Lochwinnoch Force For Nature

26/04/2026

🐦‍⬛🦢🦅🎶 If you aren't busy at 6am this Saturday 2nd May, come and join us at Castle Semple, where we will be having this month's free guided walk to celebrate International Dawn Chorus day, identifying the variety of birds that form the local spring soundscape! All welcome, see details in poster. 🐦‍⬛🦢🦅🎶

06/04/2026

🦆🐦‍⬛🪿This month's free LFFN event on Saturday is a visit to Baron's Haugh RSPB Reserve, where we will be guided by local expert, John Dryden, who will show us around the various habitats and help us find some interesting birds and other wildlife! Meet us at 10am there, or if you need a lift, we can provide this from Lochwinnoch Annexe at 9.15am (please get in touch if that is the case). See full details on the poster. All welcome!🦆🪿🐦‍⬛

20/03/2026

Sorry about the very late notice but Lochwinnoch Force For Nature has organised a walk on Sunday (22nd March) focussing on identifying, recording and reporting wildlife. We will be using / demonstrating BirdTrack - free app for recording. https://www.bto.org/.../pro.../birdtrack/about-birdtrack-app

16/03/2026

🦆🐦‍⬛🦅Free Lochwinnoch Force For Nature walk! Hosted by Zul - Bird ID and the importance of data recording. 10am this Sunday 22nd March, meet at Castle Semple Visitor Centre. Everyone welcome!🦉🐦‍⬛🪿

02/01/2026

*Saturday 3rd January
1pm at Auld Simon, Lochwinnoch*

A wee reminder about our New Year Plant Hunt on Saturday. We’ll be searching for wild plants in bloom as part of the BSBI annual citizen science event. The data over the years is a salutary lesson in mapping climate change. It’ll be an easy accessible walk. Our Lochwinnoch species total over the years has ranged from 9 to over 20, depending on the severity of preceding winter weather. Saturday’s (tomorrow’s) forecast is looking lovely ☀️ for a walk.
See you there 🌸🌼🌸

20/12/2025

Hi all - just to remind you that there are still a small number of calendars available in the local shops - the ideal Xmas gift that is guaranteed to last the whole year!

📅Lochwinnoch Force For Nature's 2026 calendar is out now! It features 12 fantastic photos showcasing the local landscape and wildlife. Costing £10, it is available from the following outlets:
🦆Shrubs to Suds
🦆The Wee Shop
🦆The Junction
🦆21 Grains
🦆Castle Semple Visitor Centre
🦆RSPB Reserve Visitor Centre

12/12/2025

🌼🌼New species record for Lochwinnoch!!! 🌼🌼
Narrow-leaved Ragwort, Senecio inaequidens. (Found by Jim Blackwood last week.) Originally from South Africa it was first recorded in south of UK in C19th, probably having arrived in wool shoddy. It has recently begun to spread rapidly northwards. First recorded in Renfrewshire in 2019, this is the first Lochwinnoch record.
It’ll hopefully still be in bloom for the LFFN new year plant hunt on Saturday 3rd January (meet 1pm at Auld Simon). We will definitely hunt for it during that walk.

08/12/2025

A reminder that our 2026 Lochwinnoch calendar is still on sale from various local outlets!

📅Lochwinnoch Force For Nature's 2026 calendar is out now! It features 12 fantastic photos showcasing the local landscape and wildlife. Costing £10, it is available from the following outlets:
🦆Shrubs to Suds
🦆The Wee Shop
🦆The Junction
🦆21 Grains
🦆Castle Semple Visitor Centre
🦆RSPB Reserve Visitor Centre

29/11/2025

A villager kindly sent me records of a Tawny Owl which he heard on Calder Drive on 7th, 8th & 9th November. It prompted me to check how many records there are for Lochwinnoch for 2025 in the database of birds recorded in Clyde (maintained by the Scottish Ornithologists' Club). I was shocked to discover that there were only two records (Linthills on 24th June and Gates Road on 17th November). I haven't heard one myself in 2025. If you hear a Tawny Owl, please make a note of location and date and report to me in due course

11/11/2025

🦆🦆Free Guided Outing to Hogganfield Loch - this Saturday morning, 15th Nov🦆🦆

Join LFFN (including our knowledgeable guide Zul) for an outing to Hogganfield Loch in the Northeast of Glasgow. The park is well known for its birdlife with 154 bird species recorded so far!

Meet at 9:30am at Lochwinnoch Annexe to proceed in shared cars, or c.10:15am at Hogganfield Loch visitor centre, Cumbernauld Rd, Glasgow, G33 1AH.

‼️To help us organise numbers, please let us know in advance via email, WhatsApp or Facebook if you plan to come! ‼️