Holy Loch Local Nature Reserve

Reserve Bird Guide

Birds that you are most likely to see from the hide either at the bird feeders, on the marsh in front of you, or in the woods. With thanks to the Holy Loch Birders for donating their photographs. This is aimed at the beginner, and is no substitute for a good bird guide if you see something not in this picture gallery. the 120+ species of bird seen at the reserve or around the loch are listed below the gallery.

Note: the Holy Loch is home to a lot of gulls which move about the River Clyde area. The descriptions and pictures here only refer to the adults. The juveniles of all species have different, more brownish plumages, patternings of which change as the birds approach breeding breeding age.

Robin

Probabably the most recognisable bird in the UK

Dunnock

A cryptically-marked bird often lurking in the background and feeding near the ground

Chaffinch

Very common resident. Both sexes have a strong cream-coloured bar on the wing. The male has extensive pinky-purple colouration, while the female is beigy overall.

Siskin male

A smallish bird that visits the feeders, but in winter, also feeds at the tops of some of the trees in noisy groups. The male has a black cap and has extensive bright-green, while the female is duller, and without the black cap.

Coal Tit

Tiny, mostly black, buff and white tit with no yellow.

Greenfinch

Male green-yellow on right, female duller on left.

Blue Tit

Another very recognisable blue, white and yellow bird found in most gardens.

Wren

A tiny, brown, restless bird with thin bill and cocked tail. Seen anywhere in the reserve.

Great Tit

A regular at the feeder. Black, white and yellow tit.

Long-tailed Tit

Usually present in family group. Small, black, white and pinkish birds with long tails.

Blackbird male

An all-black bird except golden-yellow bill. The female is brown with a duller bill.

Goldfinch

An unmistakable visitor to the feeders. Note the red mask and golden bar on the wings.

Brambling

A rare visitor to the reserve feeders October to March. Sometimes seen feeding on the woodland floor where its overall chestnut colour helps with camouflage.

Song Thrush

A brownish, secretive bird that mostly feeds on the ground. It has speckled breast and can often be located by following tap-tap sounds, made when it is cracking open a snail shell to eat the inside.

Treecreeper

A brown and white bird always seen creeping up and under tree trunks and branches.

Goldcrest

Scotland's tiniest bird. Never stays still. Light greenish with a very distinctive golden-yellow stripe on its head. Very high-pitched call, often beyond human hearing.

Jackdaw

Scotland's smallest crow is sufficiently agile to hang from the feeders. Subtle black and grey look overall.

Wood Pigeon

A large, mostly grey bird with hints of green and pink. plus a distinctive white collar.

Canada Goose

A familiar, large brown and white goose, most often seen in large numbers in the sheep fields to the left, but also on the marsh.

Little Egret

A small, white, elegant heron with long plume feathers. Seen out on the marsh and seabed.

Curlew

Large brown wading bird seen on the marsh and mud. Note the long curved bill.

Mute Swan

Familiar large white water bird with long neck and orange bill. Sometimes successfully breed around the loch.

Greenshank

A white and grey wading bird seen on the marsh in winter only. Has greenish legs and long, slightly curved bill.

Oystercatcher

Probably the most distinctive, familiar and noisy wading bird on the loch. Black and white with long red bill and legs.

Redshank

Brownish, noisy wading bird with bright red legs and bill.

Dunlin

A small wading bird usually seen in small groups running around the marsh.

Common Sandpiper

Summer visitor to the loch. Small, brown and white, noisy wading bird which wags its tail.

Bar-tailed Godwit

A large wading bird, seen occasionally in late summer. Dead straight bill distinguishes it from the more common Curlew.

Black-headed Gull late winter-Spring

A small white gull with a black head and red legs and bill.

Black-headed Gull Summer-late winter

A small gull with red legs and bill. In winter it has a black spot behind the eye.

Herring Gull

By far the most common gull on the loch. With silver-grey wings, pink legs and bright, colourful bill.

Great Black-backed Gull

Very large gull with black wings and pink legs.

Common Gull

Small gull with medium grey wings, yellow bill and legs.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Mostly a Spring and Summer visitor. About the size of a Herring Gull, but with dark grey back, bright yellow legs and bright, colourful bill.

Grey Heron

Large grey and white water bird, usually seen perched on the marsh. Often seen in a group.

Mallard

The most common and familiar duck, seen all year. In spring the female is sometimes seen with a large number of ducklings in tow.

Wigeon

A medium-sized duck present from September until April. The males have a chestnut-coloured head with creamy-yellow crown stripe. Often seen feeding on grassy areas.

Teal

A small duck present from September to April. Male has a chestnut and bright green/purple irridescent head. The female is mostly brown, but sometimes shows a small patch of green on the wing.

Carrion Crow

An all-black bird, often seen on the marsh.

Hooded Crow

A speciality of wilder areas of Scotland. A startling grey and black crow, larger than jackdaws. Usually seen on the marsh.

Many other birds can be seen on, around or above the Holy Loch, on the reserve, in the mouth of the River Eachaig at Kilmun, at Ardnadam, or further out on the loch, including on mooring buoys.

Swallow - a Summer visitor often seen hunting insects over the reserve

Black Guillemot

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-throated Diver

Collared Dove

Buzzard

Chiffchaff

Crossbill

Cuckoo

Eider

Grasshopper Warbler

Guillemot

House Martin

Kestrel

Linnet

Moorhen

Pheasant

Raven

Reed Bunting

Ringed Plover

Shelduck

Snipe

Starling

Swift

Common Tern

Whitethroat

Blackcap

Bullfinch

Hoopoe

Jay

Skylark

Sparrowhawk

Woodcock

Shag

Stonechat

Fieldfare

Glaucous Gull

Goosander

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great White Egret

Greater Scaup

Grey Heron

Grey Wagtail

Greylag Goose

House Sparrow

Iceland Gull

Jack Snipe

Lesser Redpoll

Mandarin Duck

Manx Shearwater

Meadow Pipit

Mediterranean Gull

Mistle Thrush

Northern Gannet

Northern Lapwing

Northern Wheatear

Peregrine Falcon

Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail

Pink-footed Goose

Red Knot

Red-breasted Merganser

Red-throated Diver

Redwing

Rock Dove

Rock Pipit

Rook

Rose-coloured Starling

Ruddy Turnstone

Sand Martin

Sanderling

Sandwich Tern

Sedge Warbler

Tree Pipit

Whimbrel

White-throated Dipper

Whooper Swan

Willow Warbler

Yellowhammer