Is it too late to write about New Year’s resolutions? Have you forgotten about yours already? A 2007 study by Richard Wiseman from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail. So don’t feel too disheartened because you are not alone! My resolution was to commute to work more sustainably, either by taking the bus or cycling the journey instead of taking my car. Part of this is to help reduce the carbon emissions and air pollution I am creating when driving. A happy side effect of this is that I get more exercise walking to and from the bus stop and I get to see more wildlife on the way.

January is the start of the breeding season for many of our birds and at the moment I am keeping my eyes peeled for our Ravens. Ravens are one of the first breeding species in northwestern Europe with the first birds incubating eggs from late January onwards. Now is a great time to come down to the Falls of Clyde to watch for displaying pairs as they begin to re-occupy traditional nesting sites nearby. They have nested on site successfully a few times in the past so we are keeping our fingers crossed!

Other birds to keep an eye on during January include Mistle Thrush which I sometimes see in the meadow and Song Thrush which can be found throughout the woodland. If the weather stays as mild as it has been (ignoring the few bad days we’re having at the moment) then Blackbirds may also start singing. And finally, if you have a nice cotoneaster bush in your garden or anything loaded with juicy berries, keep an eye out for Waxwings as there has been a particularly large influx of them this past autumn.

Laura Preston – Falls of Clyde Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust
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