It’s been a lovely week at Montrose Basin, with both the weather and the wildlife exceeding our expectations.

Continued daily sightings of the Kingfisher on the perch in front of the Sand Martin wall have left many of our visitors in awe of its immense beauty, and rightly so.

Speaking of Sand Martins, we have begun to see the tiny heads of a second brood of chicks come from the holes in the wall. It’s now only a matter of time until the juveniles begin to fledge; something which we are all very excited about.

Meanwhile, now that the juvenile birds of prey from any nearby nests are bound to have fledged, we have had a good number of ospreys, buzzards and the occasional peregrine falcon visiting the reserve. With the low tides which have occurred most days this week, we’ve been able to see the ospreys fishing and ultimately eating their catches.

Also, we’ve been seeing around 200 Canada Geese and 50 Greylag Geese, which hopefully means that the Pink-Footed Geese won’t be too far behind.

This is but a small handful of the wildlife which can be seen on Montrose Basin, so why not experience it for yourself? We’re open daily from 10:30-17:00, and there’s always something to see from our windows no matter how high or low the tide is!

Don’t miss out on our double event this coming Sunday, 16^th August. At 9am we will host a bird ringing demonstration, and immediately after this, from 11am until 5pm, join the BTO to learn about wetland bird identification, followed by an opportunity to put these skills into practice on the reserve! Places are limited so booking is absolutely essential!

David Murray – Visitor Centre Assistant