River Watch
Length: 2-2 1/2 hours
Best time of year: May to October
Best time of day: Evening – 1.5 hours before sunset (times will vary throughout the year)
Possible species: Beaver, Otter, Daubenton’s and Pipistrelle bats, Roe Deer, Red Deer, Tawny Owl, Kingfisher, Dipper and Goosander.
This is the best time to see the wild Beavers of Perthshire. As the evening draws in we will make our way to the riverbank during which we will tell you the story of the Tayside Beaver population and a little of their ecology. Once we arrive, we will sit on the riverbank where we will wait quietly for Beavers to float noiselessly across the water to feed on bankside vegetation, and an Otter or two could pass through and perhaps stay to fish. Soon the bats will come out and the air will be full of these fascinating little mammals as they forage for flies and midges along the river and in the trees. Making our way back to the start we will use our bat detectors to identify the species. We vary the sites we visit to avoid the animals becoming too used to humans and we only take 2 people per visit to reduce disturbance. If both guides are available, we can split larger groups between 2 sites.
There's no better way to end the day than to sit silently by a river and watch as the creatures of the night emerge. This is a lovely calming activity, ideal for de-stressing.
Start at agreed meeting place 1 1/2 before sunset (local collection and drop-off can be arranged within a 10 mile radius)
Set up on riverbank at least 1 hour before sunset
River watch until too dark to see!
On the way back from the river we will use bat detectors to see what species are about
Return to meeting place and depart
We recommend dark, or natural coloured, clothing that is warm, waterproof and not too noisy
Binoculars (available to borrow)
Hat, gloves and scarf
Camera
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Water
Sensible shoes/boots
Medication (as needed)
This is the best time to see the wild Beavers of Perthshire. As the evening draws in we will make our way to the riverbank during which we will tell you the story of the Tayside Beaver population and a little of their ecology. Once we arrive, we will sit on the riverbank where we will wait quietly for Beavers to float noiselessly across the water to feed on bankside vegetation, and an Otter or two could pass through and perhaps stay to fish. Soon the bats will come out and the air will be full of these fascinating little mammals as they forage for flies and midges along the river and in the trees. Making our way back to the start we will use our bat detectors to identify the species. We vary the sites we visit to avoid the animals becoming too used to humans and we only take 2 people per visit to reduce disturbance. If both guides are available, we can split larger groups between 2 sites.
There's no better way to end the day than to sit silently by a river and watch as the creatures of the night emerge. This is a lovely calming activity, ideal for de-stressing.
Start at agreed meeting place 1 1/2 before sunset (local collection and drop-off can be arranged within a 10 mile radius)
Set up on riverbank at least 1 hour before sunset
River watch until too dark to see!
On the way back from the river we will use bat detectors to see what species are about
Return to meeting place and depart
We recommend dark, or natural coloured, clothing that is warm, waterproof and not too noisy
Binoculars (available to borrow)
Hat, gloves and scarf
Camera
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Water
Sensible shoes/boots
Medication (as needed)
