Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve

Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve is an amazing wildlife reserve on the Fife coast in Scotland managed by NatureScot.

Please contact [email protected] for any questions, queries or feedback.

Happy ! This week we have chosen this fabulous Hedge Rustic. Who doesn't love a brown moth? Closer inspection of many m...
31/08/2026

Happy ! This week we have chosen this fabulous Hedge Rustic. Who doesn't love a brown moth? Closer inspection of many moth species can reveal beautiful patterns and colours, and the Hedge Rustic is a great example. Did you know that despite their name this species actually prefer open grassland?

In the this week is the common buzzard!Buzzards are monogamous and can live for over 30 years in the wild. They mostly...
30/08/2026

In the this week is the common buzzard!

Buzzards are monogamous and can live for over 30 years in the wild. They mostly eat small mammals and carrion so despite their large wingspan (over a metre!) they have quite small feet.

Although they are now the most common bird of prey in the UK, buzzards used to be a rare sight due to intense persecution. However, due to legislative changes and conservation efforts they have made an incredible comeback!

We have seen lots of these juvenile buzzards across the reserve recently as they begin to fledge and start fending for themselves.

Have you seen many buzzards in your area?

It's ! Meet the Sallow Moth!This stunningly yellow moth has quite a fitting name as it is in fact, quite sallow. Howeve...
24/08/2026

It's ! Meet the Sallow Moth!

This stunningly yellow moth has quite a fitting name as it is in fact, quite sallow. However, this moth's caterpillar also feeds on willow trees which are part of the salix (or sallow) genus. So it's a sallow looking moth that also feeds on sallow!

On the wing for the majority of autumn we expect this will be a common find in our traps over the next few months!

We have had a very exciting visitor at Morton Lochs this weekend. This is the elusive Cattle Egret which is not a very c...
18/08/2026

We have had a very exciting visitor at Morton Lochs this weekend. This is the elusive Cattle Egret which is not a very common sight in Scotland and is now part of very few recordings here in Fife!

If you're planning a visit to try and catch a glimpse of this exciting species then please remember to park in the assigned car park, stick to designated paths and hides, and be considerate of other visitors.

Happy ! This week we chose the elegant Lesser Swallow Prominent moth, which gets its' refined shape and colours from c...
17/08/2026

Happy ! This week we chose the elegant Lesser Swallow Prominent moth, which gets its' refined shape and colours from camouflaging itself on birch trees, the chosen food of its' caterpillars. This moth looks very similar to the larger Swallow Prominent moth, but the white wedge on the upper part of the wing is a simple way to tell them apart. You might also notice the lovely tufts on its' back which is what makes them part of the 'Prominent' moth family (Notodontidae).

Hi all. The path to the Berry hide is now cleared and open. Thank you for your patience! Team Tentsmuir NNR
17/08/2026

Hi all. The path to the Berry hide is now cleared and open.

Thank you for your patience!

Team Tentsmuir NNR

This week we are putting the beautiful Wall Brown butterfly in the !The Wall Brown butterfly gets its name as it enjoys...
16/08/2026

This week we are putting the beautiful Wall Brown butterfly in the !

The Wall Brown butterfly gets its name as it enjoys basking in rocky areas and walls. They are a much more recent addition to the list of Scottish Butterflies having only been documented in large numbers since 2015 in the borders and spreading north ever since. We have recorded more than ever before here at Morton Lochs this year!

Have you been lucky enough to have any Wall Browns in your area?

Happy Sunday everyone! Unfortunately we have a tree down at the Berry Hide at Morton Lochs so have been forced to close ...
16/08/2026

Happy Sunday everyone! Unfortunately we have a tree down at the Berry Hide at Morton Lochs so have been forced to close the hide for everyone's safety.

Our other loch facing hides are still open though so lots of opportunities to get a good view of the wildlife currently on the water!

Apologies for any inconvenience!

What a day today at Morton Lochs! We were out doing our butterfly transect and pleased by the number of butterflies. How...
12/08/2026

What a day today at Morton Lochs!

We were out doing our butterfly transect and pleased by the number of butterflies. However, the star of the show was this male banded demoiselle that was on some bracken.

First recorded at Morton Lochs in 2021 - 5 years and one week to the day, this is only the second record on site and it was even more obliging than the first one for pictures! It posed for a bit and we saw it catch a fly.

Really exciting to see and they are absolutely beautiful with their metallic blue colours.

They were only first recorded in Scotland in 2002 and have been spreading since. Demoiselles are damselflies but termed 'demoiselle' which is French for damsel to distinguish them from damselflies due to their more striking appearance and colour.

This we chose the lovely Yellow Shell moth. This is another moth that can be spotted during the day as it is easily sp...
10/08/2026

This we chose the lovely Yellow Shell moth. This is another moth that can be spotted during the day as it is easily spooked out of hiding, in this case inside one of our Four for the Shore boxes! This moth gets its' name from the wavy pattern on its' wings, which made it all the more satisfying to spot at the beach. For moths, beach cleans, and much more, why not check out the coastal part of the reserve?

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Tayport

Telephone

01382 553704

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