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1 Mar 2021

Wildlife spotter’s guide: Culzean Country Park

A mute swan swims across a smooth loch. It is all white apart from its orange and black bill. Its neck makes an S shape, and it holds its wings slightly out from its body, making it appear even larger.

Mute swan

From gardens and woodland, to ponds and the seashore, the rich diversity of habitats at Culzean support a wide range of animal and plant life.

Click on the pictures below to find out a little more about some of the wildlife species you might spot on your next visit.

A very round, mottled brown, bird squats on the ground. It has a very long, straight bill, and a large black eye.

A close-up of the top half of a barn owl, apparently on a perch. It has turned its head to the side slightly, giving it a somewhat quizzical expression. It has a white, heart-shaped face with two black eyes. It has pale brown feathers by its shoulders.

A buzzard soaring through a bright blue sky. Its large wings are fully stretched out, revealing the feathery tips. Its belly is pale, and it is looking down at the ground.

A small round chiffchaff perches on a mossy branch, with its longer tail held out straight behind it. It is olive green in colour with a yellow stripe by its eye, and has dark legs.

A close-up of a common frog sitting on a stony surface, with moss in the background. The frog is mostly a khaki green colour, with some black spots on its body.

A small bat sits on a stony surface, with its wings stretched out to either side and resting on the ground. It has a brown furry body and long pointed ears.

A round, pink, spiky sea urchin rests on a pile of wet seaweed. It has a small hole in the centre on the top.

An orange, five-armed starfish lies on a rock, with some seaweed behind it. The rock is wet, as if the tide is going out. The rock appears to have lichen on it as well.

A male fallow deer stands in a field of large, orangey-brown grass. It has a spotted coat and magnificent large antlers. Trees can be seen in the background.

A goldfinch perches on a yellow-flowering thin branch. It has a bright red face, sharp thin beak and a gold flash on its wing.

Great spotted woodpecker clinging to the side of a white-barked tree with knobbly bits. It is facing up the tree. It has a red cap.

A brown hare sits on a patch of dry grass, with greener grass in the background. It has large, orange eyes and very long ears, with black tips.

A brown spiky hedgehog steps onto a fallen log, covered in moss, on a woodland floor. It is resting its chin slightly on the log.

A bright red damselfly hovers beside a glossy leaf. Its lace-like wings are held close to its body.

Two long-tailed tits stand on a lichen-covered branch. Both extend their tails fully behind them. They have pale tummies, with pink and black markings on their bodies. They also have a little orange stripe above their eyes.

A male and female mallard duck swim on a calm pond, with gentle ripples around them. The green-headed male is nearest the camera, with the brown female slightly further away.

A black millipede crawls across a piece of dead wood.

A moorhen picks its way across a reedy area, walking towards the camera. It has a very round black body with a red beak.

A mute swan swims across a smooth loch. It is all white apart from its orange and black bill. Its neck makes an S shape, and it holds its wings slightly out from its body, making it appear even larger.

A butterfly rests at the tip of a stalk, with purple flower buds, in a meadow. Its wings are spread out wide. They are mostly white with orange tips on the upper wings. It has a black furry body.

An otter emerges from a stream onto a grassy bank with buttercups. Its brown fur is wet and sleeked back.

A group of oystercatchers fly over the sea, with cliffs seen in the background.

A male pheasant perches on a log and ruffles its wings. It has a dark blue/green head with a red face.

A close-up of the head of a red deer stag. It is looking directly at the camera. It has large furry ears, with smooth antlers rising above. Its dark fur beneath its paler face is quite shaggy.

A roe deer stands in a flowery (possibly lavender) area with saplings. It has turned its head to face the camera. Its very large ears and white rump are clearly visible.

A swallow in flight, with its wings stretched wide, seen against a clear blue sky. The distinctive wide prongs of its tail are clearly visible.

A brown and white owl perches on a knobbly part of a large tree trunk. It has turned its head 90 degrees to look towards the camera. It has round black eyes and a yellow hooked beak.

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Looking towards Culzean Castle, with the Fountain Court garden in the foreground.

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Culzean Castle

Robert Adam’s cliff-top masterpiece rises above a world of woods, beaches, secret follies and play parks

Ayrshire & Arran

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