Site of the Month: Eglinton Country Park (May 2022)

Eglinton Country Park at Kilwinning is a great place to go for a walk, visit the cafe, or let the kids enjoy themselves on the adventure playground, but it is also a great place to watch wildlife. Based on an 18th century designed landscape, there are woodlands, meadows, a loch and a stretch of the Lugton Water, all linked by an extensive network of paths.

Eglinton Loch supports Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus, along with Mute Swans Cygnus olor, Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula and Coots Fulica atra. All of the common species of butterfly occur in the Park, together with the day-flying Six-spot Burnet Moth Zygaena filipendulae. Other invertebrates have yet to be fully explored, but at least six different bumblebee species have been recorded. Similarly, there must be many more species of fungi than the current list of 54 species suggests, but amongst them are records of Alder Tongue Taphrina alni, a fungus that causes a strange distorted gall on female Alder Alnus glutinosa catkins. It was once rare in the UK but is becoming more frequent.

We have set up a specific activity for the reserve on iRecord where you can add your records, or you can send them to us or reserve staff through any of the usual channels.

Please let us know if you have suggestions for future Sites of the Month.

Peter Norman

SWSEIC Project Officer