Wildlife sightings – Paisley Natural History Society

GNHS and PNHS outing to Boylestone Quarry, Barrhead

Saturday 26th July 2025 Boylestone Quarry is a geological SSSI on the outskirts of Barrhead. The site was quarried for road metal but has been disused for decades. The main mineralogical interest of the quarry is the presence of prehnite (calcium aluminium silicate). The walls of the quarry also feature a good example of twoContinueContinue reading “GNHS and PNHS outing to Boylestone Quarry, Barrhead”

PNHS Moth Evening at Muirshiel Visitor Centre

Two people looking at a moth trap with a bright light

Friday 20th June 2025 A wild night was had by the few who ventured out after 9pm on a Friday night to go mothing up by Lochwinnoch. Gordon Phillips had arranged with Pat Emslie, Ranger at Muirshiel Country Park, to host a moth trapping evening to which members of PNHS were invited, along with localContinueContinue reading “PNHS Moth Evening at Muirshiel Visitor Centre”

Outing at Dykebar and Hollybush, Paisley

group of people wearing waterproofs and carrying umbrellas in a woodland standing next to a log on the ground

14 June 2025 A small group of six, brave enough to come out, despite the wet weather, set off through the woodland shelterbelt at Dykebar hoping to get protection from the rain. The plan wasn’t as effective as we’d hoped, but without the downpour we would never have seen what turned out to be theContinueContinue reading “Outing at Dykebar and Hollybush, Paisley”

Mountain Pansies

We have recently returned from a very pleasant holiday in the Spey Valley. On our favourite evening stroll, high above the River Spey near Kingussie, we were delighted to discover that you do not need to be in the mountains to see Mountain Pansy. We were staying in a cottage at Ruthven, just outside theContinueContinue reading “Mountain Pansies”

No Mow May 2025

Lawn with tall grass surrounded by flower borders

Did anyone, like us, decide to give No Mow May a go this year? We have two areas of lawn, one front and one back garden. They produced quite different results. Our front lawn is quite small, and surrounded by flower borders. Over the course of the month of May, the grass grew tall andContinueContinue reading “No Mow May 2025”

PNHS Greenan shore outing

group of 6 people standing in foreground with hill in the background

Saturday 3rd May 2025 An adventurous five members turned up in glorious sunny conditions and despite the strong westerly breeze there was plenty of Green-veined Whites and Orange-tips already flying about. This trip was about seeing the Lesser Whitethroat and hopefully the Holly Blue butterfly as I had seen both in amongst the coastal HawthornContinueContinue reading “PNHS Greenan shore outing”

Dawn Chorus Walk

Group of people standing in Woodland at low light wearing waterproofs and binoculars

As far as we know there’s never been an organised dawn chorus walk at Jenny’s Well Local Nature Reserve before, so we needed to put that right! It was about 04:50 when I arrived at Jenny’s Well Road, to see that two or three other PNHS folks had already turned up. Over the next 10ContinueContinue reading “Dawn Chorus Walk”

Report on Tree Walk, Spier’s School Grounds, Beith

Group of 13 people dressed in warm coats and hats standing beside a tree with red, sinewy trunk

Saturday 15th February 2025 A change from our usual winter tree walk in woodland plantations, this year we went to the grounds of the Old Spier’s School in Beith, which has more mature formal planting and some challenging, unusual species. Fortunately, there is a tree trail map and we had the invaluable help of SimonContinueContinue reading “Report on Tree Walk, Spier’s School Grounds, Beith”

Gleniffer Braes Lichen Outing

Group of people standing chatting at an open gate next to an old mossy wall

On Saturday 18th January 2025 Eleven people met at the Nethercraigs Road entrance to the country park for the third of the now annual lichen walks run by the society. Most were members of the society but we also had one person from the local British Lichen Society group. The intention of this walk wasContinueContinue reading “Gleniffer Braes Lichen Outing”

Braving the weather on a New Year Plant Hunt

Large red multi-storey building next to a river which has burst its banks and two swans standing on the grass in the foreground

Every year the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (BSBI) organise a New Year Plant Hunt. All you have to do is spend a couple of hours looking for wild plants in flower between 29 December 2024 to 1st January 2025. Ours was arranged for 31st December. It is a lovely way to spend aContinueContinue reading “Braving the weather on a New Year Plant Hunt”