Returners

So the wetlands have been undeniably wild over the weekend and seemingly into this week, with high winds and horizontal rain making their way across the drumlins and marshes at the reserve. Despite this though some of the first spring migrants have been spotted, with several sightings of swallows, sand martins, chiff-chaff and willow tit all documented. Looking forward to some more sights like this one from last year:

In a similar vein, we welcome the return of our osprey volunteers, who will now be regularly on hand with information and a scope at the osprey viewing platform (or in the comparative safety of Castle Hide when the weather is like it has been!) On your walk round the reserve stop, say hello and catch up on the latest osprey activity.

A sighting of both ospreys together has been a little elusive over the past few days, with only one being seen at any one time. Both male and female behaviour has been noted however, including displaying, hunting, nest building and nest occupation, so there are a number of possibilities as to what's going on. Often our schedule means that we get to spend less time at the platform than we might like, so the time given by the osprey volunteers is greatly appreciated and allows us to keep a closer track on the birds' activities.