Before we update you on our own Ospreys we have to mention the extraordinary events at the Dyfi Osprey Project yesterday. They were faced with an incredibly difficult decision in exceptional circumstances. It’s heartbreaking to lose any chick and we hope the remaining chick will go from strength to strength. Well done to Emyr, Al and the others for their dedication to the birds in extreme conditions. You can read Emyr’s moving blog about the events on the Dyfi Project website.

And so on to our Ospreys, fish deliveries resumed as normal last night and there have been several deliveries during the day today. There’s no obvious reason for the big gap between deliveries yesterday, perhaps our male was avoiding the Visitor Centre opening hours! He’s been getting a bit of a hard time from the Black Headed Gulls over the last day or so. Last night Lynn Kidd spotted an Osprey fishing out of the River Tay in the middle of Dunkeld and being mobbed by Black Headed Gulls. On visitingLoch of the Lowes today she’s sure that Osprey was our male. Not long after the discussion with Lynn we then saw our male being mobbed by two Black Headed Gulls not far from the nest. He appeared to fend them off with his wing, a technique we’ve seen our female use on many occasions. The gulls have certainly been busy today as they also had a go at the Canada Geese on the loch. Our chick has spent much of the day asleep on the nest after being stuffed full of fish by its mother. It seems to be either copying its parents’ behaviour or following its own instincts as it’s been moving moss around the nest, biffing the bit of bark and helping itself to fish.

On the loch itself a group of Canada Geese turned up this morning with a dozen of their, quite grown up, goslings. It was interesting group as it also contained a solitary Barnacle Goose and a Greylag Goose that appeared to be avoiding the small group of other Greylags further up the loch. The Swifts, Swallows and Sand Martins have been having a great time darting over the loch surface catching all the insects; however there are still plenty of midgies left for everyone to enjoy. 

In the reeds the Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting have been dotting around with beaks full of flies so they obviously have hungry mouths to feed. Hopefully we’ll see some fledglings soon.

And finally a Mute Swan has spent much of the day asleep on the loch just drifting wherever the current takes it, it looked very relaxing.

Lindsey