Renfrewshire RSPB Local Group

27/03/2026

25/03/2026

Details of our next Sunday outing.

When: 5th April 2026 at 10.00

Where: RSPB Lochwinnoch Reserve

We will meet in the Reserve car park at 10.00 for a couple of hours birding on Easter Sunday

Birds we hope to see: Spring migrants are returning! Chiffchaff are singing on the trails, and Redshank, Little Egret and Shoveler have been seen on the Scrape. Will Little Ringed Plovers make an appearance?! Lapwing and Great Crested Grebes are displaying and Black-headed Gulls are making their presence felt!
Woodland birds are busy nest-building with Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Long-tailed T**s on the Trails – and listen out for Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming

Terrain: We'll be covering approx 2-2.5 miles on good, accessible trails, although some sections may be muddy, especially if there has been a lot of rain recently!

Optics: Binoculars are essential and a telescope would be useful for scanning the Lochs

Additional information: Toilets and refreshments are available at the Visitor Centre which will be open 10am – 5pm

NB: This outing may be cancelled due to poor weather – confirmation will be sent via our page and our Members’ Whatsapp group

20/03/2026

Well, well - look who is home!?

At 18:00 on Wednesday evening and just a little over 24 hours later than last year, long term breeding female Blue NC0 landed on the nest!

We had a feeling that after days of strong following winds, that the calm, warm evening might see the arrival of an osprey. Sure enough as a warm glow spread over the loch, NC0 touched down, accompanied by the cacophony of black headed gulls who roost on the water each night.

After a quick survey of her territory, she immediately began rearranging the furniture and wasted no time in having words with a crow who landed on the branch. She then floated over the loch to spend some time on her favourite 'Split Birch' tree perch.

She soon returned and began preening on top of the camera, before settling down to roost for the night on the nest branch. It really does feel like she's never been away.

What happens next is anyone's guess!

After spending 2 weeks on the nest last year, NC0 suddenly left the territory and did not return to Loch of the Lowes - we still don't know if this was voluntary, and she left in search of a mate, or whether she was seen off by another female. Either way, we are delighted to see her back and looking healthy - clearly having recently eaten a meal.

The next question is.......Will LM24 return and manage to pair up with NC0 this season, or will one of the 3 other females who spent time with him be Queen of the Loch?

- Will LF25 return for a second season and manage to hatch her eggs?

- Will the quiet unringed female 'Cluedo' make an appearance?

- Could the more experienced female Blue 210 take a interest in the nest again, or will she return to her usual breeding site?

All that and more in this seasons' Osprey Dramarama! 🦅

20/03/2026

12/03/2026

09/03/2026

Our March Indoor Meeting

‘By yon bonnie banks’……….is where you’ll find the RSPB’s Reserve on the shores of Loch Lomond! Reserve Warden Luke Wake is our speaker on Friday 20th March and will update us on what’s been happening recently at this exciting new Reserve, and what their plans are for the coming season.

Our meetings take place at the Wynd Centre, Paisley PA1 2DB, and we welcome visitors and new members alike.

In addition to our Programme of monthly Indoor Talks, we also meet twice-monthly to visit popular birdwatching spots both in the Renfrewshire area and further afield.

Annual Membership is £15 (Students and 16-24yr olds only £3), while visitors are always welcome (£3 entry includes tea or coffee). It’s a great way to meet friendly, like-minded people while learning more about birds and wildlife.

For more information about the Group visit our website at https://group.rspb.org.uk/renfrewshire or check out our page

RSPB Images

03/03/2026

24/02/2026

❌CANCELLED❌

Sorry folks. Due to bad weather we have cancelled Sunday's outing to Troon & Barassie

Details of our next Sunday outing

We will be meeting on the 1st March 2026 and taking in the coast of North Ayrshire between Troon and Barassie

Venue: Meet in the car park off Titchfield Road, Troon, on the site of the former outdoor swimming pool at 10.00am Grid Ref NS 315306. Post code KA10 6AN. Parking is free. The outing should end around 2:00pm.

Birds we hope to see: The main interest will be waders, gulls and other seabirds.

Plan: The tide will be relatively high when we arrive so there should be a fair number of waders easily visible from the promenade. We will then move to the car park at the harbour for our picnic lunch (or a fish supper from the Wee Hurrie) and a bit of sea watching. After lunch we will move to Barassie Beach for a walk to the Stinking Rocks or to scan the foreshore.

Travelling: Public transport: Train to Troon and then a 10-minute walk to the car park. By car it takes about 40 minutes from Paisley via A737.

Terrain: Walking will generally be easy: tarmac in the morning, sand in the afternoon for about 2 miles. Boots or wellies are recommended for the walk along the beach if you want to approach the rocks. Troon can be quite exposed, so wrap up warm! It is advisable to check the weather forecast beforehand.

Optics: Binoculars are essential; a telescope would be useful for scanning for waders and for sea-watching.

Additional information: Toilets and refreshments are available at Morrison’s supermarket. There are public toilets at the main beach next to the South Beach kiosk.

NB: This outing may be postponed due to poor weather – confirmation will be sent via our page and the Group’s WhatsApp.

Ken Ramsay, February 2026.