Spring is in the air and summer certainly feels like it's around the corner, even after the snowy cover we experienced last week at RSPB Loch Leven. It's also another great week for wildlife sightings with swallows starting to build their nests in the courtyard, sixteen goslings were spotted in one goose family and a pied wagtail has been working hard on it's nest under the solar panel.
We're on the look out for nests spots so let us know if you see any and we'll pop up one of our nestwatch signs. If you are interested in learning more about how birds communicate and how to get to know bird songs then we have a few spaces left on our Summer Birdsong course on Sunday 15 May, run by local bird expert Scott Paterson this comes highly recommended.
Big news of the weekend was the young red squirrel family which was sighted in a kestrel nest box on our hill trail, two squirrel pups were playing on the tree, biting off tree buds and having a great time, very appropriate as we had our family fun weekend. We did indeed build the biggest nest we've ever had on the reserve!
On the wetlands we have had sightings of a black tailed godwit, pochards, redshanks, little ringed plovers, great crested grebes, little grebes, common sandpipers and hundreds of tufted ducks. A yellowhammer was spotted by the 1st hide and we've had lots of wheatears reported to the visitor centre.
It's great to see lots of lapwings nesting as they are a priority for this reserve, our reserve team are keeping an eye on them to monitor the survival rate of the chicks.
Up into the woodlands we've had sightings of the short-eared owls, red grouse and also a white throat. Bullfinches and siskins have been spotted in the wildlife garden and around the visitor centre we've had swifts, swallows and sand martins swooping together and a treecreeper climbing on the wall outside the classroom.
Remember to keep us posted with what you see when you are out and about!
Photo credits: Goslings & lapwing chick - Alex Gilfillan, nestwatch & giant nest - Alice O'Rourke, little ringed plover - Paul Ashcroft