If you are a bird of prey enthusiast you can indulge your hobby at David Marshall Lodge, Forestry Commission Scotland's visitor centre at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park; where you can watch all the domestic dramas of a family of ospreys. Live and recorded CCTV footage lets you watch everything from the adults’ arrival back from Africa in early April to the chicks’ first flights in the summer.

Further cameras are trained on the nests of other birds, such as buzzard, kestrel and blue tit, so you compare their behaviour to the fish-eating ospreys.

If these sights inspire you, arm yourself with binoculars and set off on the 40km Bird of Prey Trail around the Trossachs. The nine species you could see in the area include sparrowhawk, hen harrier and red kite. Alternatively, head for Argyll Forest Park, which has a golden eagle as its symbol. Its vast tracts of wilder terrain have the space these birds need for their home range.

On a walk in any wood or forest, you are likely to encounter numerous small birds looking for their next meal. You might spot tits and tree creepers searching trees for tasty insects; siskin and crossbill stripping seeds from birch catkins and pine cones; or woodpeckers hammering holes in deadwood to extract grubs. During spring and early summer, the extra activity involved in nesting increases the chance of sightings.

Below are some useful links to other places in the National Park where you can watch a variety of birds and wildlife in beautiful surroundings: