All is well on our Osprey nest here at Loch of the Lowes, though we have had some funny incidents in the last 24hrs. The enormous salmon that kept getting recycled to the nest yesterday was still around in the evening. The osprey chick had a good go at feeding itself, and then gave up and sat on the fish- probably copying its mother who regularly stashes fish beneath her when the chicks are young.

 There has been a lot of wing stretching and lounging around in the warm sunshine again today from the chick- here’s a great picture from this morning of the whole family on the nest.

The most bizarre incident of the day, seen by our hide volunteer Dennis, was the male ospreys swoop to collect some new nesting material – down to the now abandoned Great crested grebes nest in the water lilies! He returned to his eerie with talons full of very wet sticks and mud, the dark black of which can clearly be seen on the nest!

 Q: I thought Lady was acting a bit weird yesterday and today she looks like she has a sore eye- Is she OK?

A: Yes her behaviour yesterday was a bit different but we don’t think it is anything to worry about- she is still feeding and guarding her chick just as she should. We don’t think there is anything wrong with her eyes- she is simply closing them a lot in the heat.

 Q: I can hear a Chomping noise on webcam – what is it?

A: It is possibly a red squirrel (these have frequently been seen on or near the nest even when it’s occupied, as the ospreys are no threat to them) or a smaller bird. In the past we have had Blue tits nesting lower in the osprey nest structure, and pulling bits of fluff off the microphone to use as nesting material!

Ranger Emma