Loch Garten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Loch Garten |
|
|---|---|
 Loch Garten
Location in Scotland
|
|
| Location | Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Highlands, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 57°14′38″N 3°41′24″W / 57.244°N 3.690°W |
| Type | loch |
Loch Garten (in Scots Gaelic: Loch a' Ghartain) is a big freshwater loch (which is a Scottish word for a lake). It is found near a village called Boat of Garten in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. This beautiful loch is surrounded by tall pine trees that are part of the Abernethy Forest.
A large part of this forest next to the loch is a special nature reserve run by the RSPB. Loch Garten is very famous for its ospreys, which are large birds of prey that nest there. In fact, Boat of Garten is often called "The Osprey Village" because of them!
Contents
The Return of the Ospreys
Ospreys used to live and breed all over Britain. But sadly, by the early 1900s, there were no ospreys left breeding in Britain. This happened because people were not careful and sometimes harmed the birds or their nests.
However, in 1954, something amazing happened! Two ospreys from Scandinavia flew all the way to Loch Garten and decided to build a nest in the forest. This was the start of ospreys coming back to Scotland. The RSPB and other groups worked hard to help these birds. They had to protect the nests from people who might try to steal the eggs.
The RSPB bought the land around the nest to keep it safe. Since then, the osprey nest has always been watched very carefully. A special building called a viewing hide was built nearby. This hide lets visitors watch the ospreys without disturbing them. Inside the hide, you can use telescopes and other tools to see the birds up close. There are even TV screens showing live video of the baby ospreys and their parents! You can also watch live videos and pictures of the nest on the RSPB Loch Garten Reserve website.
Amazing Animals at Loch Garten
Ospreys are not the only cool animals you can find at Loch Garten. Many other creatures live here too!
Forest Birds
- Capercaillies are large, shy birds that are hard to spot. But in the spring, you might see them doing a special mating dance called a "lek" during "Caperwatch."
- Crested tits and Scottish crossbills are also forest birds that are a bit harder to find because they are more private.
Birds and Mammals Near the Hide
- Red squirrels are much easier to see, especially around the viewing hide. They often visit the feeders that are put out for them.
- Smaller birds like siskins, common chaffinches (you'll see lots of these!), and great spotted woodpeckers also come to the feeders.
- Wigeon are ducks that live by and swim on the loch.
Loch Garten Osprey Centre
The Loch Garten Osprey Centre is a special place where you can watch birds. It is located right on Loch Garten and is run by the RSPB. The centre is in the beautiful Caledonian pine forest.
Every year, a pair of ospreys comes back to nest at this spot. The centre has many binoculars and telescopes. These help visitors get a great view of the ospreys. You can also see red squirrels and other small birds feeding right in front of the bird hide.
Ospreys have been nesting at this site every year since 1959. The tree that held their nest eventually died because of the birds' droppings and leftover food. To keep the nest safe, the tree trunk is now supported by a special strut. This helps create a strong platform for the nest.
The forest around the centre has many walking paths. Some of these paths lead to another loch called Loch Mallachie. Some trails even connect to the longer Speyside Way. The Abernethy Forest RSPB reserve, where the centre is located, is one of the biggest nature reserves in Europe!
See also
In Spanish: Loch Garten Osprey Centre para niños
