Mighty
forest  |
Queen Elizabeth Forest Park covers 50,000 acres of woodlands, rivers, lochs,
moorland and mountains, and boasts some of the finest scenery in Scotland. | | Outstanding natural
beauty in Scotland. Photo - Forestry Commission |
The
area lies on top of the Highland boundary fault, a massive geological feature
that marks a change in the landscape of Scotland. It marks the geological
division between highland and lowland areas. There are great panoramic views
around Aberfoyle from where visitors can see 15 or 16 miles of continuous woodland.
The main visitor centre, the David Marshall Lodge in Aberfoyle, is a good
place to start your search for wildlife. Birds
of prey  The
Queen Elizabeth Park is famous for its birds of prey, and there's a special 30
mile long trail which can be covered by car, bus, on foot or by bike.
Amongst
the birds of prey are Merlin, Kestrel, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Red Kite, Osprey,
Buzzard, Hen Harrier, Golden Eagles and all Britain's species of owls. It's
particularly good for Ospreys - these birds returned to Scotland to breed around
50 years ago after an absence of almost 30 years. Head off to Lake
of Menteith on the trail - this is the area where the Jacobite rebels called on
the clansmen to gather to fight the English. They asked them to come "armed
to the teeth", hence the name Menteith. It's the only lake in Scotland
called a 'lake' and not a 'loch', and it's a stronghold for the Osprey. Osprey
haven  The
bird was depleted in numbers due to its persecution by Victorian egg and skin
collectors during the 19th and early 20th Century.
It stopped breeding in
England in 1840 and in Scotland in 1916. Then they began nesting again
in 1954 after birds from Scandinavia found their way to Scotland again. This
spectacular bird largely nests in Scotland and in just a few places in England. Today
numbers of this stunning bird are increasing steadily each year - there are 200
pairs in Scotland. The Ospreys use the lochs to catch fish and can be seen
soaring high above the water searching for prey and diving and plunging to find
food. Look out for Ospreys in spring when they are migrating and can be
seen on almost any large freshwater lake. Spectacular
lochs  Loch
Katrine's fantastic landscape has inspired writers and poets for centuries, including
Sir Walter Scott.
A good place for watching birds of prey is Duke's Pass. Head
for the viewpoint over Loch Katrine where's there's a good chance of spotting
Kestrels, Sparrowhawks, Peregrine Falcons and even Golden Eagles. Achray
or Loch Ard is another bird watchers' paradise. The Buzzard is making a
great comeback in this area and is now very common. This large bird uses
a diverse range of places to nest from isolated trees and the forest to crags.
It can be recognised from its distinctive mewing sound. The adult
birds are very territorial. When juveniles move into a patch already inhabited
by a pair, the adults will chase the juveniles out, forcing them to find somewhere
new. This area of the forest is also a good place to see Tawny Owls. The
Tawny Owl is a very much a woodland species, nesting in holes in trees and in
boxes put up for them. They thrive in the forest and there are at least
30 pairs at present. There are and very few rabbits in forest so Field
Vole are the birds' favourite food. Squirrel central  In
the heart of the pine woodland not far from the David Marshall Lodge, visitors
can watch one of nature's shyest creatures - the Red Squirrel - from a hide.
These
small mammals thrive best in conifer woodlands where they like to eat the pine
seeds. If you're lucky, you may glimpse seven or eight squirrels feeding
on the permanent feeders. Early morning is a good time to see them when
they come out to eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Photo
credits All landscape and bird photographs
courtesy and copyright of the Forestry Commission. Osprey
chicks by Tom Marshall. | 
