Good afternoon all,

Events at the nest today:

Our resident female Osprey was on the nest at 9am today and could be heard contact calling her mate, the male eventually arrived with a headless fish at 11.37am; both birds flew off and spent time away from the nest until the male arrived back at 02:05pm when he began rearranging the nest material, he continued this behaviour in between spells perching on a nearby tree, eventually leaving the area at 02:53pm.

Over the past few days our Osprey pair has been witnessed attempting to mate; these attempts will not produce another clutch as double brooding of Ospreys is virtually unheard of.

On a positive note there have been recent sightings of young Ospreys in the area from surrounding successful nests.

For any more questions regarding our ospreys that you may have, please check our dedicated FAQ page and see if you can find the answer you are looking for:

http://www.swt.org.uk/wildlife/ospreys-at-lowes/frequently-asked-questions/

Other Wildlife at Loch of the Lowes:

Out on the loch today; approximately seventy-four Canada geese were seen, along with eight mute swans, one great crested grebe, two greylag geese, three goldeneye, over twenty mallard, three sand martins, eight swifts, one swallow and two black-backed gulls.

At the feeding station; four pheasants were recorded, along with a dunnock, a pied wagtail, two blue tits, three coal tits, a great tit, a jay, over thirty chaffinches, two greenfinches, and three siskins. Elsewhere on the reserve; two young treecreepers were spotted, along with a bullfinch.

Conservation work and sightings on the Perthshire reserves:

Today Himalayan balsam control was carried out on one of the two Perthshire reserves. As Himalayan balsam is a fast growing plant regular visits to the reserve are necessary to control this invasive plant.

Chimney sweeper moths (Odezia atrata) were seen throughout the reserve; chimney sweepers fly in day time and prefer bright sunshine. There wing span is 23 – 27 mm and is completely black except for the white fringes at the tips of the forewings.

Its habitat is grassy meadows, dry chalky and limestone districts and is locally distributed throughout most of Britain. The single generation flies in June and July, and the larvae feed mainly on the flowers of pignut (Conopodium majus).

Perthshire Reserves Conservation Team