Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve

02/09/2026

A toad overseeing the work in approval at our wildflower meadow today. Thank you to Postcode Lottery UK for all your help today in raking up our mowed meadow. This will hopefully allow us to add diversity for our pollinators.
Hard sweaty work! Well done team!

22/08/2026

🔨🌿 A big thank you to our volunteers who have been busy repairing and improving steps on the reserve.

These small jobs make a big difference, helping visitors enjoy the site safely while reducing erosion and protecting the surrounding habitat.

The work can be muddy, physical but our volunteers always rise to the challenge. Their time, skills and enthusiasm help keep the reserve accessible for everyone.

👏 Thank you for all your hard work! And please come and join us if you’re looking for something outdoorsy on our lovely reserve [email protected]

📷 Photos: L. Mark

20/08/2026

🦋 A wee selection of the 33 species of moths recorded yesterday. 🦋

There was a fantastic variety in the trap, from tiny micros to some real beauties. My favourite has to be the Willow Stilt (Caloptilia stigmatella), a delicate micro-moth with a striking white triangular marking and a distinctive upright resting posture(like stilts).

🍃Its caterpillars begin life as leaf miners inside willow and poplar leaves before going on to fold and roll the leaves into shelters. How cool!

📷 Photos: L. Mark
🦋 Species names in photo captions

15/08/2026

🍃 Goodbye and good luck, Angus! 🍃

Today we're saying farewell to our Seasonal Ranger, Angus, as he leaves the Falls of Clyde to begin an exciting new role with the Scottish Wildlife Trust as a Community Officer, helping to promote and support red squirrel conservation 🐿️.

During his time with us, Angus has been involved in a wide range of work, from wildlife surveys and monitoring to hands-on practical conservation. His enthusiasm, willingness to learn and hard work have made him a valued member of the team, and he's gained experience with everything from badgers and otters to habitat management and practical conservation projects.

Thank you, Angus, for all your hard work, dedication and positive attitude. You've been a fantastic colleague, and while we'll miss having you at Falls of Clyde, we're delighted to see you taking the next step in your conservation career.

Wishing you every success in your new adventure. We're sure you'll do a brilliant job championing Scotland's red squirrels! 🐿️💚

🐿️🌿🍂

14/08/2026

🌼 Wildflower meadow surveying this week to give us a baseline before our cut and rake in September.

Using quadrats to record species and abundance helps us track changes over time and measure the success of our management. Cutting and removing reduces soil fertility, allowing a greater diversity of wildflowers to flourish. 🐝🦋

And if you've spotted us standing staring at the grass, we promise we're working... we're just counting flowers! 😄🌱

We even had a little frog help us out 🐸

12/08/2026

This picture taken a few weeks back was definitely one of our best by Mark Rielly. Tonight marks the last watch of the season. Looking forward to next year already! May-Aug. 🦡
We will keep you updated with any trail camera footage we get of our resident clan.

Dusk.
Light is fading fast.
We sat in absolute silence, hoping.
A slight sound of rustling from below our eye level where we couldn't quite see...
Plants and grass then start moving a touch closer to us, then a flash of black and white appears!
Yes!
A clan of badgers had emerged from there sets to start foraging!
This was my first time seeing badgers in the wild and it was a brilliant experience!
🥳🦡🦡

Another species ticked off my never-ending list! 📝

Thanks to Scottish Wildlife Trust for letting me tag along on this one!!

30/07/2026

That’s the boardwalk cleared of the wind blown tree and the boards fixed that it cracked. Good timing for a weekend stroll- enjoy!

Photo L Mark

29/07/2026

Found another pile of grass cuttings dumped in our meadow today. It’s unsightly, selfish, and it undoes the work that keeps these places special. Cuttings smother wildflowers and tip the balance toward invasive species, all for the sake of someone avoiding proper disposal.

Please dispose of your cuttings correctly. Our reserves deserve better.

To all those who use the enjoy the reserve do let me know if you see any fly tipping or suspicious activity.

The Clyde Valley Ranger

26/07/2026

The volunteer and ranger team have been working hard on the reserve this week to make paths safe for all our visitors.
If you want to help us on a Tuesday drop me a message. And look out for our volunteer events running at weekends.

25/07/2026

The Bird‑cherry Ermine has been putting on a show, those bold spots and dancing antennae are brilliant.
What’s it up to? Just tasting the air with style.