Every season has its perks but spring is without a doubt my favourite. There’s just so much happening, especially in a wildlife haven like Lochwinnoch! Every day brings something new: flowers that weren’t there the previous day; insects you hadn’t seen in months; fresh, bright green leaves; and even some sunshine – if you’re lucky! It is the perfect time to take a walk in the woodland and around the Loch, amongst bird song and woodpecker drumming.
It is obvious that the breeding season is fast approaching: birds are looking for mates and for a nice territory to bring up their brood. The winter truce, with flocks of tits and finches sticking together to keep warm and avoid danger, is over. It’s back to “every bird for himself”. Woodland birds are singing away, both to attract mates and to warn strangers to stay away if they care for their plumage. Goldeneyes and great crested grebes are displaying to charm their mates, and male mallards have been fighting, leaving quite a few feathers behind… Some couples have already paired up and have started building their nests: from the centre, visitors can observe blue tits coming in and out of their next box and rooks carrying mouthfuls of grass in their beaks.
It’s not just about birds, and frogs have been rather busy themselves, as you can see in the photo below. This is just the beginning though, and I am looking forward to some amazing wildlife sightings: adorable chicks and ducklings, and migrants arriving (chiffchaffs are already back and singing and I’ll be watching out for swifts and sand martins flying over the loch, or maybe an osprey…).
below are a few spring-themed pictures that I've taken to illustrate the arrival of spring, sorry the quality is not great!
Dunnock singing
Long-tailed tits building their nest
Blossom
Frog spawn
Fantastic photos, they certainly show that Spring is here. Glad to hear that things are going along nicely at the reserve :)