Just like that, our osprey season has ended.

Just like many things which have happened over the past two years, our osprey season has not followed its usual patterns.

Not only did NC0 stay longer than one of the juveniles, but it appears that LM12, the male osprey, may have left before the second juvenile. Last seen on the nest the evening of the 25th August, it is believed that LM12 has begun his migration to West Africa. The following day, LR2 was seen calling from one of the trees beside the loch before making his departure.

Despite hatching only two days after his older sibling, LR2 has taken his time when it has come to fledging and and especially setting off on migration. LR2 fledged three days after his sibling, who at the time, appeared to be egging him on from the edge of the nest. When it came to setting off on migration, LR1 set off a whole 11 days before LR2!

We are delighted that LM12’s tenth year breeding at Loch of the Lowes was a successful one and hope to see him and NC0 return next year.

Although the ospreys have departed, there is still plenty to see here at Loch of the Lowes. The great crested grebes and their young are seen regularly out on the loch. The Egyptian geese are still around which is providing many of our customers with a more unusual sighting.

From the viewing window in the visitor centre, the nuthatches are making regular appearances in the feeding station. Although occasionally elusive due to the new fungi at the moment, the red squirrels can be seen running through the woodland as well as in the feeding station.

Amy Bastow
Visitor Centre Assistant