Hello all,
This week we have seen George bringing in a few fish for EJ, and he has also spent some time incubating the eggs and attempting to mate again. Who knows? Maybe he is finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together and we remain optimistic at Loch Garten that in time, he could be a loyal and successful partner for EJ.
George incubating the eggs after giving EJ a fish!
EJ is spending some of her time perched on the nearby camera tree and also on the nest. We have seen her doing some housekeeping by bringing sticks back to the nest and she has defended her nest against intruders – as she always does! As far as we know, for the last couple of days, she has enjoyed the fruitfulness of George’s fish and hasn’t gone fishing for herself. She was last sighted successfully catching herself dinner at Rothiemurchus fish farm on the 25th May.
EJ perched on the camera tree in the sunshine.
We have some unfortunate news regarding Gloria the goldeneye’s eggs – which haven’t hatched again this year. However, other females have managed to successfully breed with chicks being spotted on Loch Garten and Loch Mallachie.
However, other life abounds on Abernethy at the moment, with increasing red squirrel and bank vole activity around our feeders - potentially due to the incredibly sunny weather we have been blessed with!
Bank vole right in front of the visitor centre.
We have also had many sightings of female ducks with their young. Almost every day at the centre we see a female mallard lead her chicks safely across the road and into the car park to our bird feeders next to the kiosk. It’s amazing to see them scavenging through the pine cones to find seeds dropped by the other birds (siskin, chaffinch and coal tits mostly).
As always, we will update you with more information as it happens but until then it's bye from me!