Aquila Ecology Activities and Events for Spring

Spring has sprung! Spring will be turning into summer soon and we have been really blessed with an unseasonably dry and warm spell. The wildflowers are blooming, our Swifts, Swallows, Sand and House Martins have all returned to breed and bats have returned to their summer roosts. Our local Golden Eagles are incubating eggs and Ospreys are being seen regularly fishing on the loch. So, time to think about your summer holidays- how about a short stay in St Fillans with a nature tour included?

Extremadura Birding trip We visited the beautiful Extremadura region of Spain last month and managed to jot up an amazing 127 different bird species in just 7 days! These included: Spanish Imperial Eagle, Griffon, Egyptian and Black Vulture, Montagu's Harrier, Black-winged Kite, Great Bustard, Rock Bunting and so many more. We are currently taking expressions of interest for next year's trip, so please get in touch if you would like to join us by emailing info@aquilaecologyscotland.co.uk Check our interactive trip report below. Marvellous Malta In our last newsletter we promised more information on our upcoming trip to Malta this Autumn. The itinerary is coming along nicely and guests can expect to enjoy: a walk through a Mediterranean woodland; a trip to Gozo to include listening to shearwaters at night; cultural trips to Mdina and Valletta; visiting raptor viewpoints; evening bat watches; visits to BirdLife Malta Nature Reserves and evening strolls on the beach. If interested, please email us: info@aquilaecologyscotland.co.uk Summer Events On Wednesday afternoons from 5th of July until 16th August we will be running children's nature activity sessions at Comrie Croft.  In just 2 hours your kids will become experienced wildlife detectives able to tell you what animals live at the croft, what they eat, where they live and how they spend their days there. There will be fun practical activities and the chance of glue and glitter at some point :) Sessions will cost £6 per child and are ideal for 7-12 year olds. Children younger than 7 must be accompanied by an adult. Residents and non-residents welcome, but booking is essential as places are limited. If interested, please email us: info@aquilaecologyscotland.co.uk It's bat time of year again Bat survey season is now in full swing and we're very busy conducting roost assessment and activity surveys. However, this is also the time of year when bat casualties come to our attention. Every year the Bat Conservation Trust's National Bat Helpline receives thousands of calls from concerned members of the public who have happened across injured bats, usually around homes and gardens. Luckily there are a number of Bar Carer volunteers across the country who are able to take in these bats and nurse them back to health (not all, but we try). Enter the little guy in the photo. Andrea got a call to attend a house with an injured bat on Sunday 6th May. He seemed to have something wrong with a finger and clearly did not want to attempt to fly. After a week of R and R he was transferred to a 'flight cage' and encouraged to fly which he did. He was released back where he came from on the following Thursday evening. A happy ending. IF YOU COME ACROSS AN INJURED OR GROUNDED BAT PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL BAT HELPLINE ON 0345 1300 228  Copyright © 2017 Aquila Ecology, All rights reserved. News letter from the test site Our mailing address is: Aquila Ecology Cruachan St Fillans, Perthshire PH6 2NQ United Kingdom Add us to your address book

Join Aquila Ecology Scotland on a Birding Tour To Islay

Isle of Islay birding tour Date: February 19th-23rd 2017 Join us on the idyllic inner Hebridean Isle of Islay for a 4 day birding and wildlife holiday and blow those winter blues away. This is one of the best times to visit if you want to see a good number of geese, Choughs, Hen Harriers and eagles and there’s a good chance of otters and seals too. Barnacle Goose ©Andrea Hudspeth   We will be staying just outside Bowmore at a well-equipped and comfortable lodge with views over heather-clad hills and a burn below where otters and Grey Herons can be seen. The lodge has 5 twin en suite bedrooms and a spacious living area with TV, DVD player and open fireplace. You will be catered for by us with breakfast, a packed lunch and home-cooked evening meal with the option of an evening meal out on the last day. Special diets will be catered for. We will spend our days cruising around the island looking for places to stop and watch wildlife as well as using hides and taking leisurely walks on the RSPB’s Loch Gruinart and Oa Nature Reserves. We will also drop into Machair Bay to take a walk along this stunning white sandy beach. A slight detour to visit the Bruichladdich or Bunnahabain Distillery can be arranged for those who are whisky aficionados, whilst the rest of us look for otters and divers. Target Species: Hen Harrier, Raven, Chough, Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Barnacle and White-fronted Geese, Divers, Otters, Common and Grey Seal. The price includes accommodation, all meals, ferry crossing and mini bus transport whilst on the island and from a pick up and drop off point in Scotland (to be arranged). For further information please email on info@aquilaecologyscotland.co.uk

Aquila Ecology is a member of the Loch Earn Tourism Information group. Based in St Fillans on Loch Earn.  Contact Andrea Hudspeth for tailor made walking tours in the area to spot the wonders of local flora and fauna. Andrea Hudspeth Cruachan, St Fillans PH6 2NQ Tel - 01764 685459 Mob - 07960 391297 Mail - aquilaecology@gmail.com