Events from the nest:

Incubation has continued for the majority of the weekend, with both our ospreys taking turns tending to the three unhatched eggs.

‘7Y’ was at the nest for most of yesterday morning, leaving briefly between 10:30 and 10:42am, during which time he collected a small stick to add to the nest. He was away again at 11:19am and the eggs were unattended until our female arrived on the nest at 11:43am. At 1:55pm ‘7Y’ returned to the nest with a small fish, which he passed to the female before both ospreys flew off. They returned later and shared time at the nest throughout the remainder of the day.

This morning, our female was in constant attendance until 12:39pm when ‘7Y’ arrived with a large headless fish (believed to be a rainbow trout), which she took from him and flew away with to eat elsewhere. He has taken over nest duties in the meantime.

Other wildlife at Loch of the Lowes:

On the loch this weekend there have been regular sightings of great crested grebes, mute swans, canada geese, mallards and tufted ducks. Visitors to the Crannog hide this morning were treated to close-up views of the female goosander with her four chicks that continue to make good progress. Swallows and sand martins have frequently been seen swooping just above the surface of the water in their search for insects, despite today’s wet weather.

The feeding station continues to be a hive of activity with large numbers of the ever present chaffinches, greenfinches, siskins, blue tits, great tits & coal tits. In addition, a pair of treecreepers was spotted by one of our volunteers as they were walking to the visitor centre this morning, and a jay has briefly called in on both days. These most colourful members of the crow family tend to shy away from the feeders, preferring to find their own food within the woods around the loch shore.

Red squirrels have been seen regularly, with one individual showing particularly well, feeding on whole peanuts from a recently added box feeder. The box is fully enclosed with a lift up lid so that smaller birds can’t take the peanuts and potentially choke their young whilst trying to feed them. The squirrels however, will lift the lid, take a peanut and then sit on top of the box to eat it in full view of onlooking visitors.

Jonathan

Visitor Centre Assistant