Visitors at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve and Visitor Centre have been treated to seeing not one, not two, but three ospreys today. The three birds have been spotted together since the charity confirmed earlier that the osprey thought to be oldest breeding female of its kind ever recorded in the UK has returned for the 21st consecutive year.
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The identity of the two newly spotted ospreys remain unconfirmed, however wildlife experts have suggested that they could either be the usual mate of the resident female osprey and a new female interloper or a new pair looking to oust the old bird from her nest. |
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Ospreys at Lowes 29/3/11 (c) Graeme Hart |
Robert Potter, Scottish Wildlife Trust’s North East Reserve Manager, said: “Seeing these additional two ospreys around the reserve is an unexpected but marvellous sign of the wildlife which is thriving here at Loch of the Lowes. This morning we were thrilled to confirm that our resident female osprey was back again this year. The other birds now spotted in the area certainly add another level of intrigue to the unfolding drama.
“One possibility is that one of these birds could be the male mate of our resident female from last year. In this case, the other bird could be an interloping female or ‘love rival’ who will be trying to tempt the male away from our female and take ownership of the nest.
Osprey in nest; osprey overhead, at Lowes 29/03/11 (c) Graeme Hart
“Another possibility is that these two birds are already pair-bonded as a mating unit. In this case, they could also be trying to take over the nest. In any case, our old osprey is holding her ground. All three have been seen flying closely together around the visitor centre, and our osprey seems to see the pair off as they then flew down to the other side of the Loch.”
Two birds in the nest, at Lowes 29/03/11 (c) Graeme Hart
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Images displayed on this web page are provided courtesy of Graeme Hart and are (c) Graeme Hart. We request that these images are not reproduced or replicated elsewhere in accordance with intellectual property rights.
For more information, to arrange interviews or image requests, please contact:
Nicola McGovern, Scottish Wildlife Trust PR and Communications Manager
0131 312 4742
Notes to Editors
1. Still images and high definition footage of the osprey are available. Please contact Scottish Wildlife Trust with requests.
2. For more information on the osprey tagging at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve visit http://www.swt.org.uk/wildlife/osprey-tracking/
3. Scottish Wildlife Trust is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 33,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. Scottish Wildlife Trust seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 reserves Scotland-wide.
4. The Scottish Wildlife Trust receives financial assistance and support from a range of organisations, funders and individuals including Scottish Natural Heritage and People’s Postcode Lottery.
5. Special thanks go to SITA Tayside Biodiversity Fund for their continuing support for our work in protecting the ospreys