On the plus side, it’s been dry and sunny; on the negative side, its been COLD! As a result, the birds have shunned the frozen ponds and kept to Vane bay; mainly, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted ducks, Whooper and Mute swans, with an occasional Goosander. Long-tailed tits have been regular visitors, and four Waxwings made an appearance on the 6th near the Visitors Centre.
The highlights, however, have continued to be the raptors, with White-tailed Eagles continuing to visit St Serfs on a regular basis. Monday, the 10th saw visits by two eagles, a red-tagged juvenile (2011 release) in the morning, and a turquoise-tagged adult (2009 release) exhibiting the white tail and pale head, in the afternoon. The show wasn’t over yet, as a male Hen Harrier then appeared and proceeded to hunt in the reeds to the west of the Carden hide. As an added bonus, these could be viewed from the telescopes in the warmth of the cafe.
At the weekend, Caroline, our Visitor Experience and Events Officer, whilst visiting on her day off (very keen) managed to spot a Red Grouse whilst walking up on the hill.
The latest goose numbers for Loch Leven (3rd December), part of the NNR survey involving Vicky, our warden, stand at 17,300 Pink-footed Geese and 600 Greylag Geese.