We’ve had a great week here at the visitor centre. May is a wonderful month for nature; we’ve already been hearing cuckoo calls and have been lucky to have see the mandarin duck and pine marten from the feeding station. We have some exciting experiences lined for up for May which we hope you will come and join us for!

Things to look forward to in May:

Osprey Chicks:

Our osprey eggs are likely to hatch from around the 21st/22nd of May. The first osprey chick in the UK hatched this morning (06/05/18) at Manton Bay at Rutland Water. Hopefully, we will get 3 chicks this year and will have many visitors over the summer to watch our chicks grow and fledge!

Great Crested Grebe Eggs:

The great crested grebes have been mating and have started to build their nest, so we look forward to getting eggs! Great crested grebes nest on the water, constructing nests from aquatic plants with firm anchorage. They usually will have a clutch of 3-4 eggs, laid at 2 day intervals. We can hope to see chicks hatch at in early June, if we do get eggs this year.

Amphibian Wildlife Trail:

We have a new woodland wildlife trail throughout May for children to come and explore. This month our trail is all about amphibians. They have the opportunity to learn lots of amphibian facts, as well as being able to complete a quiz about what they have learned and other fun activities.

Beaverwatch, Wednesday 9th and 23rd May:

We still have a few more spaces on our Beaverwatch event this week. Beaverwatch runs from 7-9pm and involves a talk about beavers and their reintroduction to Scotland. You also get the chance to see the beavers themselves, with our volunteers looking out for them while you enjoy you the talk. If you are interested in booking, either call the visitor centre on 01350 727337, look on the events page on our website, or pop in to speak to one of us.

SSPCA Visit:

We will have a visit from our local Scottish SPCA officer between 11am and 3pm. There will be talks throughout the day and the opportunity to ask any wildlife questions you can think of!

Tales of Beatrix Potter, Sunday 27th May:

Join us for an afternoon of magical storytelling featuring the tales of Jeremy Fisher and Mr Tod, read by Lindsey Gibb. There will be readings at 2pm and 2:30pm, with information about the animals that inspired Beatrix Potter’s classic stories.

30 Days Wild:

Can you do something wild for 30 days during June? The Wildlife Trusts challenge you to do so and can help you out with a free 30 days wild pack! You can order a pack either in our visitor centre or online: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/30-days-wild/

We hope that we will see you soon!

Olivia Cooper

Visitor