The Scottish Wildlife Trust was established in 1964 and has around 50,000 members. It manages 120 reserves across the country and runs visitors centres at Montrose Basin (Angus), Falls of Clyde (Lanarkshire) and Loch of the Lowes (Perthshire). It was to the latter we headed on an early-spring Saturday. The complex is located near Dunkeld and the plan was to have a bite to eat in town before going to watch the wildlife.
Dunkeld (population 1400) lies on the north bank of the River Tay and has been bypassed since 1977. It's impossible to imagine today's traffic volumes crawling over the 1809 stone bridge across the Tay, and along the narrow High Street. As we approached Dunkeld junction on the busy A9, it struck me that this section of road will be highly problematic to dual, as the railway constricts the amount of space available. The ultimate aim is to have two carriageways all the way from Perth to Inverness but the overall project is already several years behind schedule. We parked at the far end of town and picked up a tasty snack from a bakery on the High Street. From there, we wandered down to the river and found a bench. We had fine views of the A-listed seven-arch Thomas Telford bridge, financed by the 4th Duke of Atholl. The holder of this title has long been a major landowner around these parts and is the only person in the UK permitted to assemble a private army - a privilege granted by Queen Victoria. Walking back to the car, we passed Dunkeld Cathedral. Constructed from grey sandstone, the building technically isn't a cathedral (the modern Church of Scotland has no bishops), but the pre-reformation term has stuck in several cases around the country. A five-minute drive brought us to the nature reserve and our membership cards allowed us free entry (regular price £5.50). The SWT territory encompasses 130 hectares of woodland and freshwater loch. Three hides offer views over the water but first we grabbed a hot drink in the visitors centre and sat in front of the observation window that looks into a small glade. We had been here several times before and this viewing station is my personal highlight. It's like taking a seat in a wildlife cinema and we soon spotted a few familiar faces. Various small birds buzzed around the hanging feeders and a handful of mallards waddled around on the forest floor, perhaps looking for easy pickings to hoover up. An appearance by the red squirrel is a pretty safe bet and, sure enough, the cheeky chappie scampered up a trunk to access the nut box. For some reason, a pheasant always seems to strut around here and the colours looked magnificent against a the still-bare trees. I could happily view the proceedings every weekend and never get bored. It was time to move across to the hides and let other people sit behind the glass. Loch of the Lowes is well-known for featuring an osprey nest and as we stood up, the lady behind the desk announced some activity on this front. The female osprey had caught a fish and was busily devouring it in her hidey-hole. We could see the webcam footage on a large screen within the centre and it was fascinating to observe the feast close-up. Ospreys frequently return to the same nest site each year and the accommodation at Loch of the Lowes has been artificially constructed atop a mature Scots pine tree. The reserve has hosted the majestic fish-eaters since 1969. The species was extinct in Britain by the turn of the 20th century (due to persecution) but a single breeding pair returned to Scotland in 1955 and successful reintroduction programmes have allowed numbers to climb steadily over the decades.
The osprey's migration to warmer climes involves an arduous journey to West Africa and the birds set off and return individually, meeting up at the nest the following year to raise more young. Only the female was present today and she had her catch all to herself, which must have been a great feeling! We went over to the hides which are equipped with scopes. The nest platform is 150 metres away and the view through the lens was excellent. A couple of goosander were swimming on the loch and there was a kerfuffle involving mallards. Their reproductive process often consists of "forced copulation" between several males and a solitary female. Violent underwater gang rape would be another way of putting it. Charming! Just think about that the next time you see the public doling out food at the local duck pond, assuming butter wouldn't melt. Back at the woodland viewing glass, the female pheasant appeared on the scene, but this was a mere appetiser. We had heard the drilling sound of a woodpecker after leaving the hide and it duly showed up at the feeding station (first picture). This was closely followed by the emergence of a nut-hatch, flitting around the branches. This plump little bird is widespread across England & Wales and has now gained a foothold in Scotland. It has distinctive colouring. Blue/grey on top with a black stripe across the eye. Both the nut-hatch and great spotted woodpecker were year firsts for Nicole and they were swiftly ticked off the list (or logged on the Birda app, to be more precise). Loch of the Lowes is a great day out, no matter your level of birding expertise. Several easy spots for the beginner and family friendly facilities. You might even see a beaver.
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