Wednesday 16th September

An excellent cycling day today - plenty of sun and, for the first time for ages little wind.

My theory that swallows may have disappeared early this year was put to rest as there was a healthy cluster on the telegraph wires just north of Newbridge, and a single one doing the same on the approach to Glenmidge.  Here there was also a pale looking slim item that kept landing and flicking its tail in a chat-like manner, but without binoculars and in full fluorecent gear, it was never likely to settle long enough to allow identification.  I wondered about a whinchat, but not really convinced.

On the way to the pharmacy yesterday, a large number of house martins were also in evidence so it clearly isn't quite the end of the summer for the hirundines, though no sign of sand martins over the Nith.

There were also a couple of buzzards and a single magpie north of Keir Mill.  Magpies are definitely spreading into the area.

However the main spot of the day was a small field of what I believe to be a purple leaved norway maples between Holywood and Portrack Estate. Unfortunately the plentiful sun has affected the photograph below. On a non-nature note, my friend Tony suggested a quick visit to see the gravestone of Kirkpatrick MacMillan, the inventor of the pedal cycle, just past Keir.  Interestingly, his achievement does not rate a headline mention on the family gravestone, more a footnote.  Yet without him I possibly wouldn't have been there today!

Purple leaved Norway Maple

At Kirkpatrick MacMillan's Gravestone

Thursday 10th September

Just back from a few days in Spain, where I remarkably sighted not a single butterfly and very few notable birds apart from an azure-winged magpie and one large looking lark that was hanging around the scrub in the storage area at Faro airport.

There were a lot of fantastic South American trees in the Alcazar Gardens at Seville that I wouldn't seek to identify but there was quite an interesting example of a feeding frenzy of hungry carp.

The day after however my attention was drawn to one particular tree that I instinctively thought I would be able to identify, and unless I'm much mistaken it's a young Montpellier Maple:

Montpellier Maple

Returning to normality, did the bike ride to New Abbey yesterday in very overcast conditions.  There was a healthy gathering of house martins hunting flies over Lochrutton Loch, but no longer any signs of swallows though it seems a little early for them to return home to Africa.

On the way back past Kirkconnel Flow, I noticed a large amount of a pink flowering plant that I'm sure i have seen many times, but could not put a name to. It doesn't warrant it's own mention in my Book of Wildflowers, so again it was thanks to the folk at Dumfries and Galloway Wildlife and Birding that I can tell you (if you didn't already know) that it's Himalayan Balsam.

Himalayan Balsam

Around the garden, peacocks but only peacocks are still enjoying the remaining buddleia.

Thursday 3rd September

In the garden butterflies have at last been visiting some numbers, mainly peacocks, all of which continue to be fine fellows of good size, but also red admirals plus the odd small white and small tortoiseshell.

I have been out a couple of times on the bike without noticing much, beyond that the coutryside has been looking great and the weather is a bit brighter.

Purple-leaved Elder

Yesterday I did spot this rather interesting bush some way past Terregles Village on the edge of some estate land.  At first mystified, I could see that it had some of the characteristics of an elder but with strikingly dark leaves - somewhat darker actually than shows up in the photograph. It is mentioned in the index of the Book of Trees although with no further text detail, but a little internet research suggests that it is in fact a purple-leaved elder.

Meanwhile the swallows are starting their autumn habit of perching on telegraph wires in some numbers.  I fancifully like to imagine that they are having a chat about when to return to Africa this year. Swifts incidentally haven't been heard or seen around the estate for a few weeks.

Stopped again at the place near Bogle Bridge where people must put bird food out.  Lots of tits were soon lingering with intent a few minutes after I sat on the moss-covered wall but of course, I didn't have anything for them.