Well folks, it does look like our magnificent lady has left us for the year- it is now almost 48hours since she was last seen at the nest and she has not been seen on the loch either, so we can presume she has begun her annual journey south. The instinct to migrate is incredibly strong and our female is always the first of the family to leave and  interestingly her timing this year is exactly consistent with her average dates- that’s our lady, regular as clockwork!

Spare a thought for her and the hazards she will face on her migration journey as,  like all Scottish ospreys she may have up to 4,000 miles to travel in the next month or so. She will stop, rest and refuel on route, relying on wetlands, estuaries and rivers as vital links in the chain for food and shelter. She will face the dangers of bad weather (particularly Atlantic gales that can blow an osprey out to sea where it cannot survive too long) and desert dust storms; indiscriminate shooting (particularly around the Mediterranean); power lines and rubbish entanglement hazards; and last but not least, shear exhaustion and starvation.If she makes it to her traditional wintering grounds ( the exact location of which are still unknown) she will have just over five months of blissful relaxation before she has to do it all over again to return to us here at Lowes.All of us are wishing her strength, luck and safe journeys, and are lost in admiration for all our birds who make this amazing journey yearly. Ospreys are truly remarkable!Emma Rawling

Perthshire Ranger