Another lovely day at Loch of the Lowes with typical April sunshine and showers! Both our ospreys are continuing to incubate and strangely there haven’t been any fish deliveries to the nest during the day- it seems our female must be fishing for herself during her breaks off the nest. This is not unheard of but interesting- perhaps a bit of a role reversal? She almost landed on top of her mate this afternoon and gave him a good fright too- strange!

Meanwhile, there has been no further sign of the two red throated divers  on the loch, but lots of other wildlife around- two Roe deer in the reed beds, a herd of Fallow deer in the oakwood, and Redpolls, Yellowhammer, Treecreeper, Red Squirrels and all the usual suspects on the woodland bird feeding station.

Today the ranger led on of her regular guided walk from Dunkeld to Loch of the Lowes with a great group of people- these are run on the last Thursday of every month until September. What better way to arrive at the reserve than by foot, placing the loch in its landscape context and enjoying the varied habitats on route. From the ancient oaks of Fungarth wood, with a glorious understory of bluebells about to burst into flower, to the open fields of around the golf course with their Curlews, Meadow Pipits and wayside flowers , to the Juniper and birch woods near the loch with Tree pipits, Long tailed tits and Pine marten clues ( lots of scat today!)- there is always lots to see.

You can self guide this walk easily too and it is highly recommended- just follow the green way-markers from Dunkeld village up Brae street. It is only a couple of miles, with only two wee hills – and can be done in a leisurely hour with stops to take in the wildlife. Pick up a walking map from the Tourist Information centre in the village , or at our VC , to help you navigate, and there even an alternate return route too. You won’t need an OS map or fancy gear- just sensible walking shoes that can handle a wee bit of mud, and some energy!Enjoy!

Ranger Emma