Friday, 14 June 2019
The birthday party Lady Angela Buchan-Hepburn, Iain and Norma Coates and Tony Lightley cutting the cake Saturday 8 June was a truly nostalgic day for the Tweed Valley Osprey project, as we celebrated the 20th birthday of our male osprey, White Leg SS. It was a lovely time to reminisce and reflect on the achievements of the osprey project over the past two decades. The day was filled with much...
Tuesday, 11 June 2019
At our destinations across Scotland, mountain biking is one of the most enduringly popular outdoor activities. Nothing beats the thrill of an adrenaline-charged downhill dash! Scottish mountain bikers and overseas visitors have a range of different challenges, terrains and organised races to choose from, right in their backyard, from Laggan Wolftraxx near Aviemore and Moray Monster Trails ...
Monday, 10 June 2019
It’s National Bike Week (8-16 June)! There’s no better time to jump on your bike and enjoy Scotland’s great outdoors. Whether you haven’t cycled since you were a kid, or your once beloved bike has lain forgotten in the garage for longer than you care to admit, don't hesitate. Dust off that saddle, polish up your bell and don your helmet, it’s time for a two wheeled adventure!
Wednesday, 05 June 2019
A 20th birthday and 3 chicks Proud parents watch their first chick hatch 29 May 4pm. The first of SS and Mrs O’s brood for 2019 hatched on 29 May at 4pm. The hatching was witnessed by Lorna Corley-Jackson, the volunteer on duty, who was delighted and very moved by the event. As we reported last week, she said “I’m thrilled, it was one of the most special events of my life. It will live w...
Friday, 31 May 2019
Proud parents watch their first chick hatch, 29 May 4pm. SS and Mrs O hatched their first chick on Wednesday 29 May at 4pm. Volunteer Lorna Corley Jackson was lucky enough to be on duty in the Wild Watch Room at Glentress Forest, where she was able to record the little one hatching as the proud parents stood by. “I’m so thrilled, it was one of the most special events of my life,” s...
Wednesday, 29 May 2019
Waiting for hatch time This will be an exciting week for our main nest birds, White leg SS and his partner Mrs O, because their chicks are due to hatch. The first egg was laid on Easter Sunday, and then a second on 24 and a third on 26 April. Osprey incubation is for a period of between 37 to 40 days, so on 28 May it was officially 37 days since the laying of the first egg. There is no delay t...
Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Our live camera feed is back up! The live camera feed hosted by Forestry and Land Scotland is currently back up and running. The feed suffers from slow broadband issues, but we have people in the field working on a solution. Although intermittent at times, the feed is back. You can still see videos from the feed, updated every week, on our Osprey Playlist. Here are the highlights from this week! ...
Thursday, 16 May 2019
All is quiet It has been a quiet and uneventful week on the main osprey nest, which is a good thing, as both birds are quite settled. Mrs O is sitting on her three eggs, while SS continues to brings fish for her. If she leaves her eggs to feed on the perch beside the nest, SS takes a turn looking after the eggs. It’s domestic bliss, for now at least! Have a look at the latest videos from the ...
Monday, 13 May 2019
Known in Japan as 'shinrin-yoku' which translates as "taking in the forest atmosphere" or "forest bathing" – was developed in Japan during the 1980s. It may sound simple, but forest bathing offers a timeless truth - time spent in a forest and amongst nature reduces stress and promotes a feeling of wellbeing. There is even a healthy body of research supporting the idea t...
Monday, 13 May 2019
SS drops in with a fish for Mrs O Birthday celebration for SS 20th The Friends of Kailzie Wildlife has successfully been awarded a grant for Tweed Valley Osprey Project to hold a celebration to mark the 20th birthday of white leg SS, the male osprey on the main nest since 2004. To mark the occasion we are holding a celebration in the Osprey Centre at Kailzie Gardens on 8 June, and will be havi...
Thursday, 09 May 2019
The photo above, taken last week by one of our rangers in the North Highlands, shows a black grouse, with its unmistakable postbox-red crest and blue-black feathers. The ‘lekking’ season is when black grouse breed, and a few of our destinations have been affected, with roadworks in Galloway Forest Park delayed in order to give the grouse population room to manoeuvre. “Not wanting to g...
Friday, 03 May 2019
In 2009, the area around Knapdale forest was chosen for a very special project. The plan was to reintroduce a beaver population into the wild in Scotland, and scientifically monitor their impact on the environment. Thus far, it has been a huge success, providing huge amounts of data about these industrious creatures. The original beavers, brought in from Norway as part of the Scottish Bea...
Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Scotland’s forests hold many secrets. Tales of the past echo in the stillness of the trees and ruins remain as a testament to days gone by. September 2018 is Scottish Archaeology Month, and what better way to celebrate than a journey into the past, and a whistle-stop tour of our top ten sites of archaeological interest… Archaeology in the forest 1. Knock Farril Pictish hill fort, Bla...
Wednesday, 01 May 2019
It has been a very busy week on the main osprey nest in the Tweed Valley. The resident pair, Mrs O and SS have settled down together for the season. After laying an egg on Easter Sunday, Mrs O then went on to lay two more over the next few days. Egg number 2 arrived on Wednesday 24 April, and the volunteer on duty on Friday 26 April got a lovely surprise when she found a third egg that morning. ...