Lochwinnoch has been bursting with wildlife this month with many juvenile birds fledging their nests and making their own way in the world. A juvenile great spotted woodpecker was spotted on the feeders at the picnic benches. During the breeding season, male great spotted woodpeckers use their powerful beaks to drum against dead trees which claims that territory. The woodpeckers shock absorbing skull protects them from any brain damage. Juvenile great spotted woodpeckers can be told apart from their parents by their red caps.
Juvenile great spotted woodpecker using the feeders
There have also been large numbers of black-headed gull chicks this year with many successfully fledging the nest. This is the first time in this century that there has been breeding pairs in double figures on the reserve. Most of the chicks hatched on the main raft and then made their way to the new pools which can be seen in front of the leaning rails on the Aird Meadow trail.
Black-headed gull chicks, Photo by Ally Dowd.
There has been plenty of activity on the scrape this month, including 3 little ringed plover chicks that have hatched. Little ringed plovers only started breeding in Britain in 1938. The chicks hatch with sharp eyesight and their legs almost fully developed, and at only a few hours old the chicks can run around and feed themselves. The adults have a very impressive strategy for luring predators away from their young by pretending they have a broken wing. Sadly we seem to have lost 2 of these chicks but 1 is thought to have fledged last weekend! There has also been 4 common sandpiper chicks spotted on the scrape, both common sandpiper parents will raise the chicks although the female will leave before they fledge leaving the male to do most of the rearing. The chicks will leave the nest soon after they hatch and will hide in the surrounding vegetation. 2 snipe chicks have also been spotted on the scrape as well as juvenile lapwing.
Little ringed plover chick on the scrape, Photo by John Stevenson
The trails have also been busy with plenty of warbler activity including sedge warbler, willow warbler, grasshopper warbler, chiffchaff, and blackcap. Visitors have been able to get great views of the spotted flycatcher pair on the Aird meadow trail from the leaning posts. There has also been lots of goldfinches spotted on the trails, these colourful little finches are very distinctive with their bright red face and yellow wing patches. They are sociable birds known to breed in colonies. Nuthatch fledglings have been seen along the Aird meadow trail, nuthatches often breed in tree cavities or nest boxes and will reinforce the opening with dried mud.
Goldfinch on the reserve, Photo by John Stevenson
There have been large numbers of swifts, house martins and swallows around the reserve. Swallows are known for their red throats, glossy blue backs, and long tail streamers. They are very agile flyers and spend most of their time in flight. Swallows will build cup like nests made from mud and grass and these nests will often be reused from season to season.
Swallow flying around reserve, Photo by Len McDonald
Another exciting sighting this month was on the 30th of June when a common tern was spotted flying over the scrape. Common terns are stunning birds and their long tails have earned them the nickname "sea-swallow". They are known for being graceful flyers and can be seen hovering over water before diving for fish.
Common tern seen flying over the scrape
Other sightings on the reserve this month include large numbers of great crested grebes on the lochs. Canada geese with juveniles on the Aird meadow loch along with large numbers of greylag geese. Mute swans with 5 cygnets were spotted at the channels near the visitor centre. Redshank have been seen using the scrape.
Mute swans with cygnets in the channels
Written by Rachel Reid - Volunteer