Wildlife experts have witnessed an explosion in bird and animal numbers at the Loch Leven national nature reserve.
After a quiet couple of years, pink-footed geese numbers have risen back up to their expected levels this year.
More than 22,000 of the wintering migrants have been counted flying in to the Kinross reserve this year considerably more than during 2010’s peak count.
The global population of the birds which fly into the UK each year from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland remains stable and their movements vary each year.
Nonetheless, the reserve’s staff have been reassured to know that Loch Leven remains an important hub for the birds.
Loch Leven is Scotland’s largest lowland loch and one of the most important sites for waterfowl in Britain. Its unique environment attracts not only the largest concentration of breeding ducks anywhere in the UK, but also many thousands of migratory ducks, geese and swans every autumn and winter.
The reserve also boasts an interesting variety of wildlife, plants, trees and other wildlife, while ospreys patrol the loch during the summer months.
There has been further good news for the reserve, with red squirrel sightings increasing as staff prepare to launch new conservation measures designed to ensure that the local population thrives.
The native species has been pushed out of its natural habitat by the invasive grey squirrel from North America and their catastrophic decline has been linked to the squirrel pox that grey squirrels carry but don’t suffer from.
Scotland nonetheless remains a squirrel stronghold and the population within Perth and Kinross is particularly strong.
That relates to the relative absence of the squirrel pox, meaning that both species have been able to co-exist and share territory.
Staff at Loch Leven are working on conservation measures to ensure that the population remains healthy.
Visitors to the reserve are asked to help out by passing on details of any squirrel sightings.
There will be a chance to view some of the birdlife at the reserve and blow away the winter blues with a winter bird walk on Friday.
Anyone interested in seeing the wildlife that inhabits the Loch during the winter months is invited to meet at the Findatie car park.
For more information on the reserve or the walk, visit nnr-scotland.org.uk/loch-leven, call 01577 862355 or email vanefarm@rspb.org.uk.
Picture by Andrew Milligan/PA Archive