Welcome to a new week. Check back to last week's chat for news. Linda is spending weekend with Tomasz. Annette has been told to slow down . . . by Brenda who sounds just as busy! Alan has been wandering shops again.
Beautiful pic OG love the colour.
Margobird
Oh, OG! That photo is WONDERFUL. I love that color. I would paint a room that color!
I know everyone is watching ospreys, but there's a barn owl in the BOT barn right now. Even though the pair nested at another site, the male has now been coming back to roost in the nestbox and in the barn at the original site. He and his mate have two owlets at the alternative site, so I assume he's hunting in the barn, too.
BOT Barn
BOT Nestbox
Joan: Hope this makes you feel better! Take care of yourself!
Hi Diane bother I missed the owl, just had a look and the box is empty.
Joan – so sorry that you have not been feeling well. The Calendula flower was to be for you, but when it uploaded so fast, I decided I must get it sent before it changed its mind, so I hope you won’t mind sharing it!
Gary – this trip just coming up is Tuesday this coming week to the next Tuesday – only in Ayrshire, as a base for which to get easily into Glasgow for Grandson’s wedding. The next trip will be to Grantown for the Meet! There had been a possibility of Son joining us for part of that, then I decided that we could have plenty of time for him as we had booked 4 nights at our usual B&B. Have now discovered that when we go up to Grantown, he will already have come down our way to help at a youth camp virtually on the Border! However, he will be travelling back up on the Thursday, and so we can spend the Friday with him. Upshot is you will only meet the two of us – my OH (“Eagle-Eye” on here) and me. We look forward to meeting you.
Diane – I also like the colour, but also like it contrasted with the paler ones – they are in two window boxes on the side and end of our shed, but photos of whole boxes got a weird reflection. Pleased Barn Owls eventually produced young – and there are loads of Voles available to feed them this year.
We had same weather in a different order today – fine morning but showery afternoon – okay again now.
Been talking to Daughter#2 on phone (Mother of the Bridegroom). SiL dropped the Bridegroom and Best Man at Ardnamurchan this morning for their final brotherly fling. Forgive me if I mentioned this before, but I hadn’t previously grasped the timescale. They will have cycled from the Peninsula to somewhere around Spean Bridge today, on to Grantown tomorrow (for an overnight with Son – their Uncle), then to Peterhead on Sunday, on their coast-to-coast in aid of “Maggie’s” hospices. Daughter reckons it has been arranged to give the younger one some anecdotes for his Best Man speech at the wedding!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Hi everyone, I just got back from 9 days down in the Scottish Borders, and I have missed so much while I was away, taking ages just to read the daily update, so I havent even tried to read the weekly chat.
We did visit the Tweed Valley Osprey Centre while we were down there and I thoroughly enjoyed it, we had the place to ourselves, there was only two volunteers working but they were so nice and friendly. You cannot see the nest there, they keep the location secret, but they do have a HD TV monitor so the live cam from the nest is very clear, at one point all 5 birds were on the nest, it was rather crowded, they have 3 chicks and they had just been ringed the previous week. They do not have the finances to tag the chicks.
They also have a live webcam in a swallows nest which is in the tree just outside the centre. They were ringing wild birds while we were there so I was delighted to see them so close up, the guy who was doing this was so full of information about the birds it was so interesting, it took no longer than 4 or 5 mins. I would recommend a visit there if you are in the area, it is in Kailzie Gardens just outside Peebles.
This photo was taken from the monitor sorry about the lines.
We are off up to Loch Garten on Monday, so can't wait to see Tore and Bynack hopefully doing some helicoptering!!!!
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
See now Mary it was the handler doing the ringing, holding the birds and not your OH, apologies. Posted about the above on the LG update page.
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
Mary – sounds like a good stay in the Borders. Went to Kailzie Garden a couple of years ago (longish day trip from here) and loved it. We also found the staff at their Osprey Centre very helpful. They had a Blue Tit nest in the adjacent tree on screen that year! Lucky you, seeing the songbirds at close quarters during the ringing, and getting such good photos of them. We also tried Glentress Forest on that trip, but couldn’t find our way around – all centred on biking. But there is a new visitor centre now, which is supposed to be more inclusive, for bikes, walkers and birders, so may try that again one fine day.
Unlikely to post before eveing tomorrow - need to leave dinner in oven set for when we get back from dragonfly watching.
Been quite busy today sorting out all my linen etc now that the new shelves are up and running so to speak. Friendly builder arrived as promised today and completed his task of putting up shelves. Only one more project to complete and that is the cutting down to fence level of the leylandii hedge, topping and drastically pruning the cherry tree in the back garden and a tree at the front which has exploded in growth, probably due to the hard winter and warm spring.
Saw that Atlantis has taken off successfully which is great news. Remember watching all the earlier space trips and the capsules landing in the sea ready for pickup. Fascinating watching to see that they came through the atmosphere safely.
Just watching some serious wingersizing going on by both Tore and Bynack with their chirps in between.
OG - thats wonderful news about your son doing a weeks voluntary work in a youth camp.That is so very noble of your grandson and his best man to cycle the coast to coast for Maggies hospices, at least it could be a speech and a half, Hope the wedding goes well.
Joan - sorry to hear that you have not been feeling too good, do get better soon.
Lovely cheerful picture, OG and on that note, all have a happy weekend and good luck Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in the British Grand Prix.
Lynette D said: See now Mary it was the handler doing the ringing, holding the birds and not your OH, apologies. Posted about the above on the LG update page.
LOL no apologies necessary Lynette....
Unknown said: Mary – sounds like a good stay in the Borders. Went to Kailzie Garden a couple of years ago (longish day trip from here) and loved it. We also found the staff at their Osprey Centre very helpful. They had a Blue Tit nest in the adjacent tree on screen that year! Lucky you, seeing the songbirds at close quarters during the ringing, and getting such good photos of them. We also tried Glentress Forest on that trip, but couldn’t find our way around – all centred on biking. But there is a new visitor centre now, which is supposed to be more inclusive, for bikes, walkers and birders, so may try that again one fine day.
OG - Yes we had a great time, weather was brilliant too. I was absolutely delighted to see those birds, he also had a greenfinch too, he did that first then the Great Tit, I said oh my favourite's are the Goldies, and the guy says oh you just missed me doing one about 30 mins ago, and I went oh darn I missed it, then he says to me whats this then, I was over the moon when I saw him bring the goldie out of the bag and then ring it. I was amazed at how calm the birds were. He was such a nice guy his knowledge was incredible, I didnt even think to ask him his name. I checked the Glentress website and it said it was closed so we didnt go there. So maybe if you are thinking of going give them a ring first to see that it is open.