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Recent sightings

• 22 May 2012

  New arrivals

  It’s that time of the year again: the season of new arrivals! Migrants have come back from their winter holidays in Africa and southern Europe and, the breeding season being well underway, chicks have started to appear at the reserve!

  The reserve is home to many breeding birds with 48 breeding species in 2011, from lapwing to great spotted woodpecker. Whilst some birds are masters at hiding their nests and protecting their chicks, some are (to our enjoyment) much more comfortable in the limelight.

  

  A pair of blue tits has laid their eggs in our camera-planted nestbox. Live retransmission in the visitor centre allows us to spy on the young family. Seven eggs have been laid and should start to hatch between the 22^nd and the 26^th of May. Missus looks very cosy on her feathery nest and Mister has been coming back and forth to feed her. I cannot wait to see the wee chicks!

  

  A mute swan has built a nest by the side of the Barr Loch so we can also expect to see lots of lovely cygnets in the weeks to come.

  

  The starlings nesting in the roof of our building have left their nest, but are not quite independent yet. Although they are as big as their parents, they still expect to be fed and make it known very loudly.

   

  

  Finally, our mallard ducklings have grown up quite a bit and are probably the equivalent of teenagers in duck years. Adult feather are coming through their duckling duvet but they are still very cute. They come regularly to the feeders but can’t quite fit through our pigeon-guard anymore.

   

  Tree pipit and osprey by Mike Langman (rspb-images)

  In the meantime, swallows, swifts and warblers have made their way back to the reserve and an osprey was even spotted flying over the reserve on the 7^th of May. In other news, a tree pipit was recorded on the reserve on the 3^rd of May, exactly sixty years after the last sighting: maybe a nod to the Diamond Jubilee?

  Posted by Rita Gries

• 31 March 2012

  Spring!

  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

   

  Posted by Rita Gries

• 18 October 2011

  Stunners and first-oners

  Wildlife sightings at the reserve have continued to go from strength to strength over the past two weeks, with amazing otter sightings, once in 24 year sightings and the arrival of some of our first autumn and winter migrants.

  Firstly, our autumn migrant species have started to arrive/pass through, with the first two whooper swans being seen near the beginning of October on Castle Semple loch, followed by a total of five on the 9th Oct (four on the reserve, the first for the season) then on the 12th October, we had 30 land very briefly on the Aird Meadow, before continuing on their journey. On the 13th and 14th we had our first fieldfares of the year, with 40 seen both days on the Aird Meadow. Our first redwing was also seen on the 13th along the Dubbs Water trail, but the most seen so far this month have been 14 birds on the Aird Meadow today (18th). We are also getting excellent numbers of duck arriving, with around 156 mallards today, up to 80 tufted ducks during the first few weeks of October with pochard, wigeon, teal and goldeneye all arriving in varying quantities.

  Next, the fabulous otter sightings on the 8th October. A couple of our visitors were walking along the Dubbs Water trail and suddenly noticed not one, not two, not three but FOUR otters all swimming together! Amidst yells of 'otter!' and frantic scramblings, Mr Andy Stewart managed to get this picture:

  

  Then, as if we hadn't had enough highlights on the reserve, on Sunday 16th Oct, Allan was in the visitor centre and noticed some rather unusual looking sparrows with a very distinctive black cheek spot and brown heads. Yes, you've guessed it, they were tree sparrows. Not only a rarity for this year but actually the first on the reserve since 1987, which our administration assistant commented was the year she was born! A total of four were seen at the feeders. Brilliant! 

  Other highlights so far in October include:

  A pintail on the 15th, a female hen harrier over the Barr Loch on the 13th and 16th, a kingfisher on the River Calder on the 5th, another jay sighting on the 6th, a male gadwall on the 10th and a female on the 18th. An immature/female shoveler on the Aird Meadow on the 18th. A pair of scaup on the 13th, 15th & 18th. A barn owl in the daytime on the 13th. 12 linnet and a single brambling on the 16th. A skylark on the 15th.

  - Paula

   

  Posted by Paula Baker

• 1 October 2011

  Now and then

  Well, the autumn equinox has been and gone, the nights are drawing in once more, the leaves are falling off the trees faster than we can clear them and there is an AMAZING amount of fungus about this year. It is officially autumn! As regular readers of this blog may know, I love autumn, it's my favourite time of year for so many reasons - the colours, the smells, the end of the hayfever season(!) and over the past few years, September and October have produced some terrific bird sightings for us!

  You may remember these from last September:

  On the 16th Sept 2010, 22 juvenile gannets flew over the Aird Meadow towards the Barr Loch. There were another seven seen on the 20th September and two more on the 24th.

  This year we have recorded two juvenile gannets flying south west over the meadow on the 21st September and one juvenile on the 26th.

  On the 2nd September last year we recorded and osprey fishing on the Aird Meadow and a marsh harrier. That day we also had two snipe, a kingfisher, a dipper, a whitethroat and 35 goldfinches.

  In early September this year we had a male mandarin duck on the Barr Loch, over 100 tufted ducks, a marsh harrier on the 5th and 6th Sept, seven buzzards on the 4th Sept, two peregrine falcons on the 5th Sept, a hen harrier on the 7th Sept, a greenshank overhead on the 3rd Sept and a barn owl on the 7th Sept.

  Other highlights from Sept 2010 included single guillemots seen flying over on the 15th and 17th Sept, 30 snipe on the 19th, multiple sightings of up to three black terns between the 11th and 21st Sept and three common terns on the 7th. Lots of sightings of a single kingfisher on the River Calder throughout the month and two otters on the 22nd Sept.

  And this September since the 9th our highlights have included:

  Hen harriers on the 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 17th & 25th Sept.

  A jay and a linnet on the 10th Sept.

  50 lapwings and 40 goldfinches on the 11th.

  Two gadwall, 120 tufted ducks, three water rails, 13 snipe, a juvenile marsh harrier and otter and a 'commic' tern on the 13th Sept.

  A scaup and a whinchat on the 14th Sept.

  A kingfisher and a dipper on the 15th.

  Approx. 20 linnets on the 18th and 24 on the 19th.

  A kingfisher, two greenshank, and a singing chiffchaff on the 22nd.

  300 tufted ducks, 11 lapwings, four snipe, one dipper, 200 carrion crows, and 16 linnets.

  One gadwall and a female pintail on the 28th and finally a gadwall, a pintail, a redshank, and a merlin on the 29th.

  What a month, let's hope for more of the same in 2012!

   - Paula

  Posted by Paula Baker

• 27 August 2011

  Weather obsession & update

  I can't help but notice that I reference the weather in almost every blog I post. I know it is very British of me to be obsessed with the weather, but I do find it has an impact on much of what we do and think! I just looked out of the window, wondering what to blog about, and could only think 'oh no, rain again, better get the waterproofs out for the way home' - no wonder there are so many different outdoor clothes shops in Glasgow, how they ever keep up with the trends of the year and in knowing what to stock, I'll never know. I heard a really interesting piece of trivia the other day about Tesco - Tesco have spent 15 years researching trends in what shoppers buy in relation to the weather. They found when the temperature rises from 68f to 75f (20c to 24c) then sales of hamburgers will increase by 42 per cent! During cold weather sales of cauliflower soup, longlife milk, sausages and root vegetables soar.
  
  Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2026439/Supermarkets-use-weather-predictions-decide-stock.html#ixzz1WFDwSUI6

  Anyway, this blog is supposed to be about wildlife so here it is:

  Sunday 21st August: Sunshine and showers, Wildlife: 100+ tufted ducks, 1 female sparrowhawk, 1 GS woodpecker, 6 swallows, 1 whitethroat, 1 blackcap, 1 willow warbler, 43 house sparrows, 1 common darter dragonfly

  Monday 22nd August: Clear and calm, Wildlife: Two pochard, 32 tufted ducks, 3 GS woodpeckers, 1 ad and 1 juv spotted flycatchers, 3 bank voles, peacock & red admiral butterflies and the highlight of the day 2 ospreys over the Aird Meadow!

  Wed 24th August: Heavy showers and thunder, Wildlife: 2 pochard, 14 tufted ducks, 1 goldeneye, 1 sparrowhawk, 4 snipe, 2 GS woodpeckers, 7 swallows, 1 sedge warbler, a stoat took a chaffinch in front of the photo hide and a peacock butterfly.

  Thurs 25th August: Sunny and clear, Wildlife: 1 little grebe, 2 pochard, 38 tufted ducks, 1 goldeneye, 1 buzzard, 1 kingfisher, 6 peacock butterflies, 1 red admiral, 1 small tortoiseshell, 1 large white

  Friday 26th August: Clear and calm and then it bucketed it down and we had flash floods and thunder and lightning! Wildlife: 1 little grebe, 1 pochard, 35 tufted ducks, 1 GS woodpecker, 4 greenfinches, 3 short tailed voles, red admiral and peacock butterflies.

  Today: Mostly clear and calm, few drips of rain: Pochard, tufted ducks, lots of activity on the feeders inc. the GS woodpecker, sparrowhawk.

  Outlook for tomorrow: Nice weather for ducks!

  Oh, and the rain has started pouring as I type...

  Paula

   

  Posted by Paula Baker

• 25 July 2011

  Recent sightings for July

  Hi all,

  Here are some of the wildlife highlights this week:

  Monday 18th:

  2 wigeon, 41 mallard, 11 tufted ducks, 4 goldeneye and a male pochard on the Aird Meadow Loch. A kestrel hunting over the meadow. 4 swallows, 1 house martin, 1 grasshopper warbler (still reeling), 2 sedge warblers and 4 male reed buntings. At the feeding station we had adult male and juvenile great spotted woodpeckers, 4 house sparrows, a pair of greenfinches, 2 goldfinches, 3 siskins, 1 redpoll and a male bullfinch.

  Tuesday 19th:

  On the Aird Meadow Loch, 2 adult mute swans and 3 cygnets (first of the year), 8 mallard, a male pochard, 16 tufted ducks and 3 female goldeneyes. A swift over the meadow and on the meadow itself, 1 grasshopper warbler, 5 sedge warblers and 2 reed buntings. At the feeding station 1 sparrowhawk, 3 collared dove, a great spotted woodpecker, a sedge warbler, a chiffchaff and two willow warblers (all feeding), 3 greenfinch, 2 goldfinch, 1 redpoll and 2 male reed buntings. On the Barr Loch was a pair of gadwall, a grasshopper warbler and a female blackcap with a juvenile.

  Wed 20th:

  1 wigeon, 22 mallard, 1 pochard, 15 tufted ducks and 3 goldeneye on the Aird Meadow loch. Also, 4 oystercatchers on the raft along with 2 black-headed gulls. At the feeding station, a common whitethroat, an adult and juvenile GS woodpecker, 2 redpolls and a pair of bullfinches.

  Thurs 21st:

  1 wigeon, 13 mallard, a male pochard, 16 tufted ducks and 4 female goldeneye on the AM Loch. Also, 2 common sandpipers overhead, 2 sand martins, a sedge warbler and 5 reed buntings (4 male, 1 female.) On the Barr Loch, 7 mute swans, 137 mallard, 103 tufted ducks, 1 buzzard, 2 common sandpipers. At the feeding station, a male sparrowhawk, a male GS woodpecker, 2 juvenile wrens, 1 whitethroat, 1 chiffchaff, 2 willow warblers, 5 long tailed tits, a family of greenfinches, 1 goldfinch, 2 male siskins, 1 redpoll and a pair of bullfinches. On the Aird Meadow trail, 1 grasshopper warbler, 1 willow warbler and a spotted flycatcher. Also a red admiral butterfly outside the visitor centre.

  Friday 22nd:

  Grasshopper warbler and sedge warbler on the Aird Meadow, willow warbler, a pair of greenfinches,1 male siskin and 1 male bullfinch.

  Sat 23rd:

  8 tufted ducks and 1 goldeneye on the Aird Meadow. A pair of GS woodpeckers at the feeding station, along with a pair of siskins, a male redpoll and a male bullfinch. 2 blackcaps and 1 treecreeper along the Aird Meadow trail. Also a red admiral, meadow brown and small tortoiseshell butterfly.

  Sun 24th:

  14 mallard, 6 tufted ducks, 4 goldeneye, 7 mute swans and 1 cormorant on the Aird Meadow. Overhead, 1 sparrowhawk, 1 raven and 1 buzzard. A dipper on the River Calder, also 2 house martins, 3 sedge warblers, 4 willow warblers, 1 spotted flycatcher and 1 bullfinch there. At the feeders, 2 GS woodpeckers, 1 sedge warbler, 1 willow warbler, 4 long tailed tits, 6 house sparrow, 2 siskin, a redpoll and a bullfinch.

  Let's hope for another week of glorious weather!

  Paula

  Posted by Paula Baker

• 16 July 2011

  Bird ringing, Ospreys & updates

  Today was our annual bird ringing demonstration, and like all days that we plan to do bird ringing, it was raining. We did get a few birds including 6 chaffinches, 2 great tits, 1 blue tit and 1 dunnock, but for the most part it was too wet making the mist nets very visible to birds. However, we'd like to thank BTO bird ringer, Dave Grant, and his assistants Kev, Julie and Emma, for giving such a fantastic demonstration and lots of information for the 15 people who braved the weather at 7.00am to see bird ringers in action.

  Sightings on the reserve this week have included several ospreys, the last was seen on Tuesday during the early afternoon. It was seen on the Barr Loch, briefly attempting to fish before being chased off by gulls and crows. Also present at the Barr Loch that day was a water rail, a pair of common sandpipers, a single wigeon and a single male pochard. A large group of 60+ tufted ducks and over 100 mallards.

  Highlights at the feeders this week have included a stunning male bullfinch that keeps returning, sometimes along with a female and sometimes on its own. We have also had regular sightings of a great spotted woodpecker and all of the usual suspects including chaffinches, goldfinches, greenfinch, blue tit, great tit, coal tit, robin, blackbird, dunnock etc

  Quite a few recently fledged jackdaws have been visiting the feeders along with their parents, so we have been able to watch them being fed by the adult birds.

  Around the reserve we still have singing sedge warblers, chiffchaff & grasshopper warbler. There have been quite a few long tailed tits hanging around the car park too.

  Moths this week have included small elephant hawk moth as well as elephant hawk moth, poplar hawk moth, garden tiger, double square spot, small square spot, coxcomb prominent, straw dot & common wave, along with many others.

  Butterflies have included ringlet, small copper, green veined white, peacock and a possible brimstone. Damselflies have included azure blue, common blue and emerald.

  - Paula

  Posted by Paula Baker

• 15 June 2011

  Recent goings on...

  Hi all,

  The reserve has indeed been a busy place over the past week, with lots of young birds now leaving their nests into the big wide world, including our own great tit family that visitors have enjoyed watching on the webcam. We've had lots of warblers about including sedge, garden, blackcap, willow, chiffchaff and common whitethroats. The swifts and swallows have been delighting us with spectacularly low displays over the meadow. I was out there today and one flew so low I thought it would hit us!

  It's not just birds though, the warmer evenings have been bringing some great moths into our trap. Last night alone we had 2 elephant hawk moths, 5 poplar hawk moths, 2 buff tips, 2 beautiful golden y, 3 drinkers (the caterpillar for which we saw on our bat and moth night) 1 white ermine and the first large yellow underwing of the year - in previous years we've had almost 100 individuals of this moth in the trap!

  Damselflies are starting to make an appearance too, with common blue and azure blue both being seen around the Barr Loch. Large red has also been found.

  It won't be long now before all of the young toads and frogs emerge from the pond, and our Fantastic Frogs event makes the most of their arrival, as kids go out on a great frog hunt to try to find the tiny amphibians around the reserve. More details about this event can be found on the RSPB Lochwinnoch webpages: www.rspb.org.uk/lochwinnoch

  We've had a very hard working work party from Royal Sun Alliance helping us out today, clearing the view to the two main pond by the visitor centre, so next time you come in and can see the ducks in the pond, be thankful to them as they've all been working super hard.

  Last but not least, the planning application for the proposed Lochwinnoch habitats project is now live on Renfrewshire Council website. Should you wish to find out more about our plans, and support our proposals, you can do so by visiting

  http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/ilwwcm/publishing.nsf/Content/pt-sw-planning-application-search and typing in 11/0259/PP into the search bar. You can also pop in to see us at the visitor centre any time or call us on 01505 842663 for more information.

  We hope to see you soon!

  Paula

  Posted by Paula Baker

• 1 May 2011

  Morning has broken!

  Morning all!

  Today was International Dawn Chorus Day and this morning (at the almost unseen time of 4.30am,) some willing, if not a little bleary eyed, participants, volunteer Eddie W and I headed out to enjoy what has to be one of the most spectacular times of day. Starting off slowly, the robin greeted us in the car park, it's usual tuneful self always one to brighten a dull day (they sing in the winter months too!). Next, we went along the Dubbs Water trail and were met by a cacophany of sedge warbler songs. Some of them trying to imitate other birds such as blue tit, great tit, wren, and others just chirruping and cheeping and scratch-y scratching away in an attempt to claim the best spot and attract a mate. We got some great views too, as the light of the breaking dawn gave the birds some 'protection' whilst allowing us to get closer than they will permit us to be during the day.

  Several times a grasshopper warbler started to churr, but never for long enough for everyone to get a good listen.

  Next on to the Aird Meadow trail to listen out for a few woodland species. On the way back, a blackbird very obligingly began calling (although, for those that remember, still no sign of the train door mimicking blackbird YET!), followed by blue tit and great tit in unison. The beautiful melancholy song of the willow warbler was our next treat, and these became more numerous as we worked our way along the trail. Chaffinches, treecreeper, wood pigeon and a very loud wren were the next on the list.

  Once we reached the first hide, we got a much better listen to the purring call of the grasshopper warbler as well as enjoying a fracous between Canada and greylag geese, and a chance to see our (hopefully) resident lapwing sitting on a muddy section of reedbed.

  Eddie then took the group along the trail to listen out for blackcaps, and they were lucky to get an excellent view of one too, whilst I headed back to collect our breakfast from our good friends at Cucina Minucci in Lochwinnoch.

  We then all enjoyed our bacon/sausage/potato scone rolls and a nice, hot cup of tea. A good morning all round!

  Paula

  Posted by Paula Baker