With Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night passing us by already it’s easy to look forward to the next big event… Christmas. I’m sure we can all be a little guilty of preparing for the festive season too early (here at Falls Of Clyde we’re already organising for our Christmas events!) and trying to forget about the dreich weather that we’re expecting to come.

As I work outdoors year round it always saddens me to see the reserve becoming quieter towards the winter months. More often than not the winters aren’t actually as bad as we’re expecting, and while it seems like all of the animals are getting ready to hibernate (including us humans!) they’re often just as active as the rest of the year.

So on that note – instead of waiting for the festive period to come along and cheer you up, why not make the most of the season and explore your local area!

The change from Autumn to Winter can be a beautiful time to take a stroll through the forest – the colours are constantly changing and unexpected vistas open up through the once dense vegetation. If you don’t want to take my word for it – just have a look at these beautiful photos taken by one of our visitors recently!

In terms of wildlife, our trail cameras have recently picked up roe deer and the occasional crafty fox. There’s also constant chattering from birds in the trees above and in the coming weeks we should expect to see winter visitors like Brambling and Fieldfare.

Don a cosy jacket and woolly hat for a day or two this winter and enjoy the nature around you. I promise the weather is never as bad as you expect, and what’s better than celebrating a cold day out with a hot chocolate at home later?

Jenny Mann, Falls of Clyde Assistant Ranger
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