The Hub will be having a BBQ at the Buzzards Nest from 7pm on the 1st June 2007, with the night time trial starting from the Bus at around 9.30pm.
There will be music, BBQ, demo bikes and rides. More information at the TransScotland website or the Hub website.
A very exciting spring at our osprey nesting sites began with the return of females from their wintering grounds in Africa to spend the summer in the Borders. The females took up residence at their nests and waited for their partners from the previous year to return. Bad weather over the Mediterranean held up the males by about ten days and when they finally began to make their journey, new males had reached the area before them and were turning up at the sites, causing quite a stir with our females.
An exciting visitor to the main nest was a black ringed male bird with 07 lettering on it. We have managed to trace this bird as being from Forestry Commission lands in Fochabers Forest District who was ringed as a chick on 6th July 1999 who hatched out in 1999.
He turned out to be no prince charming and attempted to steal the females fish which she was quite upset about. Luckily her partner of four years returned the next day on 17th April. We know this is the same bird because he has a white leg ring with SS lettering and is originally from Aberfoyle. After mating frequently over a period of several days, eggs were laid in the nest. The first one was seen on 21st April, the second 25th April and then on 6th May after the female stood up to turn the eggs a third egg has been revealed.
The earliest date we are likely to see the chicks begin to hatch is 26th May.
Windows on Wildlife update
The Tawny owls have three fluffy chicks and this family will be recorded on to DVD and the latest highlights will be shown in both Glentress and Kailzie Gardens Osprey Watch Centres.
Cameras have just been installed onto a peregrine nest and this will be recorded and the latest footage will be shown in the centres within the next couple of weeks.
The great tit has begun to incubate her clutch of seven eggs. This is a live camera nest box and can be viewed daily at Kailzie Gardens Osprey Watch.
