RSPB Scotland Loch Leven's writer in residence Anita John brings us news from the reserve along with wildlife sightings and upcoming events. Anita is a poet and author who is helping to gather stories of the reserve in 2017 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations.
Today is a beautiful bright blue day at RSPB Scotland Loch Leven. The first hawthorn leaves are open and green leaf buds are clearly visible on many trees; the white pussy willow shines in the sunshine, as do the yellow catkins of hazel trees. There are white waves on the loch - perfect conditions for the goldeneyes, with many pairs splashing, diving and feeding in the choppy waters. I've regularly seen these diving ducks towards Findatie. Even from a distance the males are striking, with their dark green-black heads and black tails clearly visible. The females stay close by and can be spotted by their distinctive chesnut-brown heads. I haven't yet got close enough to see the bright eyes for which the goldeneyes are named but here's a female of the species - a perfect example of that wonderfully striking eye colour!
The other wildfowl I always see on first arrival at the reserve are the mute swans. Today I saw a pair down by the Gillman hide with their pinky-orange beaks and six flying towards St Serfs Island, their long necks outstretched.
From the Carden Hide there were numerous wildfowl sheltering from the fierce wind and it was great to see pintails, teals, wigeons, mallards and tufted ducks all within one field of view in the scope. Just out of focus, in the background, were gadwalls.
From the Gillman Hide we were entertained by a pair of coots, and also by a pair of moorhens which made their way out of the water to forage under the bird-feeders. They were so close we could see their vibrant yellow-green legs and the small ring of orangey-red where the legs meet the body, exactly the same colour as the splash of the orangey-red beak. The very tip of this beak ends with a band of bright yellow.
It amazes me how colourful the wildfowl are when you really look at them. Which explains why wildfowl feathers were so sought after during the Victorian era and why the RSPB was first established to stop the barbarous trade! The feathers of the little egret and pintails were most desirable and Robin Hill notes in his book "Scottish Birds," "that four pintail nests were discovered on Loch Leven in 1898". (1) According to Mark Cocker, the pintails are still one of our "rarest, resident dabblers," with a little over 30 pairs nesting annually in Britain and Ireland. (2) So it's great to see them at Loch Leven with their long, needle-like tails intact:
And of course, the reserve feels extra special and extra spring-like with the return of the curlews and lapwings. Flocks of 150 plus curlew and 50 plus lapwings have been sighted daily during the first few days of March and here's a lapwing doing his or her welcome home dance!
Not to mention the kingfishers, redpolls, fieldfares, skylarks, sparrowhawk and peregrine falcon that have all made their presence felt this week. As David Munro said in his wonderful talk on Tuesday night, Loch Leven really is "the great meeting place and sanctuary" for wildlife. (3)
Until next week!
Anita
References: (1): Scottish Birds, Culture and Traditions by Robin Hill, Mercat Press, 2001
(2): Birds Britannica by Mark Cocker & Richard Mabey, Chatto & Windus, 2005
(3): Loch Leven, "The Great Meeting-Place and Sanctuary" (John Guille Millais) by David Munro, 2015
Photo credits: Goldeneye (Paul Ashcroft); Mute swans (Alex Gilfillan); Pintail (Alex Gilfillan); Lapwing (Alex Gilfillan)