It's been a busy month at the RSPB Lochwinnoch with lots of wildlife to see. The trails have been especially busy including some fantastic sightings of the Spotted Flycatchers from the leaning posts on the Aird Meadow trail. During the breeding season Spotted Flycatchers can be found throughout the UK but they are almost absent from the Scottish islands. Spotted Flycatchers prefer to feed on large invertebrate species and when it comes to stinging insects, they will actually rub the sting end on their perch to remove it, so they won't get stung when they eat their prey.
Spotted flycatcher, Photograph by John Stevenson
There has been plenty of small garden bird species seen around the trails with large numbers being juveniles including Blue Tits, Great Tits, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. The Greenfinch is one of Europe's most widely distributed birds and have been recorded breeding from the Mediterranean to the Arctic. There are still a variety of warbler species filling the trails with bird song including Chiffchaff, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler.
Willow Warbler, Photograph by John Stevenson.
The lochs have seen lots of activity this month. Common Sandpiper juveniles have been seen on the scrape, this is very exciting as Common Sandpipers haven't been seen breeding on the reserve for 10 years, this means that the recent habitat works at the reserve has helped encourage these birds to start breeding here again.
Common Sandpiper chick, photograph by John Stevenson.
The Little Ringed Plovers have continued to enjoy the scrape this month. Large numbers of Lapwing have also been seen on the scrape including 4 new Lapwing chicks, Lapwing are unmistakable with their two syllable call and their stunning flight displays. Great Crested Grebes have successfully bred on the reserve this month as they have been spotted with chicks on the Aird Meadow loch, these beautiful water birds make for great parents as both adults will split the role of looking after the chicks and will even carry their young on their back making for an adorable sight.
Great Crested Grebe with chicks, Photograph by Ally Dowd
Kingfisher has made a couple of appearances this month with visitors getting some nice sightings from the board walk. Kingfisher are stunning birds with very distinctive bright blue and orange plumage. They fly rapidly just above the water's surface and will hunt fish from riverside perches. The design of a Kingfishers beak allows it to dive from its perch towards its prey with maximum speed but minimum splash and the beak design is so brilliant that the front of many Japanese bullet trains are modelled after it. There has also been some fantastic views of Black-tailed Godwit from the channel hide.
Kingfisher, Photograph by Robert Conn.
We can't give all the attention to the birds though, Common Froglets have been spotted on the trails this month. In the winter these frogs will hibernate in pond mud or under log piles and can be seen in the spring and summer time as they will they breed in the ponds, laying their eggs in big rafts of spawn. There have also been sightings of Otter from the Aird Meadow hide, Otters are very elusive which can make them incredibly difficult to spot and they tend to be a lot more active at night. This species faced extinction in the 1950s, but they are becoming increasingly more common as their numbers are rebounding.
Common Frog, Photograph by Len McDonald.
Other sightings this month include both Redshank and Greenshank on the scrape, a Little Grebe juvenile was spotted on the Aird Meadow loch. There have been large numbers of Canada Geese on the Aird Meadow loch and large numbers of Shoveler duck on the scrape. Lesser Redpoll has been seen along the Dubbs trail.
Little Grebe juvenile, Photograph by Ally Dowd.
Written by Rachel Reid – volunteer