December dawns with a freeze here at Lochwinnoch but brave the cold temperatures of the winter months and you'll find the reserve has plenty to offer.
Whooper Swans
Look a little closer at Lochwinnoch's swans at this time of year and you are likely to notice some look a little different than usual... Whooper Swans have returned to Lochwinnoch over the past month and on a quiet day you might just catch the trumpeting calls of these graceful birds echoing across the reserve.
Whoopers can be distinguished from their resident Mute Swan relatives by their yellow beaks (or pink in the juveniles), slimmer and straighter necks, and of course their loud calls. The Whoopers that winter in Britain belong to the Icelandic population, with other populations of Whoopers being found across Siberia, Asia, Scandanavia and the Baltics. In their breeding grounds they nest particularly in marshes, bogs and upland lakes away from predators though they are less choosy where they winter and may be found in across a wide variety of freshwater, estuarine, coastal and damp grassland habitats. As wintering sites across Britain and Ireland are crucial for the some 20,000-30,000 plus birds that visit us every winter they are often protected by law and it is illegal to disturb these sites.
Often Whoopers will travel in family groups consisting of the adult pair and their offspring from that year though they may congregate together with other individuals to form larger flocks. Interestingly it has been shown that most Whoopers select their mates while in their wintering grounds, with some studies suggesting that up to 85% remain with the same partner for life.
Whooper Swan family, photographed at the reserve by John Stevenson
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
With the trees bare and food scarce, winter is a good time to observe many of our familiar small birds alongside some shier species. In winter many small passerines, like finches and tits, will form large groups, aiding each other in finding food and keeping watch for predators. At Lochwinnoch you can often see everything from busy-bodied Long-tailed Tits foraging alongside chattering Goldfinches, accompanied by the bright blues and yellows of Great and Blue Tits. Sometimes, more unusual species will join the fray like Reed Buntings or the normally skittish Treecreeper and Goldcrest. Remember to double check those Chaffinches too; if you're very lucky a Brambling might be tagging along with them.
It has been observed that the Long-tailed Tits form the 'core' of these groups, with other species gradually joining them as they forage throughout the day. Predation can also influence the size of these flocks with more birds joining together in areas where predators like Sparrowhawk are present.
Blue Tit
Star Smew
For several winters running Smew have delighted both novice and experienced birders alike at Lochwinnoch. Only a 100 or so of these ducks, close relatives of the goosander, spend their winters in the UK and Lochwinnoch has been a reliable site for encountering them. The female 'redheads' (also known archaically as 'weasel-coots’) look similar in appearance to female goosanders but are smaller, have more white on their faces and less shaggy feathering on the head. Males are harder to mistake and have a striking 'panda-like' pattern of white and black, earning them the epithet of 'white-nun'.
Smew travel here to escape the frigid winters of the taigas of Scandinavia and Russia where not a lot is known about their behaviour and lifestyle. It is known however that they are tree-nesters, inhabiting cavities hollowed out by woodpeckers. When the young are ready to leave the nest they jump from the tree to follow their mother to the safety of the water.
Smew - photograph by John Stevenson
The team at Lochwinnoch wish you a safe and cosy festive season, and if you do visit the reserve in the coming weeks feel free to share your sightings with us over social media or the new sightings book which can be found in the visitor centre.
Written by Lauren McLean
Volunteer.