RSPB Scotland Loch Leven's writer in residence Anita John brings us latest sightings from the reserve and is helping to gather stories as part of the 50th anniversay celebrations. Anita writes:
The first swallows have fledged at RSPB Scotland Loch Leven and can be seen on the rafters outside the toilets waiting for their parents to arrive with food. It won't be long before they take to the air themselves.
Further nests can be seen underneath the ramp leading to the cafe, and in the tunnel leading to the hides, with at least ten further youngsters waiting to fledge. We just love their mohican hairstyles!
This week we were enthralled, not only by the swallows, but also by the arrival of a flock of 300 or more swifts to the reserve on Thursday. They filled the air with their summer-high screeching cries and gyroscoped over the still waters and the woodland paths to gather insects which were present in abundance. It's suggested swifts can fly "a daily average of 500 miles," and wherever they had come from they were a joy to watch. (1)
Other joys at the moment are the many chicks to be seen on the loch including lapwings, redshanks, shovelers, little grebes, coots and mute swans. There are two pairs of mute swans with cygnets - one with six and the other with three.
They can often be seen on the walk towards Findatie. Today three cygnets were sighted - with their white downy breasts and grey backs they are super-bouyant, and had great fun experimenting with appearing and disappearing into the water under close supervision of their parents.
Mixed flocks of 20 or more tree sparrow and goldfinch have been seen flitting between the trees and the wildflower banks on the wetland trail. Adults are obviously taking the juveniles out for a general explore - they were feeding, sitting on the fence lines and enjoying drinks from the many puddles along the way!
Other interesting sightings over the past fortnight have included an otter close to the Carden Hide. Check out the video here.
A spoonbil arriving at the reserve for just one day. Read more about it here.
And Alex Gilfillan had the great pleasure of spending 20 minutes at the Gillman Hide watching our resident kingfisher in all his splendour!
Photo credits: swallows (Alice O'Rourke & Anita John); mute swan (Alex Gilfillan); tree sparrow (Paul Ashcroft); otter (Paul Ashcroft); spoonbill (Adrian Plumb); kingfisher (Alex Gilfillan).
Reference: (1): Max Nicholson, quoted in Birds Britannica by Mark Cocker and Richard Mabey, (Chatto & Windus 2005)