Weather, weather and more weather, that’s been the story of Tollie this week, we’ve had everything apart from warmth, I’m glad I dug out the big boots and woolly vest last weekend.

However, this weather has not put off the birds coming to Tollie with an increase in all the main players and good displays by the Kites, especially if a sneaky Buzzard should try and get a feed from the table.  I’ve been seeing a few flocks of 30+ Fieldfare in the trees and fields around Tollie, or perhaps it was the same flock a few times, either way they are nice to see, though it’s their ‘Chacker chack’ call that usually first alerts you to their presence.  Chacker chack, now that brings back memories of Friday afternoons when I was a lad.

Most of our satellite tag birds are still knocking around the area, and the one that was down in Peebles last week is now on the way back north and is at the moment in Angus.  Our colleagues at Argaty have sent a photo of one of the Kites from north Scotland feeding down there; it’s always nice to see what they are up to.

We have also been getting up to three untagged Kites feeding at Tollie, these birds are very popular with photographers, so we have seen an increase in them too, and to help them we have cut more holes in the viewing wall and at better heights, so you no longer have to be very tall or very small to use it.

That’s me for this blog, I’m going to attempt to put some photos on, so if you don’t see them you will know I failed miserably, but they will be available on the photos page.

One final word, should you visit Tollie during the bad weather please take care driving and walking the snow does get very deep up there.  If the track gets too bad I will be closing the Visitors Centre down (we do still feed) a sign at the entrance to the track will let you know if this has happened.