PINEFIELD
Inchmarlo Retirement Village is located in the internationally famed Royal Deeside, where its 100 acre (circa 40 hectare) grounds provide a haven for not only the Villagers but for a wide variety of wildlife.
Located to the north of the estate, Pinefield is one of the neighbourhoods within the Village and has more than its fair share of the estate’s wildlife. The wood to the south west of Pinefield even has its own heronry with around 10 nest sites. It has an abundance of Red Squirrels and is frequented by Foxes, Badgers, Roe Deer and even that very rare, and all-time favourite, the Pine Marten.
In addition to the Herons, a wide variety of our feathered friends can be seen on a regular basis, ranging from Pheasants down to the tiny Goldcrest, with everything in between. Buzzards often circle overhead and even Red Kites can be seen on occasion. Wood Pigeons are obviously very common but even they have to keep a good look out for that awesome predator – the Sparrow Hawk!, who swoops through on a regular basis.
THE PINEFIELD STREAM
The Pinefield Stream has been set up in response to an increasing interest in local nature and offers visitors to the site an opportunity to see some of the wildlife activities as they actually happen through a live link to YouTube.
Five bird boxes are fitted with cameras and will follow the whole nesting process, from initial reconnaissance, through nest building, egg laying, to chicks leaving.
A pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) camera covers the edge of the wood southwest of Pinefield and regularly records Red Squirrels coming for their free breakfast/lunch/dinner – in fact they never seem to stop! This camera will also record any nocturnal activity in that area.
A second PTZ camera will focus on bird feeders during the day and will also record nocturnal activities.
Recordings from these are analysed and compilations are made available in the video library, giving site visitors an excellent opportunity to witness some exclusive activities – just click or tap ‘Library‘.