Welcome to what we all hope will be a momentos week here at Lowes- hatching of our young osprey chicks is imminent. The incubation period for ospreys is between 35 and 40 days, with a reliable average of 37 days and this falls later this week for the first egg.
Despite all the drama and worry of the weekend ( eggs left alone AGAIN by the male, and yet more intruder activity on the nest) we hope this week will be a calm and successsful one- with no more bone-chillingly cold weather snaps pelase! . We can only hope that dad’s neglect earlier hasn’t compromised the eggs and that all three are still viable. We can certainly trust our females vast experience when it comes to hatching and looking after her young.
You can help keep a keen eye out for imminent hatching behaviour- here’s what to look for : The female will roll the eggs more often as hatching nears, and fuss over them more, she will also tilt her head sideways and stare down at the eggs as she listens to the sounds of the chicks inside moving. Obviously whenever she stands we will be looking at the eggs themselves to check for any signs of cracks or egg tooth holes ( each chick has a tiny tooth on its beak to help it break out of the shell).
let’s just hope that be week’s end we have good news to share with the world!
Emma Rawling
Perthshire Ranger