Update: the camera problems persist! BT have been informed again and we’re just waiting on a reply (don’t hold your breath!) It might be a long black-screened weekend! Sorry folks! Fiona

Who said Osprey season at Lowes was over? Nature always has the capacity to surprise and delight us- the most certain thing I have learned about ospreys after four years studying them, is that they surprise you somehow every year! Though we often talk in generalisations about’ normal’ behaviour, there is always room for individual variation and, if I can anthropomorphise for a moment, birds do seem to have unique personalities.

 But back to the excitement at hand- a visiting osprey spent a couple of hours with us at Lowes yesterday afternoon, and led us on a merry dance trying to identify it! At about 4pm, a large adult bird (solid chocolate plumage, not a speckled youngster) flew in and perched on one of the pines across the bay from the nest. The bird was very large, and so probably a female, but we did not recognise the head markings as one of our local birds.

 The osprey then frustrated our attempts to catch sight of its legs, to see any distinguishing rings, but to no avail. Perhaps it was an unringed individual, and so we will never know were it visited from. The Bird spent a good half hour preening- probably a sign it had flown quite a distance, before fishing on the loch for tea. Our Loch is exactly the kind of valuable safe stopping place for birds on the move that are crucial in their migrations. It left later in the evening to either perch up for a night, or continue its journey south.

 This reminds us that many ospreys from further north are still to pass us and that there are many more sightings to be had on migration routes this autumn. If you do se ospreys, be sure to try to get a view of leg rings- particularly the coloured Darvic rings, and report them if you can – Roy Dennis is always “extremely interested in sightings of colour rings and would be very grateful if reports of colour rings, including digital pictures showing the colour ring are sent to my email address: roydennis@aol.com ”

 Emma Rawling

 Perthshire Ranger

Update: 11am  Sorry folks cameras down again- it still appears to be our internet connection.