Our Osprey chick Blue 44 is really progressing fast now and though not going far on his flights yet, he is improving his skills day by day and getting more independent.

He was seen today spotting fish and hovering over the loch rather than just diving bombing the water, which is a crucial skill if he is to learn to feed himself- all that accuracy calculating speed, angle and depth of dive needs serious practice. Lindsey tells me he seems to be mostly trying his hand at fishing in the mornings, and choosing to rest up on the nest or his favorite perch behind the nest tree in the afternoons.

The other excitement today was when two herons on the loch got a bit too close to the nest tree and were determinedly dive bombed by dad- the second time this week he has had a go at a Heron: the first time was on Sunday when he treated to visitors in the car-park to a spectacular aerial dogfight over the adjacent golf-course with a very stubborn heron juvenile.

Dad brought in a lovely huge brown trout at ten to twelve today and the chick tucked straight in. He still eating fish on the nest but dad is also delivering fish elsewhere to him too- often to his favorite perch. Rest assured he is getting plenty to eat and is getting more than we see on camera view.

 We have also had more Osprey intruder activity today- this is going to peak this month as more and more birds start moving on migration and useLochof the Lowes as a rest stop on route. This is more of an inconvenience to our resident birds than a threat but makes for fascinating viewing. August is really the best time to admire ospreys in flight as there are more birds in the air now than any other time of year, and perfect for trying your hand at catching their aerial antics and spectacular fishing style.