Midweek Outing – Lochwinnoch & Castle Semple, Wed 17/01/24

I knew it would be a cold and icy day for this outing, but did not realise just how icy. The Lochwinnoch Reserve car park was pretty slippy when Billy and I arrived and we were looking forward to a hot chocolate before setting out. Problem no 1 – the drinks machine was broken! Thankfully the staff had improvised and a cup of tea was available from a kettle.

While enjoying our tea, I was wondering whether I should go ahead with the outing as problem no 2 was that the paths were frozen solid with ice, as well as most of the water being frozen. After consulting with the 10 other people who had turned up despite the weather, it was agreed we should go ahead, at least as far as the hide. We gingerly made our way along the path keeping to the gravel/grass along the edges and made it to the hide with no injuries.

After checking out the birds on the small slit of open water, we repeated the edge walking back to the Visitor Centre for lunch. Birds seen from the Centre, on the feeders, from the hide and along the path were: Carrion Crow, Heron, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Buzzard, House Sparrow, Great Tit, Robin, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Rook, Nuthatch, Goldeneye, Wigeon and Goosander.

After lunch it was consulting time again for problem no 3 – we had no idea what Castle Semple loch and car park would be like, but everyone agreed we should go there. (Intrepid lot these Midweekers). The car park turned out to be not too bad but the loch was mostly frozen with a few bits of open water, mostly at the far side. There was one bit at the car park which was crowded with birds as they were getting fed. We saw Herring Gull, Common Gull, Black-headed Gull, Canada Goose, a single Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Moorhen and Mallard in that small bit. Feral Pigeon, Pied Wagtail and Grey Wagtail were also seen at the car park.

Heading up to the cycle path, we were back to walking along the edge of the frozen path as before (getting quite good at it by this time). Along the path we spotted Wren, Mistle Thrush, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Magpie, Kestrel, Lapwing, Redwing, Fieldfare, Song Thrush and Woodpigeon. Coming back to the car park along the loch side, we added a single Cormorant, Tufted Duck and Coot to the list. We also noted large numbers of Canada Geese at the far end of the loch, both on the ice and in bits of open water.

Although it was cold and the icy paths made walking difficult, everyone seemed to enjoy the day as it was also dry, sometimes sunny and we saw a surprising 44 species.

Agnes