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Inverclyde

Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus ©Ashley Beolens Website
Birding Inverclyde

Inverclyde (meaning mouth of the Clyde) is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire, which currently exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area – located in the west central Lowlands. It borders the North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire council areas, and is otherwise surrounded by the Firth of Clyde. Its landward area is bordered by the Kelly, North and South Routen burns to the south west (separating Wemyss Bay and Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire) and part of the River Gryfe and the Finlaystone Burn to the south-east.It is one of the smallest councils in terms of area (29th) and population (27th) out of the 32 Scottish unitary authorities. Along with the council areas clustered around Glasgow it is considered part of Greater Glasgow in some definitions, although it is physically separated from the city area by open countryside and does not share a border with the city.Inverclyde has just two local nature reserves; Coves Reservoir and Wemyss Bay Woods, although there a number of SSIs and two areas of special protection; the Inner Clyde Estuary and Renfrewshire Heights.

Top Sites

  • Cloch Point

    Satellite View
    Cloch Point is situated just off the A770 on the west side of Gourock at the Cloch Lighthouse, it is a great place to see Manx Shearwaters (sometimes in large numbers) at close range as well as Guillemots, Razorbills, Black Guillemot, Gannet, Sandwich Terns and Kittiwakes from mid-July Through August. Skuas also turn up occasionally into early October.
County Recorder
Useful Reading

  • Where to Watch Birds in Scotland

    | By Mike Madders & Julia Welstead | Christopher Helm | 2002 | Paperback | 297 pages, b/w illustrations, maps | ISBN: 9780713656930 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Organisations

  • SOC Clyde Branch

    Webpage
    Zoology Department, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ (click here to view a map of the venue and surrounding area).
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • LNR Coves Reservoir

    InformationSatellite View
    The Green Gym meets once a week on a Wednesday morning at Coves Reservoir in Greenock. We carry out a variety of tasks to help improve the site for wildlife and people including managing the woodlands, planting wildflowers and bulbs, maintaining the path network, collecting litter, creating habitats and much more! We also take the time to observe what plants and animals are living at Coves Reservoir, learn about nature photography and have a good chat over a cup of tea each week!

  • LNR Wemyss Bay Woods

    InformationSatellite View
    The Wemyss Bay woods were cleaned up and maintained in the early part of the century by Wemyss Bay Community Woodland Association.

  • RP Clyde Muirshiel

    InformationSatellite View
    The Park covers an area of 108 square miles (280 km2) of Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, stretching from Greenock in the north, down the coast to Largs and West Kilbride and inland to Dalry and Lochwinnoch.

  • SWT Glen Moss

    WebpageSatellite View
    Glen Moss has areas of marshland, woodland and wet heath with open water and sheltered, shallow pools. It is a natural haven for songbirds, waterfowl, amphibians and insects, particularly dragonflies and damselflies. Rare plants include the coral root orchid.
Forums & Mailing Lists
Places to Stay


Click on WAND to see Fatbirder’s Trip Report Repository…

  • Castle Levan

    Accommodation
    From March 2003 the castle is open to guests as a B&B accommodation. We will make a special effort to provide exactly what you want and so prices will vary according to your particular requirements. As a guide our typical tariffs start from

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