For those of you who are regular osprey followers and webcam watchers I’m sure you are aware that incubation time here at Lowes is usually peaceful and uneventful – unlike the egg drama that our osprey friends at Loch Garten are currently experiencing! However there is still the occasional moment of excitement – the most recent being an osprey intruder in the early afternoon several days ago. A large bird, presumed to be female, was spotted circling above the hide before making an aggressive strike at the nest whilst our female was incubating. Thankfully she sat tight and defended the nest and its precious contents, after which the intruder paid no more attention and flew away over the reserve. In the meantime, our current pair remains diligent and dutiful to their clutch with the female especially devoted to protecting her eggs during the miserable wet weather of recent nights. The male has been providing a steady supply of fish including the occasional eel, with last night’s fish delivery being the biggest we’ve seen brought to the nest in several weeks.

In others news on the reserve, visitors to the loch later in the evening have been treated to views of over 100 sand martins and their acrobatic flying whilst feeding on the insects over the water. Daytime visitors have been lucky to see a redpoll feeding at our Visitor Centre viewing window and a male blackcap is making regular appearances in the expanding reed beds in front of our hide.

Will,

Species Protection Officer.