Visitors to a north nature centre have been enjoying live footage of an active goshawk nest.
RSPB Scotland’s Loch Garten Nature Centre in Abernethy has set up the camera to capture the coming and goings of the male and female birds.
And the stream, which is also available on the RSBP’s YouTube channel, is proving popular with visitors around the world.
Site manager Jess Tomes said the footage is “fascinating” for all.
“Visitors to the Nature Centre are thoroughly enjoying such an intimate look at the goshawks,” she said.
“We’re also thrilled that we can share this amazing footage with people from all over the world through our YouTube channel.
“It’s been fascinating watching the pair setting up their rather bulky nest and noting the differences between them – while we’ve yet to see both birds together we’ve been telling them apart by their different coloured eyes.”
Often referred to as “the phantoms of the forest”, the birds are known for being graceful fliers. But don’t be fooled by their elegance as they are also particularly feisty and can weave between trees at high speeds to capture prey in flight.
Three Scottish birds of prey on film
This is the third of Loch Garten’s bird livestreams, in addition to their long-established osprey camera and one recently installed to capture a white-tailed eagle nest.
Reserve warden Fraser Cormack said: “Goshawks are exactly the type of bird we’d expect to see in a healthy pine forest, so we’re delighted to have them at Abernethy.
“While the camera doesn’t allow us to see the nest cup, the behaviour of the female indicates that she may indeed be on eggs, so it would be wonderful if we could welcome some chicks in the coming weeks.
We’ve a longstanding tradition of being a home for ospreys at Loch Garten, so hopefully the goshawks will see the same level of success.”
While watching the footage, you may have a chance to spot the goshawks eggs which take around five to six weeks to hatch.
Their nestlings rely on their parents for food for a further six to seven weeks beyond this point – so there’s plenty of time to watch the little ones before they fly the coop.
Watch the livestream below:
