News from the Nightwatch
The nights here at Lowes are getting shorter but definately not less eventful! It isn’t really dark here now until after ten PM, and when our female osprey settles in for the night on the nest, so many other creatures are just getting out and about. Recent sightings inlcude: four hedgehogs at once, lots of deer on the shore ( and in the carpark!) , and a tawny owl catching a mouse right by our feeders.
The dawn creeps in about half past four in the morning, and its a magical time for wildlife – just yesterday morning at 6am , the resident otter was seen by our staff popping up in between the hide and the osprey nest. The sun rises due east over the loch from the visitors centre this time of year- bathing the water in beautiful colours and dancing shafts of light.
It may sound enviable but spare a thought for the wonderful staff ( especially our Species Protection Officers Kyle and Andrew) and dedicated volunteers who have been doing these lonely ‘graveyard’ shifts for more than a month now- Only a week to go we hope!

Update: Our Lady is impatiently waiting for a fish as she hasn’t had one since 6am. The Laird has been flying about but seems quite content on soaring round the loch chasing gulls and crows rather than doing his job!
There have been no reports of an intruder today so I think the females posturing and noise making is just a sign of irritation as she is kept waiting.
We have had an unusual sighting of an eider on the loch this morning, which is most unusual being a sea-duck and especially at this time of year when they should be further north towards their breeding grounds in the Artic. We’ll keep an eye on him!