As the summer months have approached, we’ve all been looking forward to getting outside a bit more and making the most of the summer weather. Many organisations have been encouraging the public to get involved with various campaigns and activities – whether it’s a two-minute beach clean, a survey of nesting birds, counting bees or the naming of Britain’s favourite fish!
You may have also seen various organisation promoting their own bioblitz – but what exactly is a bioblitz?
Essentially, it’s a survey of all the biological species found in a particular area, usually over a 24-hour period. RSPB Lochwinnoch held its own bioblitz on 11 June, enlisting the help of the public and an army of volunteers for pond dipping, bug netting and general spotting. Along with our own experts being on hand to help identify and record the different plants, animals and fungi found, we were joined by specialists from Butterfly Conservation Scotland, Glasgow Natural History Society, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Clyde Amphibian & Reptile Group, The Conservation Volunteers, Sustrans and the Field Studies Council who provided their in-depth knowledge and support on the day.
So, what did we find?
Let’s start with the birds – 41 species were seen on the reserve including a juvenile robin who unfortunately flew into a window and had to take a trip to Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue. Other birds included; a snipe; great crested grebe; cormorant; redpoll; sedge willow and garden warbler; and many other birds you’d expect to see out on the reserve, including our new family of mallards.
Sedge warbler by David Palmar
Mallard with ducklings by Claire Martin
Juvenile robin by David Palmar
By far the most numerous group was the plants and wildflowers, with 77 species identified. Some interesting species found include common wintergreen, which is a fairly scarce plant in Renfrewshire county. Marsh cinquefoil was also recorded – a pretty and slightly unusual-looking flower which grows in marshy areas. Another interesting species found was yellow-rattle – the dry fruit pod contains hard seeds which make the distinctive rattle sound that gives this flower it’s name. Yellow rattle is a hemiparasite, meaning that it can live independently but can also gain nutrients from the roots of other plant species – so much so that it has been found to increase biodiversity in grassland habitats by controlling grass growth and allowing other species to flourish!
Common wintergreen by Claire Martin
Yellow-rattle by Andy Hay
Examining pond creatures by David Palmar
Our pond dipping volunteers dredged up a number of fascinating species, and the Field Studies Council were able to give us a close-up look with their microscope. The large freshwater mite was an unexpected and welcome finding – bright red, fast-swimming and devilishly hard to photograph! Also a number of palmate newts were found by visitors – beautifully patterned, the males can be identified by their large back feet. Those with a squeamish disposition may not like the sound of the great diving beetle larvae. This ferocious-looking beast roamed the observation tank looking for prey, settling on a freshwater hog louse for a light snack.
Water mite by David Palmar
Great diving beetle larva by David Palmar
Family enjoying pond dipping by David Palmar
Away for the pond, and despite the damp weather, we still managed to identify over 30 insects, including four bees (buff-tailed bumblebee, red-tailed bumblebee, common carder and honey), a large number of beetles, including the stunning iridescent dock leaf and dead nettle leaf beetles, five types of hoverfly, and our Butterfly Conservation colleagues pointed out amongst the nettles a large writhing mass of small tortoiseshell butterfly caterpillars, that gradually dispersed throughout the day.
Dock leaf beetle by Joe Crossland
Small tortoiseshell caterpillars by David Palmar
This way for intrigue! by Claire Martin
The night before the bioblitz, staff set up a moth trap which yielded some fantastic results, with the spectacular elephant hawkmoth proving to be the star attraction – how often do you see this vivid combination of green and pink in nature? The moth trap, being a specialist piece of equipment, provided a fantastic opportunity for our visitors to have a close up view of these fascinating species – illustrating a wide variety, of colours, shapes and sizes. Being mostly nocturnal, and generally less showy than their butterfly cousins, moths are often overlooked, but here was a chance to do a bit of moth PR and inspire a new wave of moth enthusiasts!
Elephant hawkmoth by David Palmar
Moth enthusiasts by David Palmar
So all in all, a pretty successful day! If you didn't make it along to our Bioblitz, don't worry - every day is a perfect day to discover the wonderful wildlife of Lochwinnoch, so come on down for a visit soon!
Photographs by: David Palmar (www.photoscot.co.uk); Joe Crossland, RSPB volunteer; Claire Martin (RSPB Lochwinnoch); Andy Hay (RSPB Images)
Joe Crossland is RSPB Lochwinnoch's media volunteer, assisting the team with various tasks including press releases, blogs and running our Twitter page.