Falcons Calling

Out on site at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's reserve at Gight Woods today with a bunch of folk from our local biodiversity action plan woodland ecosystem group (my that was a mouthful).

The reserve is an wonderful place, a regenerating oak woodland with an understory of blackthorn and bird cherry, (or hagberry as it is known on the site) on a sloping site on the banks of the river Ythan.

At one point we were on the north bank of the river, looking over into the reserve woodland when we heard a loud and very distinctive call. The birdies in the group whipped out their binoculars and quickly focussed them on a large adult peregrine falcon loudly defending it's territory (and probably it's nest and maybe chicks) from a branch of a standing dead tree just in front of a craggy outcrop.

It was clearly visible to the naked eye (once you had seen it through the binoculars) but there was no way the camera on my phone would have picked it up so no real life photos I'm afraid.

Instead you'll just have to make do with a friend of the family, Peri, who was purchased by the older of my little ones on our trip to New Lanark the other week.

I had wondered why I found the call so familiar until I remembered this chap. The RSPB are not joking when they say these soft toys have real life calls!