As winter slowly recedes, wildlife watching gets a little bit easier, with longer days and warmer temperatures. Many landscapes get that bit greener as the leaves return and many species find mates. Throughout spring lots of new arrivals start to appear, some as a result of a busy breeding season and some arriving from distant shores as early summer migrants.

Read on to find out some of our favourite wildlife to spot in spring.

Osprey

One of our most anticipated events of the year is the arrival of osprey to our Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve. After travelling up to 5,000km from West Africa, osprey begin to arrive in Scotland anytime from March to April. Although they will migrate individually, most osprey tend to mate for life so their return is not only to their nesting site but also to their partner.

Osprey have been seen at Loch of the Lowes since 1969, at which time the nest there was one of only five known osprey nests in the UK. They have returned to Loch of the Lowes most years and have successfully fledged 89 chicks on the reserve since then. You can find out more about osprey in our fact file.

Check out our live webcam to check in on the nest and see if the osprey are back and how they are doing!

Scurrying squirrels

As the weather warms, one of our most iconic mammals becomes more active. Red squirrels don’t hibernate during the winter but spring can be a good time to spot them as they may venture to the ground in search of bulbs to eat. Kits (the name for baby red squirrels) are normally born around February time and will start to emerge from mid-April. Keep an eye out for them as they tentatively explore the areas around their drey!

To find out more about red squirrel activity in spring, head over to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels website.

“For me, Spring brings the whole gamut of life!”

– Rab Potter, North East Reserves Manager

Sounds of Spring

It’s not just squirrels that burst into life during spring. The warmer weather brings out a whole host of wonderful wildlife and many of them have something to say! Bumblebees can be heard buzzing from as early as March and birds start to sing that bit louder in an effort to attract a mate for breeding season. The soundtrack of spring is particularly lively on the coast around breeding seabird colonies. Guillemots and razorbills begin gathering, with puffins joining them, adding a splash of colour along cliffs and nesting sites.

Reserves to visit this spring

Handa Island – An internationally important breeding site for seabirds, Handa Island sits off the north-west coast of Scotland. Each spring, Handa becomes home to tens of thousands of nesting seabirds that use the cliffs to lay eggs and make the most of the rich waters around the island.

Falls of Clyde – While the Falls of Clyde is a fantastic place to visit year-round, spring is a particularly good time. The woods ring with the songs of returning migrants like chiff chaff, garden warblers and blackcaps complementing the sounds of the roaring river nearby. Spring is also a fantastic time to spot the resident badgers who become more active with the warmer evenings.