White Tailed Eagles

I live near to Loch Leven and have been trying to spot them for a while, although I don't think I was on the right side of the loch!  But this time with reports of daily sightings from Vane Farm I decided to try my luck watching from there on Christmas Day morning just after sunrise, despite being ill with a nasty flu-like virus!

I wasn't disappointed - I saw one of the White Tailed Eagles!  It was easy to spot against the white snow. I was scanning the area with the binoculars and saw it in the distance - the huge wingspan standing out perfectly against the snow-covered landscape. It flew quite low a couple of times, disappeared from view for a while and then I spotted it standing on the snow near a bush. It flapped it's wings ocassionally and then didn't do much more!

Unfrotunately it was quite misty that morning, so the photo I have of it is a very distant blurry blob!!

I actually went down there for an hour this afternoon as the weather was perfect, but didn't see it. Most of the snow is gone although the Loch is still quite frozen.

I was lucky enough to have one of this year's WT eagle releases fly low over my garden at the end of Aug, my first ever sighting - only a few feet in height from me. Wish I'd been able to get a photo of that one!

Hello Karen,

Sounds like you had a lovely magical moment there, despite your flu ! Lucky You. Hope you are recovered now.

I am heading off tomorrow for Holy Island for the weekend with my camera to see what I can see :)

But might head up to Vane on Tues  weather depending! hope I get lucky and manage to see one too.

Best Regards

Rhona

Hi Rhona,

Hope you managed to get to Vane Farm today, the weather is lovely and clear. If you did, hope  you were lucky enough to see the WT Eagle.

I haven't been back since last week, I'd like to be able to spend a bit longer in the day there than I did before. Plus the road here is a bit icy so don't fancy getting out of the drive at the moment. Not sure what the car parks at Vane Farm or Findatie are like either. I was at Findatie last time, and walked along the loch side.

Ello Karen.

I did get up to vane farm, and oh my goodness it was treacherous underfoot, my friend fell twice !

En route to the waterston hide, carrying all my kit, my friend shouted from some distance behind, EAGLE, and low and behold, there it was !!!!! was I ready for it NO!  my camera was not set up properly, I had no tripod, as my friend was carrying it for me, she was so in awe of the WT Eagle, she could not hear me shouting," Gimmie my tripod quick " so I had to lie on my back against the embankment and hand hold my 800mm, so the shots I managed to get were not very good, but non the less I saw my first WT EAGLE  whooo hoooooo.

As the Loch was ice bound there were no waders to be seen, however I did manage to snap a kestrel and some swans too. we climbed to the top of Benarty, what a stunning view, it was covered in hard crusty snow, you could see loads of deer tracks, there were lots of blue tits, robins, chaffinches etc flying around.

I will definitely be back up as soon as I can, possibly next week, what a lovely place, great Cafe and viewing area, nice friendly and helpful staff too, great fonts of knowledge.

Apologies for the poor quality photos, I will be back prepared next time hee hee

Can't keep away from the place now :)

Was back on Tuesday, weather was a tad dull, but there was a slight thaw, the paths were flooded, but it was good fun navigating through the water to the hides.

Had a hide all to myself " Great "

Bumped into an ex workmate whom I had not seen in 6 years !!!! how spooky is that?

Here is the view from one of the hides

Lovely photos, good to hear you like it there :-)  I've yet to visit the hides, hope to when I have time to be able to sit in them for a while.

I went for a walk there on Friday and sat on a nice stone bench about halfway between Vane Farm and the car park further down the road, looking through the binoculars for a while. The wind was quite strong and cold though.

Hoping to head back this week sometime, weather/work permitting.