Hamish McHaggis and the Tweed Valley Ospreys 20th May
Author, Linda Strachan and Illustrator, Sally J. Collins creators of the children’s books Hamish McHaggis and his various adventures, came to visit Kailzie Gardens Osprey Watch Centre on Sunday 20th May. Linda and Sally led children’s workshops throughout the day and read their latest Hamish McHaggis stories and introduced all of the characters to the children. They brought wonderful cuddly props of the characters, Jeannie the osprey, Rupert the very knowledgeable hedgehog and Angus the pine marten, not least Hamish himself with his very lovely tartan hat. These delightful creatures travel around the country in their whirrybang vehicle having excellent adventures. Sally led workshops for the children to learn how to draw their favourite Jeannie the osprey character and the drawings produced by the children were excellent. The room was so quiet with all the youngsters listening and concentrating as they drew their own versions of Jeannie and learnt the skills to bring their pictures alive from Sally.
A giant fuzzy felt board has also been created for children to play on and create Hamish pictures of their own. The Hamish books and fuzzy felt will be available at Kailzie all summer.
People were able to watch the live osprey at our main nest live on camera as she sat tight throughout the day incubating her eggs. With less than a week to go before the chicks hatch there is a sense of anticipation at the centres in Kailzie Gardens and Glentress Forest. Will all three eggs hatch?
Windows on Wildlife
Spotted Flycatchers have arrived! The open fronted nest box was put up close to the Osprey Watch Centre at Kailzie Gardens early in spring this year and a camera fixed in position hoping that we would be lucky enough to attract these delightful birds, which were known to nest at the gardens. As we are well into the spring now, we had begun to think that we had been unsuccessful. However, yesterday two spotted flycatchers arrived and were going in and out of the new box for the whole afternoon, investigating what will hopefully become their new home to raise their family. This was so exciting and we will be able to watch their summer spent in the nest box live on camera. Come and visit Osprey Watch and see these wonderful migrants newly arrived from Africa.
Great tits in their box have six chicks, and at only a week old they are beginning to grow feathers. The parents are working furiously hard to deliver big juicy caterpillars to feed the ever, hungry brood.
At Glentress Forest our owl chicks continue to thrive in the box created for them by the Green Team with Forestry Commission Rangers.
Sadly the peregrines have abandoned their eggs due to a rock fall near to their nest, which smashed two eggs leaving two remaining. Hopefully the parents will move to a more suitable nest location and try again.
Osprey chicks are due to hatch this weekend, (26th May). Any time from Saturday onwards we are expecting the chicks to hatch at the main nest. This will be live on camera. Come and see this happen at either Kailzie Gardens or Glentress Osprey Watch Centres.
