It feels like life is rather chaotic as I take on ever more projects and so my weekends seem to end up being swallowed with extra workloads or catching up on household chores but this week I was making sure I got some time to play. Here in Glasgow the weather has been amazing this last week and there was no way I was letting it pass me by. Come Sunday an outing was planned and off we went to play in the great outdoors. This weekend’s destination was Baron’s Haugh RSPB Reserve, part of the Dalzell Estate in Motherwell.
We’ve been to this reserve once before so knew where we were heading but for those just out exploring it’s quite difficult to find with the main entrance essentially off a cul-de-sac so best to follow sat nav as there are also only signs right at the entrance.
For the main car park you can head one direction into the Dalzell Estate or the other into the RSPB Reserve. We opted for the latter as it has more open areas and many hides for viewing wildlife. Dalzell Estate itself is also a lovely walk but on such a lovely day it seemed a shame to spend it wandering along shady woodland paths.
With the recent weather it’s clear there’s been a lot of growth in the Baron’s Haugh reserve with plenty of high grass and colourful wildflowers and of course the odd butterfly enjoying them both. For the month of June we are also taking part in The Wildlife Trusts #30DaysWild challenge to do a random wild act every day to show how important nature is in our lives and how often we forget it. So we incorporated a bug hunt into our day and it actually went really well with quite a few creatures crossing our path.
We weren’t so lucky on the birding front with only the odd wood pigeon making an appearance. I imagine early mornings are the best time to be on the lookout on the reserve and many people do certainly utilise the hides on site. Although, it’s a little sad that a few spots seem to also be local hangout spots for others with rubbish and bottles in a few of the hides as well.
We walked a large portions on the reserve taking paths around the Baron’s Haugh and along the River Clyde which also runs through the estate. The paths are very accessible and well maintained but make sure to keep an eye an and ear out for bikes as a National Cycle Route also runs along sections of the trail.
If you want to read more about my #30DaysWild adventure you can find my daily entries on my nature site here.