It has been another fantastic week for sightings on the reserve. We were absolutely delighted to spot a Nuthatch at West Lodge this week. It had decided to take advantage of an easy meal from a bird feeder so we were able to watch it for several minutes before it flew back into the woodland. Nuthatches are not very common in Scotland so it is brilliant to see one at the Falls of Clyde!

Other birds seen on the reserve this week have included Bullfinch, Coal tit, Blue tit, Great tit, Yellowhammer, Wren, Robin, Goldcrest and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Sightings of birds of prey have included three buzzards and a kestrel. On the river we have had reports of dipper, grey wagtail, a juvenile grey heron and a pair of Mute swans with three cygnets. We have spotted swallows, swifts, sand martins and a raven flying over the meadow.

This week in our moth trap we have recorded large yellow underwing, snout, burnished brass, map winged swift, muslin footman, lychnis, mottled beauty, beautiful golden Y and July highflyer. We have had sightings of green veined white, ringlet and a small tortoiseshell butterfly.

We saw a common pipistrelle bat out in the middle of the day near Cora castle this week! We think it had been disturbed and was looking for a new place to sleep. Our other mammals were out at their usual times, with a badger cub, two adult badgers and a fox spotted on this week’s badger watch.

For our flowering wildflowers we have hedge woundwort, marsh woundwort, dog rose, yellow flag iris, common spotted orchid, tormentil, oxeye daisy, black knapweed, yellow rattle, creeping buttercup, common hogweed, broad-leaved willowherb, marsh hawk’s-beard, fox glove, daisy, dandelion, herb robert, pink purslane, wood avens, yellow pimpernel, germander speedwell, thyme-leaved speedwell, bramble, meadowsweet, ragged robin, heath bedstraw, common cow wheat, slender St John’s wort, bush vetch, valerian and red campion.

Feel free to send in your local sightings to fallsofclyde@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk.

Rebecca Pincott –  Volunteer Assistant Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust
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