Lochwinnoch

Look who’s back!

2023-04-14T09:27:00Z

Our scrapes have proven popular with a wide range of birds with everything from ducks to geese, gulls, waders and more taking advantage of the habitat. However, you may already be aware of a very special species from last year – the little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius). Their successful breeding was a first for the reserve as they reared three chicks to fledging; a cause of great celebration for everyone at Lochwinnoch.

Little ringed plovers are interesting not only in the context of Lochwinnoch but the UK as a whole. It was only in 1938 that a nesting attempt was first recorded in the UK at a reservoir in Hertfordshire. Since then, the number of breeding pairs increased to around 600 in England and Wales in the 1980s and in 2007 there were over 1200 pairs with 22 of these now in Scotland (Conway et al., 2018).

Because of the rarity of these birds, they receive extra protection and are a Schedule 1 species, meaning it is illegal to disturb the birds while they are nesting or rearing young. As little ringed plovers are ground-nesters they are particularly prone to disturbance and if they feel threatened may abandon their nest completely. Due to this, their presence at the reserve last year was initially kept quiet to maximize the chances of them successfully breeding. Although the secret may be out this year, we remind visitors to be mindful of nesting birds during the breeding season, whether that be keeping dogs under control, sticking to the paths and not getting too close to areas where birds may be nesting.

Little ringed plover - Credit: John Stevenson

We’ve been keeping our fingers crossed that with spring we would see another year with little ringed plovers at the reserve and, lo-and-behold, they’re back! This week has seen the arrival of not one bird, but three! We’ve already seen the aerial displays of the pair and their attempts to drive off the third bird meaning our hopes are high for another successful breeding season. As little ringed plovers often return to the same breeding site year after year it may be that this pair is the same one as last year, and the third could even be one of last year’s brood.

So, if you come to Lochwinnoch do you know what to look out for? Identifying a little ringed plover isn’t the easiest task especially if you’re viewing the bird from a distance or without the aid of binoculars. Little ringed plover are very similar in appearance to their close relative the common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) and to make matters worse, both species can be seen at the reserve. In fact, the specific part of the LRP’s Latin name ‘dubius’, refers to the fact that it was dubious whether the little ringed plover was a species in its own right or just a subspecies of ringed plover.

Although, as the name suggests, the little ringed plover is slightly smaller the size difference isn’t particularly striking and won't be clear if the two species aren’t side by side. Instead, look out for a bright yellow ring around the eye and a dark beak – ringed plovers lack the eye-ring and instead have a bright orange beak. Timing can be important too – you won’t see a little ringed plover here in winter as they’ll be spending the colder months in Africa.

Photo of the LRPs and ringed plover side-by-side to show the differences - Credit: John Stevenson

We hope you’ll enjoy watching the antics of these little birds and that you’re just as excited as us to see what the months ahead hold!

Written by Lauren McLean

Volunteer

What to Look for in April

2023-04-04T13:51:00Z

April is peak migration time for our springtime migrants with a massive influx of birds arriving on our shores over the next few weeks. You may have already heard your first chiffchaff of the year or spotted large flocks of lesser black-backed gulls passing overhead but many more species are still to join them.

Two more incoming warbler species that didn’t get a mention in our last ‘what to look for’ blog are the grasshopper warbler and sedge warbler. Both of these can be found at Lochwinnoch, usually from late April, and can often be heard singing from within the sedge beds or a deep thicket. The whirring song of a grasshopper warbler – known as ‘reeling’ - closely resembles its namesake insect while the sedge warbler’s song has been described as anything from ‘noisy’ and ‘harsh’ to ‘frenetic’ - somewhat unfair if you ask me!

Photo of sedge warbler by Richard Bennett

But it’s not just the warblers that are on the move, you may already have heard that in the last week of March our first osprey of the year was spotted! These birds make regular appearances at the reserve throughout the summer months, fishing on both the Barr and Aird Meadow lochs. Although the majority of the UK’s ospreys will migrate to and from Africa the species is one of only a handful of birds that can be found on every continent on earth (excluding Antarctica), making it as widespread as species such as the feral pigeon and house sparrow. Recently, an individual that was rung as a chick in the Clyde Muirshiel regional park decided that instead of heading south to Africa that a trip across the Atlantic to the Caribbean island of Barbados was in order, making it one of the first known British ospreys to turn up in the Americas!

Photo of osprey by Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)

Ospreys and warblers aside it wouldn’t be summer without a swallow. Swallows, along with martins, are part of the hirundine family of birds, characterized by their streamlined body, pointed wings and amazing aerial manoeuvrability which allows them to catch insects in mid-air. You may be surprised to hear that the similar-looking swift is not actually part of this family and is instead a closer relative of the hummingbird! These species will be arriving this month with the martins usually arriving first, followed by the swallows and then the swifts at the end of April and into early may. Swallows in particular have been regarded as heralds of summer for many centuries in Britain and carry a rich history of symbolism and folklore. It was once considered lucky to have a swallow nest under the eaves of one’s house or barn as it was believed that they could protect the building and its inhabitants from storms or fire. As such, people would go out of their way to encourage the birds to nest by providing suitable spaces and ledges. In a time where our swift, swallow and martin populations are struggling for a multitude of reasons perhaps we should spare a thought for the once-lucky swallow and her kin. The edges of a garden pond can provide mud for nest building when dry weather hits as well as boosting insect numbers or, alternatively, installing a swift nest-box can provide a home for swifts where modern architecture cannot.

Photo of swallow by Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)

With so much to see in April there’s no better excuse to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Additionally, with the completion of our boardwalk from Todd’s seat to the Peel tower on the near horizon you’ll have the chance to see Lochwinnoch and its wildlife from a whole new perspective!

Written by Lauren McLean - Volunteer

Spring is here at RSPB Lochwinnoch!

2023-03-31T11:44:00Z

Spring has finally arrived at the reserve, which means the departure of some of our winter visitors and our first spring migrants. Bird song can be heard all around the reserve and many species are now busy gathering nesting materials in preparation for the breeding season. The Aird Meadow loch has been busy with large numbers of goldeneye, wigeon and teal, although the majority of these will soon be moving off to their breeding grounds elsewhere. Shoveler ducks have been spotted on the Aird Meadow (3 drakes and 2 females) - surface feeding birds with impressive spatulate bills, a small number will breed in the UK, but this species is more widespread in the UK during the winter months. Great crested grebe pairs have also been spotted on both the Aird Meadow and Barr lochs displaying courting behaviour.

Shoveler ducks on the Aird meadow

The scrape has again been a good place to spot many different bird species this month, with, in particular, large numbers of curlew coming in to roost. In the past curlew would be found breeding across Britain in meadows, marshes, and arable fields but sadly the UK’s breeding population has halved in the last 25 years. Despite this the UK is home to around a quarter of the world’s breeding pairs in spring and summer which means the UK plays a crucial part in the future of curlew conservation efforts.

A major highlight for waders this month was on the 29th of March when 5 black tailed godwits landed on the scrape, clearly coming into their rusty red breeding plumage. These birds are almost certainly on on migration, as very few pairs breed in the UK. Ringed plover have also been spotted , small wading birds with a distinctive black band around their eyes and orange legs. Ringed plovers are very intelligent and when nesting they have been known to fake a broken wing to draw predators away from their chicks while the chicks will sit and hide until the coast is clear.

Black tailed godwit

Chiffchaff have been both seen and heard around the trails this month, the arrival of this small, dainty warbler is a good indication that spring has arrived. They are readily distinguished by their unique song which gives the chiffchaff its name. This also helps to tell them apart from other similar warblers such as willow warblers. The first osprey of the year arrived over the Aird meadow loch on the 27th of March - these spectacular birds of prey have long wings and white underparts which can be easily seen when they are in flight. Fish make up almost all of an osprey’s diet and they catch their prey by snatching them in a shallow dive into the surface of the water. Ospreys are also one of the world's most widely distributed bird species as they breed throughout much of North America, Northern Europe, Asia, and the coast of Australia.

Osprey flying over the reserve, photograph taken by Richard Bennett in August 2021

Other sightings this month include large numbers of pink footed geese flying overhead, large numbers of common snipe on the scrape, and greenshank and redshank adding to the wader spectacle. Little grebe have been visible on the Aird meadow loch around the mouth of the new channel into the fen, and the first sand martins of the year appeared on the 25^th.

Little grebe, photograph by Richard Bennett

Many exciting sightings at the reserve this month!

2023-02-28T17:33:00Z

February has brought some much-needed brighter weather to the reserve along with lots of exciting wildlife sightings. Wetland bird species have been abundant, with large numbers of wigeon, tufted ducks and goldeneye on both the Aird Meadow and Barr lochs. There have also been sightings of a male Gadwall on the Aird Meadow loch, which is a grey coloured dabbling duck with a black rear end and a white wing patch which can be spotted in flight. Gadwall are smart birds and can sometimes be seen following coot around - after a coot has dived down to pick waterweed the Gadwall will then very cheekily steal some for itself. Great crested grebes have also been seen, beautifully elegant waterbirds well known for their ornate head feathers. Around this time of year, you may be lucky enough to witness their impressive courtship dance where they will rise out of the water as a pair, and shake their heads and race across the surface.

Great crested grebe

The scrapes have also proved popular with many species with pink-footed geese, lapwing, curlew, oystercatchers and teal among the species sighted. The most exciting bird this month was the black tailed godwit. The UK is home to a very small number of breeding black tailed godwits and because of this the species is red listed in the UK and is listed as near threatened globally. Project Godwit is a partnership between the RSPB and WWT which aims to prevent this beautiful species from being faced with extinction in the near future.

Black tailed godwit on the scrape

The curlew is the largest European wading bird and is easily recognised by its long down-curved bill and long legs. In 2015 curlews were added to the red list so are now a species of conservation priority due to large declines in their breeding populations and ranges. It is therefore always fantastic to see them using the scrape, where they have been coming in increasing numbers to roost.

Curlew using the scrape

Along the trails plenty of smaller birds have been seen with blue tits, great tits, robins, house sparrows, bullfinches and chaffinches being frequent visitors. Treecreepers have been spotted on the Dubbs trail this month, a small, very active bird with very specific behaviour. They have a long, slender down curved beak, and they get their name from the way they creep up trees. An interesting fact about treecreepers is that they only ever go up trees and never down, and when they get to the top they will fly to the bottom of the next tree. There have also been several sightings of a sparrowhawk around the visitor centre at the reserve, a small bird of prey with a long tail and short wings well-suited to hunting in woodland and catching their prey in confined spaces. The female is larger than the male and because of this is able to catch much bigger prey like pigeons.

Sparrowhawk photographed on the reserve, Photo by Billy Blair

Other sightings this month include the drake smew seen on the Aird Meadow and Barr lochs, pintail on the Barr loch, kestrel over the fen, large numbers of greylag geese on the Barr Loch, and lesser redpoll and siskin around the alder along the trail.

Greylag goose spotted on the reserve

Written by Rachel Reid

What to look for in March

2023-02-28T13:25:00Z

The 1^st of March marks the start of meteorological spring and the wildlife certainly knows it.

We’re already seeing lots of breeding behaviour from the wildlife at Lochwinnoch. Black-headed gulls and lapwings have been performing aerial displays over the scrapes while frogspawn has already been spotted! But did you know that in particular Lochwinnoch is an important breeding site for the elegant great-crested grebe? March and April are the best time to spot pairs performing an elaborate display which commonly consists of synchronised head swivels and croaking calls. Further, more complex, parts of the display have been recorded and described with some unusual but descriptive names such as the ‘penguin dance’ where the pair rises up out of the water paddling their feet to remain in an upright ‘standing’ position. Another is the ‘weed ceremony’ where the pair dive to collect aquatic vegetation together and then resurface to present their catch to one another. Over the coming weeks the pair will go on to build their nests tucked away among the reeds or floating vegetation, safely out of reach of terrestrial predators.

Credit: Great crested grebes – Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

While many birds are already well underway with courtship and staking out a territory the first bumblebees of the year are just beginning to emerge with the warmer days drawing them out. The queens have spent the winter in hibernation underground and will now be seeking out a suitable nest site in which to lay their eggs and establish a new colony. The availability of early spring flowers as a food source to the queen is critical as not only her own survival but that of the many workers she will produce will depend on it. Primroses, dandelions, willow catkins and hawthorn flowers will all form important native sources of nectar but the wider the variety available the better. Different species of bumblebee have long (common carder and garden) or short tongues (buff-tailed, early and white-tailed) which means they will feed preferentially on specific flowers. Deeper flowers like foxglove may only be accessed by long-tongued species whereas flatter flowers like the dandelion are more suitable for the short-tongued bumbles.

Left: common carder bee on bugle, right: early bumblebee on dandelion - Lauren McLean.

Our first wave of spring migrants will be imminently arriving from their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Europe. Lochwinnoch’s first warblers regularly show up in March with 2022’s first chiffchaff recorded on the 15^th, and the first blackcap and willow warbler both recorded on the 29^th. Weather plays a notable role in the arrival date of these species with favourable winds hastening their journey or bad conditions delaying them. A look to the weather forecast then might give an indicator as to whether you might be hearing these small songsters earlier or later than last year. While their songs are what distinguish them they are visually very similar birds - roughly the size of a blue tit with only the blackcap being slightly bigger. The image below shows what to look out for when determining which warbler you’ve seen (especially when they aren’t singing!).

Credit: Chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap – Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

March is an exciting time for wildlife-spotting so please feel free to share your sightings from Lochwinnoch and your local area – we’d love to see them!

Written Lauren McLean

A busy winter at RSPB Lochwinnoch

2023-02-24T15:13:00Z

A busy winter at RSPB Lochwinnoch

We have a busy few months at RSPB Lochwinnoch! We are lucky enough to be in a position to deliver a few different projects at the reserve, but unfortunately this will result in a little disruption to our visitors:

Jan – March 2023:

From Aird Meadow Hide to the end of the trail:

Due to use by heavy machinery, this section will be closed during the majority of the next 5 weeks, up to the end of March. It will be opened at weekends if not in use, but please note that work will take place on some weekends.

This area is currently in poor condition due to work vehicles. This condition may prevent people with mobility issues or using equipment such as wheelchairs or mobility scooters from accessing that part of the trail.

We are really sorry for the inconvenience. Whilst action is being taken to improve the condition of this part of the trail, full reinstation of its previous condition is unlikely to occur until after the work on the boardwalk is complete.

We are installing a new boardwalk, from the end of the existing Aird Meadow Trail, to the recently consolidated scheduled ancient monument, Peel Tower. The Peel Tower is a relatively unknown ruin of a 16^th century fortified dwelling that most of our visitors are unaware of. The boardwalk will allow more people to see this hidden gem, as well as a beautiful part of the reserve. The boardwalk will also allow us to better manage access to the area. Currently when access does occur it can take place in a damaging and unmanaged manner.

Mid-Feb to Mid-March 2023:

Pond dipping area, Bug area & Fairy Trail:

Unfortunately access to these areas is currently not permitted. We apologize for the inconvenience and will try to open up these areas as soon as we are able.

We were very sad to discover the highly invasive aquatic plant, Crassula helmsii, also known as New Zealand pygmyweed, in our pond dipping pond in September. This plant is very damaging to wetlands and very difficult to eradicate, but very easy to spread! All in all, it is causing a bit of a headache… We have worked closely with NatureScot and our own ecologists to develop a method that we hope will eradicate the plant from the reserve.

Crassula helmsii by Dan Snowdon

As a result, we temporarily contained the area with a porous liner that would catch the plant in the event of a flood. We also covered it with black plastic as that has shown to weaken the plant significantly. We are now creating a new pond to take the water, once filtered, and then the old pond will be buried with spoil from the newly excavated one. The new pond will be monitored closely for a number of years, just in case the filtration didn’t work as well as hoped. Unfortunately, this all means that we won’t be able to offer pond dipping for the foreseeable future, but hopefully we will prevent the Crassula from being spread further. [The site is part of the Castle Semple Loch and Barr Loch Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).]

What to look out for in February

2023-02-01T12:05:00Z

With February comes a month on the cusp of spring and though it might not always feel like it the signs are beginning to show themselves.

The trees might be bare for several weeks yet but look to the undergrowth and you might be surprised to find a variety of flowers peeking through. Delicate snowdrops are already flowering around the visitor centre but there are other early spring blooms to look for as the month progresses. Lesser celandine is a member of the buttercup family and can be identified by its heart-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers. Like snowdrops it can flower as early as January so keep an eye on the damp edges of streams and ditches where it like to grow. Other flowers you may spot in February include the familiar crocus, daffodil and primrose whose name fittingly means ‘first rose’.

Snowdrops on the Dubbs trail

It’s not just what you can see, but what you can hear, that gives away the change in the seasons. The woods are gradually beginning to fill with birdsong as more singers add their voices to search for a mate or stake a claim to territory. If you’re new to identifying birdsong it’s the perfect time to start learning as it’s easier to pick out individual species before the woods are further livened up with the arrival of spring migrants. Great, coal and blue tits can already be heard on a quick stroll down the Aird Meadow trail and if you listen closely you might just catch the high-pitched twittery song of a dunnock from a hedgerow. Young male blackbirds start to sing earlier than their more experienced elders (perhaps trying to avoid the difficult competition?) so if you manage to hear one in song right now it likely only hatched last spring!

However, despite the approach of the warmer months it’s still not too late to catch a last glimpse of our wintering species. Goldeneye are regularly seen displaying on the water at the moment, with males hoping to impress a partner, before they return to their breeding grounds in northern Europe. Whooper swans, tufted ducks, wigeons, redwings and the ever-popular drake smew are all still here and will likely still be with us until early to mid-March so if there’s one you haven’t seen this winter why not pop along and see what you can spot?

Goldeneye displaying - Richard Bennett

So, if you decide to pay us a visit in February do tell us what you’ve seen (or heard)!

Written by Lauren McLean - volunteer

It’s a brand-new year here at the RSPB Lochwinnoch!

2023-01-30T12:22:00Z

It’s a brand-new year at the RSPB! There has been no shortage of wildlife activity in what we have had of 2023 so far. There have been many geese around the reserve this month with over 30 Canada geese counted on the Aird meadow loch. There has also been a small number of barnacle geese on the scrapes in front of the visitor centre, barnacle geese are medium size birds that breed mainly on the Arctic islands of the North Atlantic. They are very distinctive with their white face and black head.

Barnacle geese photographed on the scrapes.

There has been a wide variety of duck species seen on the reserve this month with wigeon, tufted duck and goldeneye in both the Aird Meadow and Barr lochs. A shelduck was spotted making use of the scrapes. There has also been teal spotted on the scrapes and to our delight the male teal were starting to display. This isn’t unusual as although it may seem early, teal will actually start pairing up in the winter months and will travel to their breeding grounds together. Teal will only form pair bonds that last one breeding season so will have a different mate every time they breed.

Teal on the reserve photographed by Len McDonald

There have been plenty of smaller inland birds as well this month with lots of goldfinches, chaffinches, blue tits, and great tits making good use of our feeders. Siskin and redwing have also been spotted along the Dubbs trail. There have been large numbers of long-tailed tits seen on the Aird meadow trail as well as goldcrest. The goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird, and they are very distinctive with a yellow and black stripe across their heads. Even though goldcrests are tiny and may appear very fragile, they are able to migrate to Britain from Scandinavia. Very excitingly there has also been stonechat spotted on the Aird Meadow trail, stonechat are striking little birds with the males having black heads with white around the side of their neck and orange red breasts. Stonechat got their name from their unique call which sounds like two small stones being hit together.

Goldcrest photographed on the reserve.

It’s not just been birds that have been sighted this month with several sightings being reported of an otter and two kits being seen from the Aird Meadow hide. The otter is a secretive semi aquatic species which was once widespread in Britain although now their range is more restricted to certain areas in Britain due to the use of pesticides. The ban of certain pesticides has fortunately led to their numbers starting to increase again.

RSPB stock photo of an otter from Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

Other highlights this month include multiple exciting sightings of the bittern, the drake smew has continued to delight everyone that spots it on the Aird meadow loch. A kingfisher was spotted on the Barr loch trail, there have been over 60 lapwing counted on the Barr loch as well as large numbers of coot counted on the bar loch. The coot is often mistaken for the moorhen but can be distinguished by its white beak and its entirely black body.

Drake smew photographed by Len McDonald

Happy New Year from RSPB Lochwinnoch!

2023-01-09T15:04:00Z

December here at the reserve brought with it a bout of ice-cold conditions that even the wildlife struggled with. Despite the freezing weather there has still been plenty of exciting wildlife seen around the reserve this month. The highlight of the month was definitely the drake smew which was first spotted by our assistant warden. The males are very distinctive as they are all white with a black mask which led to its old British nickname the "white nun". Smew are sadly on the decline with their winter visits to the UK which are becoming scarcer as the years go on. This has led to them being given a red status of conservation concern.

Drake smew

Another highlight of December was a handful of sightings of a bittern around the reserve. The bittern is a thickset heron-like bird with stunning brown markings. It is a very secretive bird which can be hard to see as it will move silently through the reeds. Bitterns were once common in wetlands but became extinct in the UK in the 19th century due to wetland drainage and hunting. Despite this due to changes in land management their numbers are starting to increase once again in the UK. There have been multiple species of goose on the reserve during December, including greylag geese, 15 of which were spotted landing on the Aird Meadow trail. There have also been large numbers of Canada geese on the Aird Meadow Loch as well as lots of pink-footed geese spotted around the reserve. Excitingly a small number of barnacle geese were also spotted on the reserve.

Canada goose photographed on the reserve

There have been plenty of wetland birds to see on the reserve during the cold weather with large numbers of wigeon, tufted duck, goldeneye and teal on both the Aird Meadow and Barr Loch. Pintails have also been spotted on the Barr Loch. The pintail is an uncommon dabbling duck which is most likely to be spotted during the winter months in the UK amongst other ducks. Pintails are beautiful birds with long necks, a curved back and pointed wings. A very exciting visitor to the reserve this month is the green winged teal which is a rare visitor to the UK although is becoming more frequent in recent years.

Goldeneye duck

Skylarks have been spotted along the Barr Loch trail, these small birds are well known for their display flight vertically up in the air. Unfortunately, recently the population has declined significantly resulting in it being a red listed species. A water rail was also spotted on the Dubbs trail, water rail is a small relative of the moorhen and coot and lives in reedbeds and freshwater wetlands. They are very secretive birds and are often heard rather than seen, they have a distinctive call which can sound like a piglet squealing. Other sightings on the reserve included a little grebe on the Aird Meadow Loch, lots of feisty robins singing around the reserve, 190 coot counted on the Barr Loch, two male hen harriers spotted flying over the Barr Loch and a kestrel seen at the Barr Loch.

Little grebe

Lots of winter visitors at the reserve this November!

2022-12-05T11:19:00Z

We are now fully into the winter months at the RSPB Lochwinnoch reserve which is evident by the sudden drop in temperature. The cold has not put off the wildlife however with lots of winter visitors being spotted around the reserve. There has been an abundance of waterfowl around the reserve this month, with large numbers of goldeneye, tufted duck, wigeon and teal spotted on both the Aird meadow loch and the Barr Loch. Great crested grebe and pochard have also been spotted on the Barr Loch. Male pochards are especially distinctive in the winter months, with their bright reddish-brown head and black breast and tail. The UK is an important winter destination for pochards with 48,000 birds visiting UK wetlands and coasts every year. There was around 30 goosander coming to roost at the tower pool making for a wonderful sight. The goosander is a stunning bird and an impressive fisher with its long-serrated bill. Excitingly a little grebe was also spotted on the reserve this month. These little birds are fantastic divers, and their feet are placed towards the back of their body to help them swim underwater which makes them rather clumsy when they come ashore.

Goosander eating a fish, photo by Len McDonald

There have been plenty of inland birds to see as well on the trails this month. There have been lots of dunnocks on the Aird meadow trail. Goldcrest have also been spotted around the reserve. The goldcrest is the UK's smallest bird species. They are distinctive birds with a yellow stripe on their head, they also have a thin beak which allows them to pick out insects from between pinecones. Goldcrest numbers increase significantly over the winter months as they are joined by migrants from Scandinavia. Bullfinches and siskin have also been spotted along the trails this month. There has been large numbers of redwings and fieldfare around the reserve having arrived in the UK for winter. Fieldfare are large colourful thrushes, they are very social birds spending their winters in large flocks making for some wonderful winter sightings.

Goldcrest photographed on the reserve, photo by Len McDonald

The scrape and surrounding channels have also continued to attract plenty of visitors with over 60 snipe counted on the channels. A redshank was also spotted enjoying the scrape. Redshank can be easily spotted by their bright red legs, they have a long bill which they use to probe into soil and mud to hunt for insects, earthworms, and crustaceans.

Redshank on the scrape

Other sightings this month have included the great white egret making an appearance and delighting visitors. There have been over 60 mute swans counted on both the Aird meadow Loch and the Barr Loch. 93 pink footed geese were sighted flying over the reserve. The kingfisher has also made a few appearances this month. A female sparrowhawk was also spotted on the reserve. Sparrowhawks are small birds of prey, and they are adapted to hunt in tight spaces such as dense woodland. The sparrowhawk has faced many threats in the past but are now widespread throughout the UK.

Female sparrow hawk, photo by Richard Bennet

Winter visitors arrive at the reserve!

2022-11-01T10:22:00Z

Winter is near at the reserve which is evident by the high numbers of winter visitors. Canada geese have arrived in their large flocks. The Canada goose is an introduced species from North America well known for their distinctive black head and large white throat. They form large noisy flocks and can often be heard well before they are seen.

Canada geese in flight, photo by Richard Bennet

Greylag geese have also arrived in large numbers, these geese are the ancestor of most domestic geese in the UK. They are the largest of the geese that are native to the UK and can often be found in mixed flocks with Canada geese. Some greylag geese will remain in Scotland to nest during the breeding season while others will come to the UK from Iceland to spend the winter. There have also been a small number of barnacle geese spotted near the reserve. Whooper swans have also been sighted on the Barr Loch this month, whooper swans are a good indication of the changing of the seasons as they are winter visitors from Iceland. They make use of estuaries and wetlands to roost during the winter months making these important habitats to protect.

Greylag geese, Photo by Richard Bennet

There has been an abundance of species spotted on the lochs this month. There have been over 40 tufted ducks counted on the bar loch. There has also been wigeon spotted on the Barr Loch, many of these birds again visit the UK during the winter months and come from places like Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia.

Wigeon photographed on the loch

On the Aird meadow loch there has been gadwall spotted as well as shoveler ducks. Shoveler ducks are easily spotted due to their shovel shaped bill which they use to feed at the surface of the water. They breed in small numbers in the UK but become a lot more widespread during the winter months. Large numbers of snipe have also been enjoying feeding on the scrape in front of the visitor centre with an impressive peak count of 144!

Shoveler duck photographed on the reserve

Noisy robins have been making their presence noticed all around the reserve. Robins will sing nearly all year round and although they may look cute, they will aggressively protect their territory and chase intruders away. There have been over 20 siskin spotted on the Aird Meadow trail as well as large numbers of chaffinches. Large numbers of excitable long tailed tits have also been sighted around the reserve.

Long tailed tit on the reserve

Redwing have been spotted on the Barr Loch trail, Aird meadow and in front of the visitor centre. Redwing are another winter visitor to the UK and are also the UK's smallest thrush species. They are easily spotted flying in their flocks from their orange-red flank patches. The redwing population has unfortunately been in decline due to harsh winters and wet summers. In the autumn redwings will gather along the Scandinavian coast at dusk before making their journey across the North Sea to the UK. Excitingly a jay has been spotted numerous times along the Barr Loch trail. These stunning birds are well known for their distinctive black facial markings and their electric blue feathers.

In other sightings a great white egret was also spotted on the reserve on the 9th of October.

Great white egret

By Rachel Reid - Volunteer

Improving our access for all!

2022-10-25T08:11:00Z

RSPB Scotland has been managing RSPB Lochwinnoch nature reserve since 1973 when we first purchased parcels of the land or entered into long term leases for other sections. Since that time, with the addition of pathways, viewing facilities, visitor centre and car park along with large scale habitat management and continuous maintenance of the site, we have transformed it into the popular visitor attraction and home for wildlife that it has now become. But what hasn’t changed over that time is our desire to engage with the public, to provide people with opportunities to view wildlife, allowing them to experience it first hand and develop their own connections with nature.

As so many of us are acutely aware, connecting with nature and experiencing the outdoors has never been more important. Not only does it benefit our own mental and physical health, but it is also the single most important first step in a journey that has the potential to deliver real action for the environment.

Helping solve the current biodiversity and climate crises demands real action, but first people need to be engaged and inspired by the natural world. RSPB Scotland Lochwinnoch is well placed to do this, receiving approximately 25,000 visitors a year and keen to attract more.

With our proximity to the train station, bus routes, national cycle routes and long-distance footpaths, we are keen to widen our audience and encourage more visitors that arrive by green travel. Our ambition is to develop the reserve as a highly accessible, high-quality visitor destination in the Renfrewshire and wider surrounding areas but keep the carbon footprint as low as feasibly possible. With this in mind, we aim to encourage visitors to use green transport and improve accessibility by moving away from charging for entry to a car parking charge for non-members visiting the trails from the 1 December.

We wish to make RSPB Scotland Lochwinnoch accessible to all and feel that a switch from entry fees to a car parking charge will create a higher value for money visit, encouraging more visitors, more often. By growing our visitor footfall, we hope to reach a wider, more diverse audience and provide them with an excellent, inspiring, and engaging day out, ultimately leading to increased levels of public support for nature conservation and allowing our visitors to be inspired through connecting to nature up close.

We have in the last few years improved our visitor offer with new additions to the trails, new viewpoints and infrastructure to help visitors easily spot more wildlife and developed brand new habitat, increasing the abundance and diversity of wildlife that can be viewed all year round, with plans to do far more.

By changing from an entry fee to a car parking charge we will be offering an overall better value for money experience, for example a family of four non-members may pay £7.50 for entry fees which will be reduced to only £3 for car parking or free if arriving via green travel.

The income generated through our charges not only supports the vital conservation work we carry out here to help wildlife, but it also contributes to the ongoing cost of running the facilities visitors use at the reserve, including the picnic areas, toilets, trails, hides and the car parking area.

RSPB members will of course receive free use of our facilities as a thank you for regularly supporting our nature conservation work and shop customers will be allowed up to 30 minutes free parking. Thanks to RSPB members we have been able to plan, design and source funding for the new scrapes which have seen an increase in the abundance and diversity of waders using the site including only the 13^th ever record in Scotland of a black-winged stilt

A Year of Moths

2022-10-13T14:07:00Z

Since the start of April we’ve been regularly setting out our moth trap here at Lochwinnoch to have a look at what species call the reserve their home. Moth trapping is a fun and rewarding activity that is usually carried out with the aid of a trap which attracts moths via a bright light and then funnels them into a container. This allows the moths to be harmlessly captured, identified and recorded before they are released again.

So why record them? Moths are not only important as a food source for animals like birds and bats but can be useful indicators of habitat health. While the caterpillars of some species eat a variety of plants, others are dependent upon only a few or even a single food-plant. This can make them highly sensitive to habitat change, such as urbanization and the loss of green spaces.

This year at RSPB Lochwinnoch a brilliant 103 species of moth were caught illustrating just how wide the variety of moths can be in a single area. So, without further ado, here’s a look back at some of the highlights from this year!

Colourful Characters

Moths are commonly portrayed as being the dowdy counterpart to the brightly coloured butterfly. But, in writing this blog, I had a hard time narrowing my choice down to just a handful of colourful species to talk about!

Hawkmoths are a fan-favourite in the moth world with their striking size and unusual shapes and colours. Our first hawkmoth, an elephant hawkmoth, caught at the reserve in early June drew lots of attention and deserved admiration from the team at Lochwinnoch. The name comes from the caterpillar’s supposed resemblance to the trunk of an elephant, but in actual fact the caterpillar is actually mimicking the appearance of a snake as an anti-predator tactic.

Another welcome sight in the trap in the summer months were several poplar hawkmoths - one of the largest moth species in the British Isles with a wingspan of up to 9cm! It has an unusual silhouette when at rest as it holds its hindwings in front of its forewings. When disturbed it can flash the normally hidden red patches on its wings to startle off would-be predators.

Left; elephant hawkmoth, right: poplar hawkmoth.

Hawkmoths aren’t the only eye-catching moths to be found however. Others include the stunning garden tiger with its black-and-white forewings and bright orange underwings and its close relative the ruby tiger with its deep red wings and brighter body.

Left; a garden tiger moth, right: a ruby tiger.

At our moth event in June there were several more striking species like the pale emerald, brimstone moth, beautiful golden y and peach blossom. Other favourites from the summer include the metallic burnished brass, green carpet and ghost moth.

Top row, left to right: ghost moth, beautiful golden y, burnished brass. Bottom row: peach blossom, pale emerald, green carpet.

While things have noticeably quietened down in the Autumn we were greeted with the aptly named canary-shouldered thorn, with its fluffy yellow body it really does look like a canary in miniature.

Last but certainly not least, a merveille du jour caused a stir not only because of its looks but as a potential first for the reserve. This wasn’t quite the case as a dive through the records told us that it had been recorded back in 2008 - but, still a first in well over a decade! It is a widespread species in the UK but records are scarce in the local area. The caterpillars feed on oak while the adults feed on ivy flowers, making the native oak woodlands of the UK the ideal habitat.

Left; a canary-shouldered thorn, right: a merveille du jour.

Creative Camouflage

Most moths are nocturnal, meaning that during the day they have to hide away from the gaze of predators. As a result, many moths are experts at camouflage, blending into the bark of trees, a lichen covered wall or rotting leaf litter.

A famous example of camouflage in the moth world can be attributed to the peppered moth, a species that was a common visitor to the trap in the month of June. There are two well-known variants of the peppered moth - a dark form and a light. During the industrial revolution the dark form became more common as it was able to better camouflage with the soot-covered trees and buildings. Nowadays as coal-use is far less than it once was, the light form is once again the most abundant type of peppered moth.

Spot the peppered moth!

When the trap was opened on the first warm day in May I thought a wood chip had managed to fall into the trap… until it started moving. It’s hard to tell at first which end is the head on the pale prominent as it barely looks moth-like at all, but this strange appearance means it can easily find a safe place to hide away on some rotten wood or amongst the debris on the forest floor during the day.

Pale prominent moth resting on a leaf.

One of the most impressive examples of camouflage belongs to the buff-tip however. Even down to the way it holds its wings at rest this moth expertly mimics a broken birch twig.

Is it a twig? Is it a branch? No, it’s a buff-tip!

Habitat Specialists

Lochwinnoch is situated in the largest wetland in SW Scotland, as a result some of the moths found here are typically associated with habitats like reedbeds and marshy grassland.

The drinker is an unusual (and debatably quite cute!) species named for the caterpillar’s habit of drinking drops of dew from foliage. The larvae feed on a range of grasses, sedges and reeds making the damp grassland present at the reserve ideal habitat.

Drinker Moth.

Other wetland moths we’ve found in the trap include several species of wainscot, dark-barred twin spot carpet and oblique carpet.

From left to right: Smoky wainscot, oblique carpet, and dark-barred twin-spot carpet.

Marvellous micros

If moths are overlooked in favour of butterflies, then the micro moths are an even more underappreciated group of lepidopterans.

All of the previously mentioned species belong to a group known as ‘macro moths’, accounting for around 800 of the UK’s moths. Generally speaking, macro moths are larger (though not always, contrary to their name), more familiar and belong to a collection of families which evolved alongside flowering plants, around 125 million years ago.

Those remaining 1700 species are known as the micro moths which are generally smaller than the macros and are regarded as being more ‘primitive’, with some families having evolved before flowering plants did! In tandem with their smaller size many micros don’t even have common names which can make identifying and learning them even more of a challenge.

Some of the micros caught and successfully ID’d at Lochwinnoch include the small magpie, a larger species of micro that is one of the easiest to identify and is widely distributed across the British Isles.

A small magpie moth.

More unusual looking micros include the plume moths which have modified wings, giving them the appearance of being feathery. When at rest many plumes roll up their wings, like Gillmeria pallidactyla below, making them look distinctively non moth-like.

Gillmeria pallidactyla, a species of plume moth.

As the days grow shorter and colder numbers in the moth trap are dwindling down to the last few hardy individuals. However, looking back it has been a massively successful year and we hope you’ll join us again in the spring to see what other moths we find at Lochwinnoch.

By Lauren McLean

Autumn is finally here at the RSPB!

2022-10-03T11:24:00Z

We are now departing summer and making our way into the autumn months. There have been some really exciting wildlife highlights at the reserve this month. A juvenile white-tailed eagle was spotted being mobbed by 4 buzzards on the 20th of September. The white-tailed eagle is the UK's largest bird of prey with brown body plumage and a pale head and neck. This bird went extinct in the UK during the 20th century due to persecution, but the population is making a comeback after a successful reintroduction programme. Another highlight at the reserve this month was a Merveille de Jour moth on the 21st of September which was caught and released as part of the reserves moth monitoring, its name appropriately translates to "Wonder of the day". This stunning moth species frequents woodlands and parks and is widespread throughout the UK although is thinly scattered so finding one is very exciting. The last record of one here was 15 years ago!

Merveille de Jour moth caught and released at the reserve

Hen harrier and Marsh harrier have both been spotted flying over the reserve this month causing excitement amongst everyone. The hen harrier is one of the most endangered birds of prey in the UK. Male hen harriers have been known to mate with more than one female and will bring food to their nests throughout the breeding season. The Marsh harrier is the largest of the harriers, and can be distinguished by its long tail and light flight wings in a shallow V. The females tend to be even larger than the males. The future of the Marsh harrier in the UK is more promising than it has been in the last century after they suffered rapid declines, they are still an amber list species as they continue to recover from these past declines. Therefore, It is always both hopeful and fantastic to see these birds frequent the reserve.

Marsh harrier flying over the reserve, Photographed by Len McDonald

Other sightings at the reserve this month include lots of activity at the feeding station on the Aird Meadow trail with blue tits, great tits, chaffinches, goldfinches, collared dove and nuthatches all spotted. There have also been plenty of juvenile goldfinches spotted distinguished by the lack of red on their head. There have also been long tailed tits sighted along the Aird Meadow trail.

Blue tit at the feeding station

There has been over 70 Lapwing counted enjoying the scrape. Over 30 teal were counted on the Aird meadow. Teal are the smallest UK duck species, and the males are easily spotted by their bright green eye patch. They become more commonly sighted in the UK during the winter months therefore seeing them at the reserve in larger numbers means summer is officially over. Shoveler ducks have also been spotted in the Loch channels this month. In non-bird sightings a weasel was seen at the front of the visitor centre which a nice surprise. Weasels are the UK's smallest carnivores, and their diet mainly consists of voles, mice and small birds. They belong to the mustelid group which means they have a distinctive long body and are related to both otters and stoats.

Weasel in front of the visitor centre

Written by Rachel Reid - volunteer

The sun is out at the reserve and so is the wildlife!

2022-08-01T15:10:00Z

It's been a hot sunny month at the reserve this July with much wildlife around to enjoy. The new scrape has been continuing to attract a wide variety of bird species. There has been a large number of lapwing spotted enjoying the scrape with lots of juveniles around which suggests they have had a successful breeding season. Oystercatchers have also been seen on the scrape with a juvenile in tow. A dunlin has also been spotted on the scrape; these small waders are most commonly found along the coast. They have a slightly down curved bill. Their name derives from dunling which is a compound of the English word dun (meaning gray-brown) and the diminutive -ling. So, the name dunlin essentially means “little brown job!

Dunlin enjoying the scrape

The little ringed plovers are still around on the scrape with three juveniles which is very exciting to see. Two eclipse male mandarin duck were also reported on the scrape. Male mandarin ducks are well known for their ornate and magnificent plumage throughout most of the year but during eclipse much closer resemble females which are much duller in comparison yet still beautiful birds. These exotic looking birds are not native to the UK as they were introduced from China and became established after multiple escapes from captivity.

There have also been large numbers of black headed gulls both on the scrape and on the rafts in the Aird meadow. Despite the name, the heads of these birds are actually dark brown and for much of the year these gulls have a white head. These inland gulls are very sociable as they are often seen in large flocks making lots of noise and fighting among themselves.

Eclipse male mandarin duck on the scrape

Other sightings this month included spectacular views of a kingfisher from the Aird meadow hide. These beautiful birds are very distinctive with their bright blue and orange colours. They fly low over water, often hovering at the surface in order to catch fish. They are particularly vulnerable to habitat degradation and water pollution and have suffered population declines since the 1970s.

The feeding station on the Aird Meadow has been very busy this month particularly with juvenile birds which include great tits, blue tits, coal tits, gold finches, robins, and siskin.

Juvenile robin at the feeding station, Photo by Rachel Reid

There have also been a few collared doves enjoying the feeding station, these small pigeons were first recorded breeding in the UK in the 1950s and since then have become one of the most common garden bird species.

The fen pool which can be easily seen from the new hide on the Aird Meadow trail has been attracting lots of warblers including sedge and willow warblers. Greenfinches have also been sighted on the Aird Meadow, these bright and colourful finch species have a powerful bill which is designed for eating seeds. The spotted flycatcher pair were also spotted on the Aird Meadow feeding a fledgling.

Sedge warbler at the sedge pool, photograph by Rachel Reid

Osprey have been sighted flying over the reserve on various occasions, making for some wonderful views. A juvenile peregrine falcon has also been seen flying over the Aird Meadow. These stunning birds of prey are large and powerful falcons with long broad, pointed wings. During the 1960s human persecution led to significant declines in peregrine falcon numbers although increased protection over the years has allowed for their numbers to recover. They used to be only found in the north and west of the UK but over the last couple of decades they have been expanding their range towards the south.

Peregrine falcon flying across the reserve, Photo by Ally Dowd

Written by Rachel Reid - Volunteer