Our ospreys have still not been seen on the nest but there have been quite a lot of sightings of ospreys on the loch over the last week so it is uncertain whether or not ours are still around. Adult and juvenile ospreys have been spotted flying and fishing on the loch and on Friday, what appeared to be a very inexperienced juvenile, was watched trying to fish in front of the hides. Instead of diving down when it spotted a fish, it slowly glided down to the water then dived at the last minute. It did this on four occasions before finally giving up and moving on.

Although no ospreys have been seen on the nest we have seen a few other interesting sights. We have some nice footage here at the Loch of the Lowes from Friday of a juvenile woodpecker hanging upside down from one of the pine cones where it pecked away for a short time before another woodpecker came and chased it away. Also on Saturday a red squirrel was watched running around in the nest before scurrying off back down the tree. The red squirrels can also be watched from the viewing window burying their nuts preparing for the winter setting in.

We have a little shrew which has taken up residence between the female toilets and the store room and is regularly seen running through the grates hunting for food. Goldeneyes and pochards have also returned to the loch after travelling down from the north for the oncoming winter so the loch is getting busier than during the summer breeding months.

Volunteers and staff are currently in the process of upgrading an artificial otter holt in attempt to make it more suitable for otter use as it was regularly becoming flooded in the winter. When it is finished we are planning on fitting it with a camera so hopefully you will be able to see otters regularly running in and out of the holt.