Birds of Greater Glasgow

BALGRAY RESERVOIR        EAST RENFREWSHIRE        NS513 571

Location and Habitats

Balgray Reservoir is located between Barrhead and Newton Mearns on the south west outskirts of Glasgow. It was

constructed, between 1860-1865, by the Gorbals Waterworks Co. which was established in 1846. It forms part

of a larger complex known locally as the ‘Barrhead Dams’ that includes Ryat Linn, Littleton, and Waulkmill Glen

Reservoirs. The reservoir system, served by the Brock Burn and other small streams that ultimately flow into the

White Cart Water, was the first ever gravitational scheme in Britain. When full, Balgray Reservoir holds around

1,000 million gallons of water.

The reservoirs are owned by Scottish Water and are part of the 'Dams to Darnley Mill' project that has been established

by East Renfrewshire and Glasgow City Councils with a view to opening up the area for public access and recreation.

For the purposes of recording, Balgray Reservoir is taken to mean the Reservoir, its curtilage, and the immediate

surrounding countryside, a total of some 196 hectares. Within this area there are a variety of habitats - open water,

marsh, a canal, hedgerows, woodland, scrub, rough grassland and agricultural uses - including grazing, arable and

turf production.

Bird Species

There have been at least 182 species (and two sub-species) of bird recorded at Balgray Reservoir, whilst at least 44

species are known to have bred or are suspected as having attempted to breed.  (For a systematic list of bird species

recorded at Balgray Reservoir click Balgray Bird List).   

The area is worth a visit at any time of the year as literally anything can turn up. A visit in August – September,

however, should produce close on 50 different species with resident birds being augmented by good numbers of waders

and wildfowl and summer migrants making their long journey south.

Several pairs of Mallard, Great Crested Grebe and Coot have raised young in recent years and these species can be seen,

normally, throughout the year. Tufted Duck, a recent breeding success, can also be seen on most visits with numbers, in

late July/August having peaked at close to 300.

Over the past twenty years or so there have been exceptional counts of three species of wildfowl. The species and count

details are as follows: Goosander (103 in December 1990); Whooper Swan (95 in January 1996) and Pochard (1336 in

January 1996 and 500+ in February 1997). The peak counts in 1996 were matched by high counts for other wildfowl

and it is thought that drainage/maintenance works carried out in the previous year, allied to low water levels,

contributed to ideal feeding conditions.

Tufted Duck                                                                                                          Whooper Swan   

During this same period, breeding waders have included Common Sandpiper, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Redshank

and Oystercatcher whilst single pairs of Common Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull have nested on an island, which

is exposed when water levels are reduced. The post breeding Lapwing flock peaks between August and October and

reached 500+ in 1991.

The winter gull roost is rather spectacular with literally thousands of gulls using the reservoir. Numbers can include

up to 4,300 Black-headed Gulls and around 200 Lesser Black-backed Gulls with regular sightings in late winter-early

spring of Iceland Gull with always the possibility of a rarity turning up.

Wader passage can be good in spring and autumn provided water levels are reduced thereby exposing the island and

areas of mud particularly around the south and western edges of the reservoir. Common Sandpiper are regularly seen

whilst Dunlin, Greenshank, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew and Ruff are recorded most years. Little Stint,

Turnstone, Knot, Golden Plover, Whimbrel and Green Sandpiper also occur, but not annually.

      Goosander                                                                                                             Black-tailed Godwit

Breeding ‘priority species of conservation concern’ include Reed Bunting and Skylark whilst the reservoir is also

important for Sedge Warbler. In late summer, early autumn, small numbers of Whinchat pass through. Later in the

year single species flocks of Goldfinch (maximum of around 50 birds), Linnet, another ‘priority species of conservation

 concern’, (maximum of around 200 birds) and Siskin (maximum of around 200 birds) have been found.

Unusual vagrants have included 3 species of Diver, Red and Black-necked Grebes,  Shag, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier,

Hobby, Temminck's Stint, Purple Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sandwich Tern, Puffin, Little Auk, Guillemot, Rock

Pipit, Twite and Snow Bunting.

The reservoir has attracted a number of national and local rarities, over the years, including:

American Wigeon – one male on 3 August to 4 August 1992 and one male on 22 February 1997.

Green-winged Teal – one to two males from 4 December 1995 to 13 April 1996.

Red-crested Pochard – one on 9 December 1987.

Lesser Scaup – one male late May – early July 1999.

Pectoral Sandpiper -  one or possibly two between 9 September to 25 September 2007.                 .

American Golden Plover - one on 16 September 2007 - the first Renfrewshire/Clyde record.

Spotted Sandpiper – one from 27 September 1991 to 2 October 1991 – the first Renfrewshire/ Clyde record.

Mediterranean Gull – one from 10 April to 11 April 1980; one on 26 September 2007.

Ring-billed Gull – one on 28 January 1996 – the first Renfrewshire/Clyde record.

Yellow-legged Gull - one on 30 January 2005.

Alpine Swift - one from 2 May 1992 to 14 May 1992  - at the time the third Scottish inland record – the first

Renfrewshire/Clyde record.

Great Grey Shrike – one on 30 April 1994.

Conclusion

All in all, Balgray Reservoir is an excellent birding location; why not pay it a visit?

Jim Coyle

October 2007

The above is based on my original paper that was published in the SOC's 1999 Clyde Bird Report. It has been updated to

include records from recent Clyde Bird Reports (up to 2004), records from two papers by Dr JA Gibson on the 'Waders

of Balgray and Waulkmill Dams' (kindly supplied by John Mitchell) and records that have appeared on the local

SOC Clyde Birds Grapevine 2005-07.