Osprey Hide in the making

[speyghillie]

Hi Claire,
Thanks and i hope you have a great time up here when you get here, sorry for the late reply, i decided to change Broadband supplier..... 5 min job they said.......... it has been a nightmare and not still not fully sorted, the engineers in India don't work weekends, think i will be heading to India for a job.
I have had quite a few people asking about booking the Photography hide when its done, i will let it out but it has to be very early morning and fully guided......... anyway............ Perch to go back in next week in front of the hide, i put it in last year and had my young male perched on it within two days, i also have a hide level with the perch 20ft away.
Lots to do......
Thanks Gordon.

[DOXHOPE]

Excellent news Gordon, keep us posted matie....

[speyghillie]

Will do,
I have also been asked about other wildlife in the area, which i will keep an eye out for, if its for photography in this area i would contact Keith Collins as he is the expert on so many different species and i am stuck in a hole in the ground and really am no expert........... except for digging.

Thanks All.
Gordon.

[DOXHOPE]

One from nearby last year..

[speyghillie]

Nice Picture DOXHOPE,
I decided to change broadband provider 10 days ago, what a mistake that was, anyway i am now back on-line at last.
I have started to fit the roof on my Osprey hide, and hope to have it done next week, with the Osprey Perch back in place this weekend.
Watched the Peregrine playing around with some geese that flew past the rock face this morning.
Otters seem to lying low right now, its a mild winter here so i am sure they have plenty of options.
Thanks all.
Gordon.

[DOXHOPE]

Great news, and dont forget to send me that information, desperately needing it..

[PMG]

NIce pic Doxhope! Its one I wouldn't mind looking down the lens at - as I suspect would many folks!! We are probably going to miss out - we will be going home as ospreys are arriving ... glad the job is going well Gordon (and the broadband kind of sorted - it is a pain when this service goes bad!) and the weather kinder this year (just over 4 weeks - Ian tells me!) to our Cairngorm visit

Pauline

[FUDGEY]

I cant believe I have not seen this thread until now, Gordon I take my hat of to you. Like you I put a lot of work into my set ups (not as much as you) and it is so good to see someone like myself. It looks a fantastic project and i will be following this with great interest. I dont know the options you have, but is there any scope for making a holding pen close to the hide for some of the trout where you can concentrate the numbers more? May not be possible, but just a thought.

[speyghillie]

Hi All,
Just got in from altering the lights around my Lochan, got some people in the Otter hide romorrow night and wasn't happy with the lighting, so changed things around for the 30th time, see how that works, they have been a bit slow to show with the mild winter we are having but the big female was in last night........ and she is a big otte, bigest otter i have ever seen.
FUDGEY, digging out the hide was nothing, i built the lochan by hand which took a while, and was done with 160 tonnes of clay and a wheelbarrow and spade....... now that was a job and a half.
The Lochan is very small so there is really no need to pen fish in, and after 20 yrs at Rothiemurchus i kinda know Ospreys.
The Lochan has a clay bottom and this next week or so i will be dropping the level and clearing out some weed, but the fish stick out like a sore them so the birds have no problem and being very small the target area for Photography is easy and right in front of the hide.
I have had lots of inquires about hiring the hide out, and i will do..... but i would like to make sure the Ospreys are coming in in good numbers, if all goes to plan there will be no need for a big lens, in fact you won't need a lens at all/
Pauline, i used to see the first Males around the fish farm on or around the 18th-20th of March and report them to Abernethy RSPB.
Let me know when you are here or i will send you my mobile number via PM.
Thanks all.
Gordon.

[welshcameraman]

Sounds a great enterprise Gordon.I hope all your hard work ( and it does sound HARD) pays off.

I am hoping to be in Scotland at the end of May,and I was hoping to be able to afford the hundred odd quid for a day at Rothiemurchus. After reading this thread though, perhaps that's not such a good idea and a visit to you looks a much better bet.

Martin