next few months with us trying to escape harsher conditions

Our Swallows and Swifts have abandoned these shores for the warmth of Africa but winter is wonderful for Wildlife watching and cool crisp mornings are ideal for a wee meander through one of the many fine parks here in Glasgow.

Hogganfield is one such park, found in the east of the city and just off the M8, it is the perfect place to see visiting Whooper Swans who come down from Iceland and congregate around the feeding platform on the loch. These swans will return to the arctic tundra to breed but will be with us from now until the middle of March next year. They are easily recognised as they have a straighter neck & yellow bill and are far noisier than the resident Mute Swans who reside on the loch all year long.

Another easily recognised visitor is the Pink Footed Goose. This goose is smaller than the Mute Swan and very pink, with pink legs and feet. Again, they don’t breed in the UK but come over for a winter break from Iceland and Greenland. They can be seen in their hundreds as they arrive and there are few more exciting sounds for the bird enthusiast as hearing the noisy calls of an approaching flock.

A bird that even seasoned birdwatchers can have trouble spotting is the Blackcap as it is easily confused with other garden birds. Most of the resident Blackcaps are off to warmer climes but some are here from Eastern Europe and overwintering in towns and may even visit bird tables for food. They can be identified by the distinct sound they make to warn off intruders. Their call sounds like two stones being knocked together.

If you would like to find out more about the birdlife here, Glasgow City Council’s Countryside Rangers are running a weekend of guided bus tours where folk will get the chance to visit sites to see visiting wetland birds. The tours are running on both Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th of November. They are free to attend but places are limited due to bus seats so please contact the Rangers on 0141 276 0931 for more info or to book a place.

The event is suitable for all and always promises to offer folk a wonderfully varied list of both birds & mammals to tick off from their ‘I want to See’ list. For more of our events go to www.whatsonglasgow.co.uk/listings/glasgow-countryside-rangers/

John Parker, Countryside Ranger for the East.