What a relief this morning to find, after my four days off, that all our ospreys are still here at Lowes. As many of you will be aware, our female is usually the first to leave for her southward migration, leaving Dad to supervise the ‘teenagers’ last few weeks training. Who can blame her after all that enforced stillness on the nest during incubation and the chick stage.

In the past our female has left as early as the last days of July and as late as mid August. What her timing this year will be is the big question- will she linger in order to build more strength, or will the instinct to fly south be too strong? It is highly unlikely she will stay into autumn however, as an osprey would be unable to survive the winter here in Scotland.

All you eager eyed bloggers and webcam viewers- We need your help! We’d like to keep an accurate track of her appearances on the nest over the next wee while, so we will be able to judge when she is getting ready to leave, so tell us when you see her on the nest. Below is a refresher of ‘who’s who’ to help you identify her.

Adult ospreys: dark solid chocolate upper plumage.

Juveniles: each upper feather fringed with pale edges.

Male; a green leg ring with 7y on one leg, a metal one on the other leg. Smaller.

Female ; no leg rings, and a distinctive ‘v’ shape dark pattern on her forehead.  Larger

Emma Rawling,Perthshire Ranger

P.S. full marks to our wee osprey chick ‘slim’ who managed to keep TWO pike to himself last night, despite ‘greedy’ sibling being on the nest too- well done mate!