Hogganfield Loch, Glasgow (1 Viewer)

[Samphibian]

Went out yesterday and saw the following:

Mute swans
Mallards
Starlings
Tufted Ducks
Ruddy Ducks
Teal
Goosanders
Lesser Black Backed Gulls
Herring Gulls
Black Headed Gulls
Great Crested Grebes
Little Grebes
Coots
Moorhens
Grey Herons
Greylag Geese

The geese were amazing to watch, as one decided he could take on about 6 others and got into a huge fight!

Nothing too spectacularly rare, but I got some photographs of this that and the other, and above all had an excellent time. Heres a small selection:

 

[Samphibian]

And heres a few more photos:

 

[Moraybirdlover]

Lovely photos and a lovely day by the sound of it.

 

[allanpcameron]

I was there this afternoon (Wednesday). I was interested to read that you saw Ruddy ducks. I was pretty sure that what I saw also, but the bird book I have didn't list Scotland as a place to see them, so I wasn't sure. Also your sighting of a Little Grebe also confirms an unsure identification.
There was a pair of something that I just didn't recognise from the bird book at all. They were hanging around with the swans. They were very large duck size, almost small goose, the female predominately white with black spots ( sorry for the amateur descriptions), the male had a dark crown and back of neck. I began to wonder if they might have been domesticated birds that had got over the fence. Does this ring a bell?
Allan

 

[delia todd]

Hi Alan

Was it anything at all like this Muscovy Duck?

It would be an escape, or perhaps hybridised with something.

D

 

[Samphibian]

Definately didnt see any muscovys, but tehre were some domestic ducks there (predominantly white though one looked to have quite a bit of khaki campbell in)

All my photos of the ruddys came out quite poorly, so i didnt upload them, but i'm sure you could get an id off them or at least see if it was the same thing you saw.

 

[allanpcameron]

I was out today to get a photo of an unidentified duck at Hogganfield in Glasgow, Scotland. I got a not bad photo of a long tailed tit, a whole flock flew around me for a while. Also a photo of what I think is a Ruddy Duck.
The other birds around:
a good sized flock of Greylag Geese, plenty of Mute Swans, lots of coots, tufted ducks, black headed gulls, a couple of moorhens, Red-Breasted Merganser, a little Grebe (I think, it was a good distance away), mallards, carrion crows, and some other gulls, I think lesser black backed gulls in first winter plumage.

 

[Samphibian]

Right, heres a far off snap of the ruddy duck:

 

[Samphibian]

nice photos!
Looks like a ruddy duck to me I just posted one of my photos, but they were pretty far out so its not as good as yours.
Did you spot any herons or cormorants on the island?

 

[allanpcameron]

No I didn't see them, I didn't see the Goosander or crested Grebe either. The last time I saw cormorants and herons was at Lochwinnoch. Nice to talk to you
Allan

 

[Samphibian]

Returned on saturday and saw quite a lot, including an immature greater scaup! the full list is as follows:

Black headed gull
Lesser black back Gull
Herring gull
Grey heron
Tufted duck
Goldeneye
Greater scaup
Ruddy duck
Teal
Mallard
Pochard
Whooper swan
Mute swan
Greylag goose
Fieldfare
Mistle thrush
Robin
Goosander
Cormorant
Little grebe
Great crested grebe
Coot
Moorhen
Rock pigeon
Pied wagtail
Magpie
Carrion crow
Starling

Heres some photos:

 

[allanpcameron]

I was there yesterday, but you did a lot better than I did, I've taken off from your list what I didn't see.
Black headed gull
Lesser black back Gull
Herring gull
Tufted duck
Goldeneye
Ruddy duck
Teal
Mallard
Whooper swan
Mute swan
Greylag goose
Goosander
Cormorant
Coot
Moorhen
Rock pigeon
Pied wagtail
Magpie
Carrion crow
Starling
I was pretty happy to see the teal and goldeneye which were new to my new list, as were the whooper swans. I also saw the flock of long tailed tits again, and a thrush, but it was high in a tree and I couldn't get a good enough view to rule out anything, it didn't even sing to give me a clue, still think it was a song thrush though. A flock of thrush family flew by, but out of identification range.
I'm pretty confused between goosanders and mesangers. What is the best way of telling the difference between the female goosander and the mesanger? I've put two photos together to try to work it out. Are the two ducks your scaups?
I was knocked out by the coot's feet! I never realised they were that big!
I'm going out tomorrow, probably to Baron's Haugh, got any better ideas for this time of year within an hours drive from Glasgow?
Allan
Allan

 

[Samphibian]

Those two look like scaup to me... nicely seen! With regards to merganser/goosander, theres a few things to look at. I use colour of the breast as you see it in the water (pale/cream in goosander, grey in female merganser speckled brown in male merganser) Also mergansers have something of a crest... there are quite a few others but those are the most prominant in my opinion.

I was amazed by the feet too - what dinosaurs they are!

Good luck at barons haugh... we saw quite a bit the last time we went

 

[Moraybirdlover]

Why does the coot have such strange feet ? The moorhen has fairly usual wader type feet.

 

[Samphibian]

Update on the two ducks photo - I have consulted a friend who is more inclined to think they are just female tufties... sorry!

 

[allanpcameron]

I've put my day at Barons Haugh on the birding day forum, I had a really good day. I'm not sure I agree with your friend, no picture I've seen of the tufted ducks has the white surrounding the bills. I'll put it on the id forum and see what happens.
Allan

 

[allanpcameron]

Looks like your friend was right according to the identification forum! I'll need to get the rubber out for the marking in my bird book
I went to the Loch today to try out a new scope ( a cheap starters one, and yes you do get what you pay for!). The ruddy, pochard, teal, mallards, tufted ducks, goosanders, and all the usual suspects were around, I didn't see anything I haven't seen before, but it was cold wind blowing!
Allan

 

[Stuarty]

Nice pictures, especially of the Goosanders. Any of the Ruddy Ducks? I've only ever managed to see one, and that was actually at Baron's Haugh at the start of the summer.

Will need to visit the place, where exactly is it?

 

[allanpcameron]

I took this ruddy duck the first day out, there's a nice flock at Hogganfield which is in the East End of Glasgow, just off junction 12 of the M8.
Baron's Haugh is off the M74, the Motherwell and Wishaw junction. Follow signs for Motherwell, I got directions from the RSPB website.
Allan

 

[Stuarty]

I took this ruddy duck the first day out, there's a nice flock at Hogganfield which is in the East End of Glasgow, just off junction 12 of the M8.
Baron's Haugh is off the M74, the Motherwell and Wishaw junction. Follow signs for Motherwell, I got directions from the RSPB website.
Allan

Excellent, been to the Haugh many times but I'll have to check out Hogganfield, thanks for the info.