Loch Garten osprey diary

Building works underway 9th of February 2023

2023-02-07T17:07:00Z

Just a little announcement to let everyone know that the long-awaited waterworks project is slowly reaching its conclusion before the start of our season. This may have some knock-on effects if you are visiting our site at this time.

For those not in the know, we are refurbishing the kiosk building at the entrance to the nature centre to modernise it, add an all-accessibilities bathroom as well as a new welcoming hub. We are also adding a small extension onto the actual nature centre where we will have a public toilet too. This will allow our site to be more user-friendly for visitors who come to Loch Garten. Hooray!

What this means is that for the next two months the site will be inaccessible up towards the centre and possibly some parts of the car park. This is due to construction traffic and making sure the site is secure. It will still be possible to use the car park and our other trails, but we are aware that this will be an inconvenience for those avidly looking for crested tits. I would like to apologise for this inconvenience and hopefully, in time the birds will happily relocate to feed from the car park.

As the extension work is also taking place within view of the feeder camera, we have taken the view to switch this off for the time being to allow the contractors privacy as they work. I know that this will be saddening to some of you due to how keenly you follow the camera, especially in winter. I will be monitoring the project closely and will be turning the camera on again as soon as possible. The extension work takes priority on this project, so I hope the camera will not be off for as long as two months.

As we become more aware of times and access changes, I will let you know as soon as I become aware of anything. We hope that this project will not run into the start of our season in April but if that is the case you are still welcome to visit. We will have a workaround in place to make sure that if there are ospreys there, you will still be able to see them! As I am sure many of you will be aware that building projects at the moment have been suffering delays and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be lucky in finishing this in time. If not, please bear with us as we try to enhance our visitor experience. If you have any questions, then please comment and I will do my best to respond.

Looking forward to seeing the return of people and ospreys in a couple months.

Finnish with a bang - Lessons on Forestry from Finland

2022-09-14T13:50:00Z

Hello bloggers,

I hope all is well with you and you are coping well with the downturn in osprey activity. We are all getting ready for the winter now with the weather changing just out of the summer. I have a little bit of a different blog for you this time as I have been away on an Erasmus+ Mobility exchange program in Finland to look at and compare their forestry. The project was funded through the Erasmus+ programme and developed by ARCH and its consortium partners. This course gave me a greater experience of what the Caledonian pine forest could look like and how we are better able to engage people in nature and conservation. I wanted to use this experience to explore my understanding and share what I learned with all of you.

Firstly, I suppose it is a good question to ask why Finland is such a good place to learn about forests and their regeneration. The answer lies in the history of the country.

Finland has one of the highest forest covers anywhere in the world with 75% of the country being forested. Though this was not always the case. A history of slash and burn agriculture saw as much as 75% of Finland’s natural forest disappear leading up to the early 1900s. Foresters were concerned about this downward trend of forest cover and responded by encouraging planting and regeneration. This has created a relatively young forest ecosystem that is used widely in forestry production with only 2.5% considered to be 'old-growth' forests (older than 150 years).

Even though the forest is exploited for timber, Finland is still considered one of the most naturally intact ecosystems present in Europe. The style of plantation uses mixed species woodland that would look very different to how we imagine densely packed single species forestry in Scotland. Not only does their forestry have a species-diverse set-up, but the presence of predators means there are a greater number of species found in their woodlands. Currently, Scotland has 18% forest cover with 2.5% considered 'old-growth' forest. Could Scotland resemble Finland in 200 years’ time?

On Abernethy, we are trying to mimic the ecosystem process of large predators through deer control to allow woodland regeneration. The absence of predators like wolves, lynx and bears is felt dramatically across our country. These species in Finland not only hunt browsing species but change their grazing behaviour, so they exert less browsing pressure on plants and trees.

While being shown through areas of woodland in Finland, the thick deciduous undergrowth was abundant and trying to compete for space under the shade of mature pines. Walking through Abernethy one cannot see the invisible presence of deer, only the absence of these species in the undergrowth. The Cairngorms Connect project has allowed us to address this disparity by funding deer stalking within the forest. Even though our focus is primarily on the forest expansion zone, being able to stalk within the forest will improve the diversity and abundance of other species.

The pressure of deer not only affects the presence of trees but possibly their shape too! One of the most surprising things to notice about birch trees in Finland is they all grow uniformly straight. They appear to have been created to sit in the background of postcards. Birch in the UK had been considered a pest species and removed from forestry due to their irregular growth. The only theory that I could think of being widely different between the countries is constant browsing. I believe this pressure from deer that birch must contend with in its earlier years withholds the easy upbringing afforded to their Finnish cousins. How different our forest might look if we were able to create a natural balance in our ecosystem.

This balance would also be able to accommodate more species in the forest. The diversity of species that one might see in Finland I think added to the excitement of a place. I had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter that made me feel more connected to nature. It was probably the moment I had to admit to myself that I had become a proper birder!

Trying to find my bearings around the lake house accommodation led me to walk through a field surrounded by forest on all sides. Like Scotland, the Finns have a version of the Right to Responsible Access (this is known as Everyman’s Right) so I was able to explore so long as I was being sensible. I was walking towards the lake when I first heard an ethereal call. I knew instantly what I had heard but couldn’t really believe it. Then the echoing screech rang out once again. I knew I wasn’t mistaken. As my heart started to race, I witnessed the elegant flight of two Eurasian cranes flying over my head. Our forest shares so many similarities with Finland that it took me by surprise to see this species. The UK lost all of its cranes in the 1600s due to significant loss of wetland habitat and hunting of the species. Finland is the land of lakes and saunas, and cranes have ample habitat to thrive. We now have 200 cranes in the UK and one day this might be a common sight over around Loch Garten.

The importance of this diversity is not only creating resilience in our ecosystems, but it can improve our human connection to the nature around us. I feel this is one of the reasons people feel connected to Abernethy and why we have a responsibility to protect it for the future. If we are able to make others feel the way I felt when watching those cranes, then we are one step closer to showing people the importance of nature. These experiences seem to be commonplace in Finland and could be the driving reason behind why so many Finnish people appear to have an innate connection with the forest.

This could not have been more evident than when we were taken pigeon shooting by our hosts. Although this doesn’t seem to be the best thing for the more feint hearted of the group (me), we didn’t in fact manage to shoot anything. Our hosts believe that we had startled the scout pigeon before we had got fully settled behind our hide. This gave us ample opportunity to listen to the echoing peeps of black woodpeckers and the suspicious squawks of jays that I strongly believe were in cahoots with the pigeons.

As we watched the sun rise slowly over the morning, I understood more clearly the other benefits that hunting had to offer outside of putting food on the table. Hunting is just another form of being connected to nature. This activity creates experience and connection to the land that you require to live. Being a successful hunter also means being a good naturalist, able to identify bird calls and the species around you.

Two of the students that guided us owned forests and were experienced in hunting for food. This is a common practice in Finland with the country boasting the highest population of hunters anywhere in Europe at 6% of the population. They are not only connected to the land but reap the benefits a diverse ecosystem provides. With a population density of 16 per square kilometre, nature connection seems to be very accessible within the country. This is the biggest disparity that we face in the UK and I believe is why many more feel disconnected from the natural world in Britain.

Looking at the successes of Finland gave me a greater understanding of why we are where we are in the UK and how we are going to change it. At the moment the UK is in an uphill struggle to get people to care about nature. For people to care, they need to experience nature and the reason that we do not have enough people caring is that we don’t have enough nature to show them. It’s a real chick and egg situation.

The RSPB on Abernethy is doing its best to create more nature while also trying to engage people to care about these things. Our lives would be much easier if nature was found all around us like it seems to be in Finland. We don’t however have the lower population densities needed to make that possible.

We also struggle as a society to address the value of our natural heritage because most land is owned by a small minority of people across the UK. This land use rarely accommodates everyday people to hunt on our land or undertake forestry work. These activities create a more multifaceted benefit that appeals to a wider sector of the population. I believe that the conservation of nature has become a hobbyist activity that prevents commerce in the UK due to having such little natural space. I am not advocating for everyone to come and shoot deer and cut trees on Abernethy, but I can understand more deeply why we need more wild places, and nature connections and how the benefits of the land of Finland have set in motion how people behave and feel towards its protection.

Do you think that I have hit the nail on the head or is my thinking flawed? Let me know in the comments and thanks for reading!

Osprey update: Post mortem results

2022-08-19T09:47:00Z

Hello bloggers,

We have had the initial results back from the tests run on the juvenile osprey 1C1. This osprey season has been one of great excitement and sadness. I believe the spectrum of emotions the birds inspire is why so many of us engage so passionately. Our ability to empathise and share in their successes and failures is what keeps me coming back each year.

I was away on leave when I received the news about the 1C1. It appeared from the webcam that they were generally lethargic and not feeding well for a few days leading up to when they collapsed.

This experience has tainted the remarkable season that we have had with the return of these birds but also shines a light on the struggles that ospreys face. It was difficult watching 1C1 struggle on the nest but being able to recover the body will give our team more closure than we experience from ospreys that never return from migration. Osprey’s need only to have one successful fledgling breed again to pass on their genes and we hope Asha and Axel will fledge many more chicks in the future.

After 1C1 died, we were able to retrieve the body to find the cause. Keeping in mind the current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) this was carried out with very strict safety measures and full hazmat suits. The chick was then sent down to Edinburgh for testing.

We have now received the initial results. 1C1 tested negative for HPAI but did appear to have an enlarged liver which would suggest she was fighting an infection when she died. There was a theory that a possible pathogen had been passed to 1C1 from the little grebe that was brought onto the nest. The footage makes it difficult to say if this was a contributing factor. Asha ate most of the little grebe head with 1C1 attempting to feed on it.

Furthermore, the aggressive behaviour exhibited from 1C2 could also have exacerbated the issue as she became less able to compete for food. He was witnessed snapping and pecking at 1C1 and this meant she was unable to fight the infection on an empty stomach.

Whatever the reason, it looked like a combination of factors could have led to 1C1 dying on the nest on Monday 8^th. There are more tests being done so if we receive any more information, I will let you know. We are now going to wait and hope that 1C2 will not meet the same fate with both parents having already left.

Asha and Axel sitting in a tree

2022-07-11T12:49:00Z

Hey bloggersphere,

I hope you are all doing well. It has been a tough week to try and figure out what has been happening in our nest through the haze of excrement. It looks like our chicks are still feeding well. They have been combatting strong winds, heavy downpours and heatwaves over the past few days. It wouldn't be a Scottish summer without them being bashed by all the elements we have on offer!

We also had every curious kestrel dive bomb the nest and have a look at our osprey chicks. I tried to have a look back at the footage of the encounter but there was nothing of note to document the event. It certainly appears this year to have sparked the interest of more raptors than I have ever known. Our current raptor visitation list boasts a golden eagle, goshawk, red kite, buzzard and now kestrel. For non-talonned visitors, my highlight has definitely been the merganser that got a surprise when trying to land on the nest!

We have also had the naming of our female that was announced in Notes on Nature on Saturday with the winner being Asha. Who knew that a name could be so controversial? I have learned my lesson for next time but let's hope that we do not need to name an osprey for a long time. It has been brought to my attention that some clarity needs to be given on the name of our male. It had always been in my mind that the male was called Axel as I thought this was a name that was selected by the community and I am happy to keep calling him Axel. I know many people are of the opinion that we don't need to give him a name as he has a leg ring but I think that many of the public chose Asha with the alliteration in mind for Loch Garten's newest power couple!

We are hopefully going to be able to ring the chicks tomorrow if the weather is suitable and will take the chance to give the camera a good clean too! Before anyone asks about the chicks, I think we have had enough of naming things for a while. I will check back in when we are able to find out more about our two chicks. Will they be males or females? Let's hope that they will both be strong and healthy.

An apology from me

2022-07-04T11:52:00Z

Hey osprey fans,

I hope all is well with you and you have been enjoying the season so far. I have been away the last week and so have missed the controversy around naming the ospreys. I am excited to see that there are so many passionate people that care about this subject but I was saddened to hear that some would choose to cancel their memberships over this. This subject brings lots of debate on all sides where some believe that we shouldn't be naming ospreys at all. The idea of anthropomorphising a bird to make it more human is seen by some as a way for us to misunderstand the lives of these birds. Others believe it brings us closer to understanding them.

Personally, I like having names for the birds. If we spend months watching and talking about the same birds I feel like I do have a personal connection with them and I like that I can see their characters develop over time. It is also much easier for our team to describe what is taking place and for visitors to connect with the birds they are looking at. There was strong disagreement within our team about calling the male Axel but we thought it nice to recognise the name given by the online supporters, some of whom may never get a chance to visit the centre but follow avidly online. Many in our team preferred the name Affric in recognition of where AX6 was ringed but the name doesn't change the significance of the birds we get to watch on the nest.

I know some of you are sad about our osprey female not being called Mistle but found when we were saying this name in the centre there was some confusion and joking around with the play on words with 'missile'. We didn't think this would be appropriate if this female osprey became as long-standing as EJ was and so the name was removed from the selection. I am sorry if this has caused any pain or thoughts that we were not being considerate.

I know some of you will agree with my sentiments on this issue and I know some of you won't. This is the beautiful thing about life, we are all able to share our thoughts and opinions and have strong debates that incite change. The work of the RSPB has always been about inciting change, let us not forget where we need to focus our energies.

Osprey update : 13th of June

2022-06-13T13:28:00Z

It looks like my pessimism is paying off!

We have seen two chicks hatch out over the past couple of days and are looking to see if there will be another in the next few days too.

Early on Saturday morning, the first visible signs of a chick appeared on our nest. Like all exciting events at the centre, I was not present for this. Rest assured if anything exciting happens it is on my day off!

It was a pleasure to be here for chicks number 2's arrival and hopefully, I can be here for the third.

Our week had started with an intruding osprey passing close to the nest but this didn't last long and we have not seen high pressure from interloping ospreys. This has been a blessing for this new pair and I hope that this continues throughout the rearing of these young chicks. AX6 has been bucking the osprey trend by bringing salmon back to the nest which I had been reporting to visitors for years is too heavy for ospreys to catch. Our boy must have a keen eye and a strong wing to land such a catch. It has been interesting to see what sorts of things he brings back to the nest as it is also the first in many years for us to see pike brought onto the nest. AX6 seems to have an affinity for either mahoosive fish or little tiddlers. Whatever his preference, it has been great to watch him gain his stride and be fishing consistently for the Garten nest.

The weather has certainly been on their side and we have had showers passing over but nothing too aggressive as to affect the fishing opportunities. It looks like both the adults are settling into their roles in the nest and are rising to the challenge of rearing young.

I would also like to take to time to thank our nest protection volunteers that have been diligently watching over these birds to protect them from disturbance. It is always a concern at the Garten nest that the large visitor numbers could take their toll on the ospreys and they decide it is not a suitable area for nesting. We have a team of 14 local volunteers that have been giving up their time to watch over the nest and make sure visitors are respectfully enjoying the wildlife. It is down to them that these birds have been given the privacy to settle at this site.

Let us hope that this is the beginning of a new era at the Garten nest.

Osprey update 7th June

2022-06-07T14:05:00Z

Hello osprey fans,

Apologies for the recent hiatus in osprey updates, I have been away in Tiree trying to track down a corncrake and a member of our team was isolating due to that thing we all got. This meant our team were very stretched over the jubilee week and spent most of their time talking to excited visitors in the centre. You will be happy to know that the abandonment of my duties didn't lead to me seeing a corncrake. It's true what they say, you can't have your crake and eat it!

There seems to have been lots of strange goings-on in my absence. We had the arrival of some very lovely goshawk chicks that are coming along nicely. It has been interesting to see that they have been eating some red squirrels. We knew that would happen but we are just keeping our fingers crossed that they won't be bringing in any osprey chicks onto their nest!

Our ospreys look like the heat had got to them last week and in an odd turn of events, they both appeared to be attacking one another. On the 2nd of June after the female chased AX6 off the nest he flew back around and gave himself a good knock on the perch branch.

This led to him falling into the tree where he lay dazed for a minute before he returned a barrage of low flying talon strikes on the female who appeared to defend the nest from him.

This would certainly pique my interest in something that has often confused me. How is it that ospreys are recognising one another? Is there something visual cues that they can identify their partner or is it in the way they behave? Perhaps this behaviour of mistaken identity occurs more in establishing pairs of ospreys?

Aside from the standard self-sabotage from within the Garten nest everything seems to be going smoothly. Our prediction date for the first hatch is tomorrow so we can keep our fingers crossed and see if this first egg is hardy enough to survive adult talons and hatch. If this is successful it will be the first osprey chick we have seen on this nest since Odin disappeared in 2017! It seems like a truly monumental moment for Garten when you consider how much change has taken place between then and now. We have a whole new centre, we are a partner in the large forest restoration project in the UK, we have experienced a global pandemic and we have watched the rise of youth climate change protestors fighting to protect the natural world.

Let us hope that amongst all this change that nature and ospreys stay a constant in our lives!

NAture On the MInd - Naomi

2022-05-27T12:05:00Z

Hi, I'm Naomi, volunteering at Loch Garten for the first time. I spent last winter volunteering at another RSPB reserve carrying out practical tasks and I've been enjoying speaking to visitors here, sharing all the excitement of the ospreys, white-tailed eagles and goshawks. It's nice to meet so many visitors that have been here time and time again over the years. Loch Garten is a special place with lots of people holding fond memories of previous visits and it is wonderful to be a part of such a historical and vital site for ospreys. Thank you to all the visitors that have shared your experiences and photos with me of your time here and of all the wonderful wildlife.

Most days I walk to work surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of nature and have been lucky enough to see the occasional crossbill, red squirrel and crested tit. Since childhood, I have always loved being in nature. I spent a lot of time feeding the ducks at the reservoir five minutes walk from my house, going on strolls along the canals and walking in the Peak District. I have been very privileged to have grown up with a variety of nature on my doorstep, passing by the reservoir on the walk to school and eating homegrown food from our allotment.

Nature is ingrained in all of us, we are part of it which is why we all gravitate to it in our own way. For me,I love sitting in a nice spot just focusing on what is around me, away from the hustle and bustle. I love walking aimlessly along a path, not focusing on where I'm going! We're often too focused on getting somewhere and quickly we forget to stop and actually appreciate nature. We can be too focused on seeing something specific that we don't see what is there.

As someone who doesn't drive it makes places a little harder to get to. I have spent many hours waiting for buses which can at times be tedious and tiring, but having to wait to get to the place you want to be can bring many benefits. I don't feel guilty for just sitting as there is nothing else I should be doing, I just pass the time watching nature and seeing things that I may have missed if I didn't have to wait.

I'm looking forward to the next few months, seeing how the eagles develop and the osprey and goshawk eggs hatching and sharing the excitement with visitors. I'm also looking forward to warmer weather when we can finally stop wearing hats and gloves at the kiosk, it can get quite chilly there! The view is amazing though.

If you see me around feel free to tell me about your adventures in nature and keep an eye out for the mallards that often visit the kiosk!

Osprey Update:16th of May

2022-05-16T14:48:00Z

Hello bloggers,

It looks like things are all going swimmingly in the past week. So long as the eggs are not too fussed in being part of a grape crushing re-enactment performed by Axel! I must apologise and say that I have been late to the game with the osprey intruders. I know it is difficult to believe that I am not constantly peering out the windows in awe of these birds. Believe me, that is what I want to be doing but the team have been rather busy with the Cairngorms Big Nature Weekend. We hosted a tree-climbing event that gave people the opportunity to experience the forest from an ospreys perspective and ran a spoken word event that was connecting people with the amazing pine landscape. In between that, I was corresponding with Sheila and Alison about the intruder 308 that came onto the nest last Tuesday! We saw these floating talons and Alison tells me that this bird visited the nest last year and was ringed in 2019 in the Tweed Valley. This could be a very young female by the speckling on the chest and looking for somewhere to nest in the future.

[Please visit the site to access the poll]

This wasn't the only intruder we had this week with a goosander looking to find somewhere to stop off in the forest and being quite surprised to see our female sitting on his perch!

We also had a third egg appear on the 10th of May which was eggciting! I know some of you think my pessimism unwarranted but what can I say, it has brought me good luck so far, so I think it must continue. Here is the photo of the female showing us all the eggs for the first time.

It has been very windy this last week and it has looked like watching an osprey riding a little spaceship with how much the tree has been moving in the wind! Even though there have been high winds it looks like Axel has been managing to keep feeding the female insatiable appetite for fish. This is looking really promising that they are getting into a rhythm with their season and we would be expecting the first egg to hatch around the 8th of June if all goes well.

Let me know if there are any other events you think I have missed from the past week that should get an honourable mention!

I eat my words: Osprey Update 9th May

2022-05-09T14:51:00Z

It looks like my pessimism has been rewarded with some eggs and lots of fish!

Almost as soon as I had uploaded my last blog admonishing these osprey's chances at producing eggs, one appears. I am still a little concerned at their bohemian attitude to incubation but who am I to judge. Over the past week, the initial egg has experienced a direct talon from AX6, trout tug of war and almost being lost amongst new branches and lichen. Some osprey parents have been reading the hygge parenting book and think this approach is character-building for an undeveloped embryo. Some days it appears that they take a much longer time between sitting on the eggs which may suggest these are new to incubation.

The response from the female when she first laid the egg was priceless with what looked like shock and surprise at what she had produced!

This moment seemed to spur AX6 into action and we began to observe much more fish being brought to the nest. We are also hearing much fewer food soliciting calls coming from the female. Let me know in the comments if you think this is because she is incubating and trying to maintain a low profile or if you think it's because she is getting enough fish!

The first egg was produced on the evening of the 3rd of May and then we observed a second egg early on the morning of 7th of May. This is a 4-day interval between these two eggs but could have been laid under the cover of the darkness on the 6th.

Ospreys are often producing an egg every three days so tomorrow evening we should be keeping a watchful eye on the cameras to try and see if a third egg is on the way.

There is a little bit of a fan theory that we were watching the female pretend to feed chicks when she was eating her own fish. This would be a very interesting instinctual behaviour that might make sense for this time of year if our ospreys had been a more established pair. Maybe it is this lateness to this season but it could be the reason our male osprey is bringing in lots of fish and our female is pretending to feed chicks. Instinct might be kicking in hard with these two and their hormones and circadian rhythms are telling them they already have chicks!

I think I need to continue in my pessimistic ways if only for its superstitious success.

I don't think we are going to see another egg on this nest in the next few days and I don't think this inexperienced couple will hatch any chicks.

Here's hoping...

Loch Garten Osprey Update 3rd May

2022-05-03T11:06:00Z

Hello, osprey fans,

We have been having a busy old time at the centre and I have finally found the time to sit down and try and give my best synopsis of what has been going on at the nest over the past couple of weeks.

We saw the arrival of the male AX6 who after a little bit of sky dancing started building up the nest to make it more chicks friendly. He arrived on the 12th of April and spent the first days alone on the nest.

Saturday the 16th of April was when we saw a metal leg ringed female join our male on the nest with some successful sky dancing and fish brought to her. All was well for a couple of hours until the old flame turned up!

We expect the unringed female that unleashed herself onto the nest was the same one who we observed paired up with AX6 last year. This might explain why AX6 didn't put up much of a fight when the metal-ringed female was ousted.

Ever since the 16th, we have been watching these two set up the nest with AX6 normally bringing in fish a little bit later in the afternoon. This has always been very rewarding for our visitors that are able to observe fish being brought in during opening hours in our centre but has led AX6 to be given the reputation of a useless hunter.

We have expected that it could be that because AX6 is a less dominant male in the area he has taken to fishing later in the day to incur less competition.

I am personally still not holding out hope for a successful season because I have been burned by this pair of ospreys before. We have seen some days where no fish has come onto the nest and on the 1st of May after an interloper was chased off the nest, we had lost sight of the male completely and the female did not solicit for food at all on the nest.

In amongst this turmoil, we have seen a few osprey intruders hanging around the nest. A male had been seen with the leg ring Blue NN2 to our best guess and some other unringed birds that have been making flybys. The bird ringed NN2 was a young male ringed near Fochabers in 2019 so it is possibly his first season back in the area.

In more recent days the female has been less aggressive to these intrusions and it may possibly be due to the lack of male presence around the nest.

This is still a chance that she will lay eggs and the earliest we estimated that could be possible was the 30th of April. If I were her though, I might want to see a more consistent flow of food before I considered sitting on eggs. Just when we think we have seen the last of AX6 he turns up with a smolt in his talons in ways of apology.

Will it be enough to save our season?

Let's wait and see, shall we?

Lichen him to an eagle

2022-04-25T13:45:00Z

Hello! I’m Gareth, and it’s my first year up here in the woods and hills of Abernethy! So far I have loved every minute of my time up here, with plenty to do and see as our evenings get longer.

One thing I have enjoyed while walking around the forest is stopping, silencing my squeaky boots, and listening to the trees come alive around me like the sea. First, I hear the chatter and songs from the chaffinches and siskins replacing the cries and laughter of the gulls and the acrobatics of terns. Second, the creaking groans of the trunks as they shift like a fleet of ships, masts bowed down by a storm in an ocean of needles. The movements of the forest combine to crash and swell as if the sea was all around me and I was caught in its green depths. And I have been caught.

Born down in Girvan, it is this image that makes me feel at home here away from the coast. I like to think our white-tailed eagles are having the same thoughts about being so far from the coast. They are a species I had always associated with the islands. They are survivors though, adapting to their surroundings to flourish, and I hope I can learn a wee bit from them when I’m here (though I will draw the line at nesting in a tree!). What I do share with eagles is a keen interest in lichens, though I am sure that is for completely different reasons. I don’t use them to fill my mattress (I’m not sure I have the time or the will to do that), but I do bring enough back to the house to find them scattered across the carpet, or used as bookmarks. Lichens have always amazed me, the way two organisms unite to help each other survive, how they decorate our trees and rocks, and much like us, their whole appearance changes according to the weather.

I have spent many years studying lichens and it’s a dream to be able to study the beards and rags that adorn our trees, adding colour to the winter, and a wee bit more green to the summer. So, if you are out and about you might just see me looking intensely at the ground or with my head pressed against a tree, it’s alright I am totally fine, I’m just staring at some of our smallest individuals in the forest. It’s more likely you’ll hear my boots first though! It’s going to be a great season and I look forward to watching it change with you all here, in the largest remaining patch of the Caledonian Pine Forest!

Ewan: Lightly seasoned

2022-04-14T13:44:00Z

Very much like salt that enhances most things, Ewan has returned to us once again to share in the highs and the lows of the season. This will be his first time watching chicks being reared on camera at Garten. For choosing to keep returning through the quiet seasons, I think he deserves it! I will pass over to him for some much more eloquent words.

The chirping song of the chaffinch falls from sun-soaked branches. A continual popping sound, like the gentle crackle of a comforting fireplace, shades in the background of the soundscape, as ripening pines cones stretch to greet the quickening season, and burst open to release their contents. A single pine seed catches a shaft of sunlight as it spins lazily down toward the forest floor, in hope of finding a safe spot to germinate and grow nestled in a cushion of moss. By the loch shore, a mayfly emerges from the water to take flight in the brave new world that awaits it above.

Spring has returned to Abernethy, and amongst all the returning emergents and arrivals, there is one that we look forward to above all others. The return of the Nature Team to Loch Garten is a sure sign that spring is arriving. Like a wood ant nest that has lain silent and still through the cold, dark winter months, as the sun’s rays grow in strength the Nature Centre is transformed into a hub of activity as workers emerge from hibernation to begin preparing for the busy season ahead.

Returning for my third season at Loch Garten, I am aware of a growing sense of familiarity with the rhythms of this landscape. The song of the woods is deeply rich and complex, and full of variations, but as I learn to pick out more and more of the different voices in the choir, and come to recognise the rising and falling of the major themes and melodies, I become ever more appreciative of its richness.

I have been in these woods over the winter, too, spending my time since the last Loch Garten season working on the National Capercaillie Survey. It is been an incredible privilege, not just for the occasional fleeting glimpse of these impressive but often shy birds, but to spend so much time in their world, visiting some places where very few people ever go. The future of this species in Scotland remains in the balance, and the data I and my colleagues collected will provide an accurate update of their numbers and distribution, helping to guide and target interventions to safeguard their future through habitat protection and restoration.

In this sense, capercaillie are an umbrella species, dependent upon the whole woodland system operating together. The management interventions we are trialling at Abernethy, to restore habitat for capercaillie, will benefit countless other species, some even rarer than the capercaillie if less showy and well-known, in ways we may not even be able to imagine or understand. Every voice in the song of the woods is in harmony with all of the others, driven by ten thousand years of coexistence and coevolution.

The song is every living being in this place, the sum of their lives and deaths. The song is the way their voices intertwine and come together. To listen to it is to feel peace, humility, and joy. To listen closely is to be invited to join. My job is to share that with you all, as best I can. So come and join us. I look forward to sharing this place with you.

The reintroduction of Sonya to the highlands

2022-04-12T14:03:00Z

It has been a hectic start to the season. We have seen the arrival of white-tailed eagle chicks, a male osprey prospecting our nest and goshawks looking to make important decisions about which nest they will choose. We are keeping our fingers crossed to be able to display the trifecta of breeding raptors across our screens within the centre!

It has been exciting and wonderful to see all the new changes at the centre but with that, I take solace in the feeling of the comfort that comes from a little bit of normality too. Being able to work and socialise with a team once again is always a highlight for me and it is a good feeling when old team members choose to return. I would like to welcome Sonya back to our team for another season. Here is a little word from her.

Hello! I’m Sonya Regular visitors and locals may remember my face from last year, as I came to Loch Garten last June and volunteered at the Nature Centre for about 10 weeks. And in that 10 weeks, I fell in love with so many things about Scotland. The community spirit, the gentler way of life, the pride in and care for the environment, the fairytale beautiful forests, the iconic wildlife, the dark, starry skies… the list could go on and on (and on…..) but I’ll stop there. So when the opportunity arose for me to come back this year and join the team for a full 6 months, there was no way I was going to say no!

I spent my winter working on an organic farm in the Chiltern Hills, in the South of England, learning all about sustainable food production and putting into practice some of my permaculture skills, welcoming nature onto the farm and using it as an ally on the veg patch, rather than waging war against it. I’m glad to have a local greengrocer, farm shop and organic veg box scheme up here in the highlands and really keen to support local small businesses and nature-friendly farming whilst I’m here

The last 2 weeks have been busy and fun, setting up the Nature Centre for re-opening, getting ready to welcome visitors for a fresh, exciting new season, and getting to know new team members. We have also had some really inspiring training sessions, not just with the RSPB, but with our colleagues at Cairngorms Connect and an educational trip to Aviemore to see a screening of ‘Riverwoods’ – a beautifully made documentary about the plight of the Atlantic salmon, how, as a keystone species, it’s decline affects 1000’s of other species and the hugely inspiring work that is happening across the country to restore their habitat and put back what we have taken away from this landscape. It is showing in theatres across Scotland (and in London) over the next few weeks and is absolutely worth a watch.

As I didn’t arrive in the Highlands last year until mid-June, I missed out on Spring. So I’ve never seen the blaeberries without their leaves on before and I’m super excited about watching the forest come to life, seeing the migatory birds return to our shores, and can’t wait to get started on welcoming visitors and seeing the joy on their faces when they experience the magic of this amazing place

Out with the old, in with the new

2022-03-25T10:37:00Z

The name ‘Loch Garten’ has long been synonymous with ospreys, since that first pioneering pair flew over the bog woodland and, as luck would have it, decided to build a nest here in the 1950s. This fortuitous moment began the recovery of the osprey as a breeding bird in Britain and as a species, they have gone from strength to strength across the country. Since 1959 this site has been pretty much as reliable as rain on a Bank Holiday. There have obviously been the odd years when no chicks have fledged from the nest, including a couple of consecutive years and historically, the longest stretch without any fledged young here was three years, between 1985 and 1987. That is, of course, until recently. As we are all painfully aware, the world-famous Loch Garten osprey nest has had no chicks fledge since 2016 and for the last three years we haven’t even had the joy of a resident bird, let alone a resident pair. Having given the nest a good chance to prove that it was still a desirable location, we took the decision that something had to be done to try and once again have the skies above the bog woodland echoing to the sound of a male osprey sky-dancing to impress his mate.

So it was that in the winter of 2019 we asked Roy Dennis if he would come and give us his expert opinion on the state of the Loch Garten nest and its environs. As many of you will know, Roy worked here from 1960 to 1964 and has been involved with the Loch Garten ospreys ever-since – he even ringed our last two fledged chicks in 2016 – so he has a good knowledge of the way conditions have changed as the decades have passed. In a written testimonial giving his recommendations, Roy said that in the early days “the eyrie was in a tall Scots pine, one of three prominent old trees, on a hillock in a peat bog moss. The bog held stunted Scots pines in a wet landscape but over time…tree cover on the hill increased and in recent years reached heights which removed the exposed nature of the nest tree.”

“Ospreys prefer to breed on the top of trees which are prominent in the immediate area; this is to allow them to quickly see and chase off avian predators, for example goshawks, and to give the newly flying young optimum flight lines which avoid crashing into thick foliage. Old breeders can become used to encroaching trees but even they will abandon long held eyries when they become over-shadowed. Young prospecting pairs are very unlikely to use such 'second class' nests.”

So, we decided there was only one thing for it and resolved to take action to improve the chances of ospreys taking up residence at this historic site again by following Roy’s recommendation to reduce the height of the tree canopy in the immediate vicinity of the nest. And then, as we all know, Covid came along and unfortunately, we had to shelve our plans until the winter of 2021.

However, before we could carry out any work, we had to apply for special permission from NatureScot and Scottish Forestry because of designations the site is part of (Special Area for Conservation, Special Protection Area and Site of Special Scientific Interest). This involved a couple of site visits and a lengthy application form, after-which both bodies considered whether our plans would significantly impact on any of the designations and whether the potential benefits would outweigh the actions. Fortunately for the ospreys, both bodies agreed with us that the impact would not be at all significant on the designations and gave us permission to carry out the work.

At the same time, we were getting increasingly concerned about the state of the nest tree itself. Every year, our intrepid wardens lean a lengthy ladder against the tree and climb up to install the cameras and also, if we’re lucky enough to get chicks, to enable the chicks to be ringed. This is no mean feat at the best of times (I’ve done it – never again!) but when the tree your ladder is resting against is held up by telegraph poles and metal bolts and only has one living limb, it’s most definitely a challenge! We were feeling the tree get more of a wobble year on year, so before the inevitable happened we took the decision to remove the old nest (most of which was artificial) and build a brand-new nest in a completely healthy Scots pine, just a few metres from the old nest tree. Again, this needed permission from NatureScot and after another application form and site visit, we were delighted that they saw the sense in our plan and granted us permission to carry out the work.

The old nest being dismantled.

But before we focus on the new Loch Garten nest, let’s just take a moment to reflect on the old tree and the nest it contained. In 1981, for reasons known only to themselves, the resident pair who had usurped the previous pair in 1980, decided to change nest trees. The original 1959 nest tree was evidently not to their liking, so they built a new nest, fortunately just a few metres away in the now old nest tree. They successfully fledged two chicks that year – it evidently suited them! And so began a new era for the Loch Garten ospreys, and it was a very successful one at that. This old nest successfully fledged 60 osprey chicks between 1981 and 2016, 25 of them from our sorely missed EJ. There were eight successful pairings, and a few not so successful. Probably the most famous and productive being EJ and Odin, but then who could forget EJ and Henry? Many, many happy osprey memories and inevitable heartbreak too. It served them, and us, well. We’ve kept the metal basket which supported the frame of the nest as a kind of homage to the tree, just as the barbed wire still surrounds the 1959 – 1980 tree. It all tells a remarkable story.

But time to look forward. So, what of the new nest? We selected a tall Scots pine to the right of both old nest trees – a perfect location for a new des res for ospreys and viewable from the centre. Fraser and Ian, both qualified tree climbers and experienced osprey nest builders, took down the old nest but knew they had a use for the sticks, so these were carefully bundled up for re-use in the new nest (I find this somehow quite comforting to know). In all it took just over half a day for the demolition and rebuilding and we’ve been left with a beautiful new nest, with a stunning outlook and a perfect perch. All we need now is some ospreys!

Old nest sticks waiting to be hauled up the new nest-tree.

The canopy has been thinned surrounding the nest, giving those sight and flight-lines which are so important to ospreys. Though it feels more open out at the nest site itself, the difference is minimal from the centre – a trained eye might be able to tell something looks different, but it’s still a nicely wooded view. The only thing which could improve it, is of course, a new osprey pairing and three (or let’s face it, even just one!) stripy humbug osprey chicks.

In order to give any new birds the best chance of settling without disturbance, we again asked Roy Dennis’s advice and have taken the decision not to have infra-red on this camera (there is always a red light with infra-red and we don’t want to spook any prospective birds). We have also decided not to have the pan-tilt-zoom camera on the camera tower, just in case the movement concerns them. We’ve taken steps up at the centre too and put thin camo netting on the viewing windows (you can still see through them) and won’t be opening them until we have birds on eggs. Local volunteers are providing nest watch out of hours to guard against unwitting disturbance from curious visitors and we have put signs up on the entrances and on the path telling people that the area is now out of bounds. So, we’re doing all we can to ensure any new birds feel safe and secure, now it’s just up to the birds...

To keep an eye on the nest and to watch out for any new arrivals check out the live streamed nest cam, expertly provided by Wildlife Windows and funded by the European Regional Development Fund. RSPB Loch Garten - Live osprey nest cam - YouTube

Apologies for the lack of images - for some reason I couldn't save most of them in a useable format! Arghhh! Technology!