The RSPB Community

Little Ringed Plover

alunited1961 — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 10:33:58 GMT

LRP at Lochwinnoch in May

Behind the Scene at RSPB Lochwinnoch - July 2021

Rob — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 11:54:32 GMT

July has been an exciting and eventful month here at the RSPB Lochwinnoch reserve with both staff and volunteers hard at work creating some exciting new additions on the reserve. There is a brand-new butterfly feeder and bug hotel which can be found located in the bug area of the Aird Meadow Trail. The reserve is home to many wonderful species of butterfly including red admiral, orange tip and peacock butterflies. The new feeder will give visitors a better chance to view these beautiful creatures while also helping to conserve them.

Butterfly feeding station, Photo credit: Ally Dowd

There has been a lot of effort on the reserve to remove Himalayan Balsam, which is a non-native species, this is achieved through pulling it up from the ground which is a safe method of removal. This invasive non-native plant grows and spreads very quickly preventing the growth of native vegetation. Removing invasive and damaging species such as this is essential to protect the native species affected by it.

Himalayan Balsam, Photo credit: Ally Dowd

Staff have also been hard at work to create a brand-new adventure trail for children visiting the reserve which will be complete with steppingstones, a log balance, rope walks and a wishing tree. This exciting new addition to the reserve is hoped to be complete by the end of the school holidays and provide some much-needed fun for children (and adults if they so wish).

Staff hard at work building a new adventure park

There is always something happening behind the scenes at the reserve, the dedicated staff regularly check all the trees on the reserve to make sure there are no vulnerable trees that may fall in high winds. If there are trees that are at risk of falling it means that a Tree surgeon/ Arborist can be contacted to take these trees down. The Ash trees found on the reserve are also monitored for a condition known as Ash Die Back. This condition is caused by a fungus called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus and has the potential to have a devasting effect on the ash tree population which may threaten many of the species that rely on ash trees.

The RSPB depends on the generous donations made by visitors to the reserve, this support allows the RSPB to help protect the future of wildlife and their environments. If visitors wish to donate when at the reserve, they now have the option to do so using the new electronic donation point which can be found located at the start of the Aired Meadow Trail.

There have been many exciting sightings around the reserve this month, Great Crested Grebes were spotted on the Aired Meadow loch and to everyone's delight were carrying young on their back. There has also been plenty of goldeneye and tufted ducks spotted on the Aird Meadow loch. There are many juvenile birds making themselves known on the Aird Meadow Trail particularly at the feeding station where there is an abundance of blue tit, chaffinch, great tit, coal tit and robin.

Great tit at the feeding station, Photo credit: Rachel Reid

Juvenile robin on the Aired Meadow trail, Photo credit: Rachel Reid

If you have visited recently, you may also have been lucky enough to spot the moorhen family with their five chicks from the hide on the Aird Meadow Trail. Another very exciting sighting on the reserve was a kestrel which was spotted from Todd's Seat on the 21st of July.

Moorhen family spotted from the Aired Meadow trail hide, Photo credit: Rachel Reid

An Osprey has also been spotted flying over the reserve a few times this July with the latest sighting on the 25^th of July. This always fills everyone at the reserve with joy as back in the 1800s osprey became extinct in the UK due to human interference. The RSPB was part of the effort that helped these iconic raptors repopulate throughout the UK allowing them to recover, the osprey is now breeding in every country of the UK and are a fantastic conservation success story.

Rachel Reid - Reserve volunteer

Crane

Bharani Dharan J — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 03:24:46 GMT

A crane taking flight.

Goldfinch sitting on a bird feeder

Bharani Dharan J — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:46:49 GMT

Found this goldfinch sitting on a bird feeder in Lochwinnoch

Brambling 2

William G — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 02:09:43 GMT

Brambling taken at lochwinnoch.

Brambling at Lochwinnoch

William G — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 02:08:03 GMT

Brambling taken from the photo hide on Thursday 29th Oct

Red Poll

bob flynn — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 00:39:56 GMT

was a cold day in the hide, but from time to time some lovely light. I think this wee fellow was worth the wait

Woodpecker on Sunday

Dave P — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:43:51 GMT

Sedge Warbler

John Q — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 02:36:33 GMT

Sedge Warbler on the Aird Meadow trail

local pond

tamurman — Mon, 26 May 2014 18:39:27 GMT

From the photo hide....

BluePixels — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 13:32:52 GMT

Taken on my 3rd visit to RSPB Lochwinnoch's photo hide - the 'props' were really colourful this time! Great!

Is this the reddest redpoll ever?

BluePixels — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:14:15 GMT

Woodie

BluePixels — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:13:18 GMT

Woodpecker

BluePixels — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:12:09 GMT

Field Mouse

BluePixels — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:10:52 GMT

Field Mouse

BluePixels — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:09:36 GMT

Not every creature that feeds at a bird feeder is a bird!

Goldfinch

grrlpurple — Sun, 26 May 2013 15:00:57 GMT

Goldfinch from the 'photo hide' on 25/05/13

Coal tit

grrlpurple — Sun, 26 May 2013 14:54:20 GMT

Coal tit taken from the 'photo hide' on 25/05/13

redpoll

steven mcgrath — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:07:11 GMT

A redpoll taken from the photo hide at Lochwinnoch Rspb nature reserve.

Mallard chick april 2012

steven mcgrath — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:59:49 GMT

One of the 2012 mallard chicks! taken from the photo hide at Lochwinnoch Rspb nature reserve.

Mallard chick april 2012

steven mcgrath — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:59:49 GMT

One of the 2012 mallard chicks! taken from the photo hide at Lochwinnoch Rspb nature reserve.

Brambling

steven mcgrath — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:10:30 GMT

A brambling from Lochwinnoch rspb.A scarce visitor to the centre.

Bullfinch (female)

steven mcgrath — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:08:01 GMT

A e bullfinch taken from the photo hide at Lochwinnoch Rspb.

Goldfinch

steven mcgrath — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:36:10 GMT

A goldfinch taken from the photo hide at Lochwinnoch rspb reserve.

Great Golden Digger Wasp

Blaney — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:30:25 GMT

This is a great golden digger wasp I think. Took photo in Fuerteventura during November 2011

Looked scary but apparently they do not sting and are a popular food for birds.