FOR the past week there has been a juvenile Little Grebe on the loch at Tweedbank. This is the smallest grebe in Britain and fairly common around the region.

To many it may have gone unnoticed as it has tended to hug the edge of the island and often hiding under the overhanging vegetation. It is interesting that it has stayed around for so long as those that have visited the loch in previous winters did not stay long.

This individual was seen feeding with the Tufted Ducks and would dive when they dived probably picking up food items disturbed by the larger and stronger ducks.

Visitors to the loch have continued to grow over the years as more and more people discover the area and enjoy the wildlife experience. Last week the swan flock increased to 28 birds drawn in by the freezing conditions in the area.

One swan that appeared was caught up in a length of discarded fishing line complete with a float, sinkers and hooks. It was reported to the SSPCA and an officer arrived from Edinburgh to deal with the swan. On his first attempt at catching the bird he managed to free the float and promised to return the next day to catch it and remove the hook.

It is good to see that the public respect the birds and are concerned for their welfare. It is likely that the bird flew in with the fishing line attached as there is no fishing allowed on the loch because of the dangers not only to the wildlife but also the general public.

Another casualty on the loch was the female Coot with the colour ring CD3. It was found upside down at the edge and appeared to die from natural causes. This bird attempted breeding twice on the loch and although hatching young none of them survived.

It will be interesting to see if the remaining male can attract a mate. You may remember that this bird was ringed at a pond near Stirling University as a mature male in February this year.

One problem that appears to be increasing around the loch and in the park with the increased visitors is dog fouling. Animals are now being left to perform anywhere on the footpaths and grassy edges. This is disappointing as the responsible dog owners have made a concerted effort to clean up after their dogs. The main culprit appears to be a large dog but there are others.

Last week the police were patrolling the park and erecting notices about dog fouling but unfortunately one was torn down soon after being posted. Let us hope that the recent incidents are down to the fact it maybe a new dog walker and a new pet.

With the low temperatures on the loch the gulls have been sitting out on the ice preening and resting after a good wash in the icy cold waters. Last week one of the local wildlife photographers who visit the loch regularly turned up while the gulls were on the ice. As I scanned the flock with my binoculars I picked out an adult colour ring Black-headed Gull but could not read the lettering.

After a few quick fire shots on a digital camera with a long lens it was identified as 2AAX which visited the loch as a juvenile last winter. This bird must see Gunknowe Loch as providing extra feeding in the winter months.

A male Sparrowhawk has been hunting through the park and has seen that my garden feeders attract quite a few birds. The last two times it has visited in failed to grab a bird but then resorted to sit in the fruit trees waiting for some unsuspecting bird to drop by.

However, the birds are aware of its presence and have been keeping away while it is around. It is now several weeks since a party of Long-tailed Tits appeared so they must be finding a good supply of natural food or the Sparrowhawk has cleaned the out. A female Great Spotted Woodpecker has been feeding on my fat feeders but is very wary.

Some people do garden lists and build up garden ticks over a long period of time while others have a patch list which keeps a record.