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Good morning all,

I do hope that you have all had a wonderful time over the special bank holiday Jubilee festivities and celebrated in your own ways.

As Nick is having problems with his dongle I am bringing you the weekly summary a little early again and hopefully he will be back on-line with you for tomorrow.

For those who pre-ordered our book ‘The Lady Returns’, and not yet received it, there is a Paypal facility at the side of this page to make your payments through if preferred.  Otherwise please contact me with your details in order for me to mail them out.  I have ordered more books as demand is still high so you can still add your name to the list on the drop-down menu at the top of the page. We have so far been able to make a large donation to Roy Dennis’ project and I will be attending the Dyfi Osprey Project on Monday to present them with a cheque for £200.00. Thank you to all who have helped towards these projects as without you, they would not be as successful.

It has been another exciting week on the nest and the chick is growing quickly.  Not having to fight for food with siblings ensures it is getting the best possible chance at a great start and will, I am sure, be a strong and healthy juvenile when the time comes for it to make its way south.  Lady has proven to be the excellent mother that she is once again and Laddie has, without doubt, enthralled us all.

© Screenshot pictures copyright Scottish Wildlife Trust

http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes

Saturday, 2^nd June

During the night Lady rouses at intervals to preen and reposition herself.  At 4:10am she is fully awake and contact calling for Laddie.  He will not be far away and may well have already begun his duties for the day.  He is normally an early visitor to the nest, checking on his family to announce that he is on guard.  The chick is awake and active and another day in the life of The Loch of The Lowes Osprey family has begun.  Laddie has been fishing early and secured their breakfast which he delivers at 5:00am and feeding time for the chick gets underway.  It is calm and still around the loch with just the hint of a breeze.  A kingfisher is spotted in front of the hides, a blue tit clings to the reeds and a lonely swan glides back and forth.  Do they know that someone is already quietly in occupation and following their journeys?  At 6:17am Laddie returns, stays a while as Lady takes a comfort break and then departs.  However, Lady has not returned from her break and the chick is now left alone, defenceless and vulnerable for over five minutes, time enough for any passing predator to take advantage of the situation.  As Lady returns at 6:34am she settles back down and the chick is safe once again.  At 7:50am Laddie deposits another fish, this one being large and still intact.  Lady begins to tear into the head and the chick makes its way across the nest toward her.  Laddie arrives back ten minutes later and is off again within the minute, returning and departing almost immediately.  He seems somewhat agitated and comes back to the nest but all is revealed as an intruder is witnessed in the vicinity and he is making certain it does not cause a disturbance to his family.  As the morning progresses, Laddie removes the fish remnant for his own consumption and Lady takes a further comfort break, leaving the chick for just three minutes, during which time the camera zooms in and web viewers are treated to a close up of it attempting to pick up a small stick from the nest cup, tugging at it with some considerable force.  Could this be an early indication of its future nest-building capabilities?  The morning passes with Lady preening her wing and tail feathers vigorously and the chick exploring the nest cup.  There is a moment just before 11:30am when another intruder is around and Lady mantles defensively but calm is soon restored and she gets back to her preening.

During the afternoon there is a visitor to the loch that many readers will have heard of and followed the story of.  One of Roy Dennis’ satellite tagged birds, Rothiemurchus, is in the area looking for a nest and a mate.  He was the oldest chick of a brood of three males hatched near Aviemore in 2009 and ringed by Roy on 10^th August that year, bearing a blue/white AE on his left leg and being named after the land upon which he hatched.  Although it is now too late in the season for him to successfully breed he will still be trying to identify a suitable location for which to return to next year and hopefully establish as his own future breeding area.  Was he the same intruder that Laddie chased off this morning?

The evening sees Laddie depositing a third fish which Lady immediately takes from him.  The chick is aware of the food delivery and makes its way towards her as she begins to tear small pieces off and feed them to it.  Laddie stays for a few minutes to take in the family scene and once Lady begins to eat for herself he departs.  At 9:22pm he excels himself with yet a fourth meal delivery, he is doing incredibly well and his family are not going without their vital nourishment in any way whatsoever.  Once feeding time is over, Lady takes a quick wing-stretch and break before settling down and appears to be asleep by 10:55pm.  Another good day has been had by all!

Sunday, 3^rd June

During the small hours of the night Lady rouses to reposition herself and the chick.  By first light, the sun is beginning to show through and Laddie is up and about, announcing his arrival at 6:15am and staying for a short while before taking flight to possibly go in search of breakfast.  The resident geese are already about their daily business and honking good morning to one another.  A pheasant calls as it passes on its way and the passerines are singing in the trees.  Lady produces a remnant of grassy covered fish from within the nest and provides the chick with a small meal while they wait for breakfast to arrive.  It is a sunny day at the loch, Lady basks in the warmth of its rays as they stream onto the nest and, not be left out, the chick too takes in the heat upon its still bare back.  Laddie visits once or twice before noon but no fresh meal is yet forthcoming.

The afternoon begins with the long-awaited fish delivery at 12:20pm and the chick makes its way across the nest as Lady gently tears away small morsels to feed to it.  Laddie departs but within fifteen minutes is back, swooping down onto the nest, mantling and alarm calling.  An intruder has made its presence known and is circling the airspace above them.  Laddie continues to alarm call and Lady breaks off from feeding the chick to shield it protectively with her body.  Once the threat is eliminated Laddie leaves and Lady continues her business of tending the chick.  He returns to remove the remains of the meal for his own consumption, however, within ten minutes the intruder has reappeared and Laddie is back to successfully defend his family once again.  A second fish delivery of the day is made at 3:50pm and the chick receives another good feed.

As the evening draws in Laddie excels himself once again and deposits a third meal upon the nest.  This time alive and flapping and it would therefore be reasonable to assume that this is a fresh catch and not one removed from his cache.  From previous experience, and the knowledge of how dangerous a live fish can be to a chick on a nest, it would be better dealt with by Laddie removing it and rendering it immobile before returning it which he does some time later.  At 9:30pm he comes back to remove the remnants and leaves the nest and chick in the capable charge of Lady for the night.

Monday, 4^th June

Lady is a little restless through the night, checking the chick, the eggs, preening and repositioning herself regularly.  It is now almost certain that the two remaining eggs will not now hatch, how long will it therefore take Lady to realise this also?  At least this year she has her attention taken up with the chick and is able to provide the nurturing care that she has done to each of her offspring for over two decades, it is of course, why she is here and her journey will not have been futile.  It would have been so sad to witness a repeat of last year and therefore we have much to celebrate with chick number forty nine.  At 5:00am she has taken a comfort break and is away for around two minutes, returning to sit and take in the vista, preening at intervals.  At 6:15am she settles back down upon the chick and continues to incubate.  It is a bright and sunny morning and the geese are in full voice as they pass by. The chick looks bigger and stronger by the day and is beginning to show its darkening pigment from where its feathers will emerge.  Just after 7:30am Laddie delivers a large headless fish which Lady removes from him and begins eating.  The chick makes its way across towards her and Laddie departs.  Following a hearty breakfast for each of them, Lady leaves the remains at the nest side before taking a comfort break.  At 8:18am Laddie returns to remove the remnant which is still quite sizeable and takes it to his dining perch where no doubt, it will keep him occupied for a good long while. He returns at 9:40am with the leftovers from which Lady and chick will still garner another meal.  Just before 10:30am both birds are mantling and alarm calling on the nest.  They duck down as something flies over their heads but no further disturbance occurs.

Laddie comes and goes from the nest bringing sticks and twigs and early in the afternoon makes a food delivery but whether this is a fresh catch or one from his cache is indeterminable.  Lady however is not concerned as she is still able to feed herself and the chick and does so adequately.  She concludes with a preen and beak clean then takes a quick fight for a wing-stretch.  Laddie is back on the nest later in the afternoon bringing more nesting materials and Lady undertakes a spot of housekeeping in order to maintain it in tip-top condition.

A large headless fish delivery is made at 6:20pm and Laddie stays a while to watch his chick being fed.  Despite having already removed the head for his own consumption, he returns during the evening to take the remains away but also deposits another meal just half an hour after doing so.  Lady has spent the evening tending to the chick and continuing to incubate the now non-viable eggs and Laddie stops by to make a final check on them both as twilight draws in.  Safe in the knowledge that they are secure and well fed, he takes his leave for another night.

Tuesday, 5^th June

As daylight dawns Laddie flies onto the nest to announce his working day as hunter-gatherer has once again commenced.  Lady departs for a comfort break, remaining away for two minutes and upon her return she sits upon her observation perch preening.  The chick is taking direction from her and emulates her actions despite having no feathers or coat to preen as yet.  Laddie is stick gathering and returns intermittently with the spoils of his searches, placing them within the structure and breakfast finally arrives at 8:30am.  The loch is busy with its resident life; the grebes, swans and geese are going about their morning business and the goosander takes her two remaining chicks for a glide around upon her back.

Lunch is delivered at 1:45pm, that being a fish in its entirety.  Lady begins to tear into it and feed both herself and the chick as Laddie looks on.  From the feed they receive there will be little left for him to retrieve later so it might just be advisable for him to take the opportunity to fish for himself.  At 5:00pm he has done just that but first brings his prize to the nest to offer it up.  Lady sees no reason to waste the opportunity and swiftly takes it, she has their growing chick to feed after all, but then Laddie would not have brought it to the nest if the intention was to keep it for himself.

He does however manage to secure a meal as early evening draws in and brings the remains for Lady and the chick to finish.  Returning regularly to sit alongside them and bring soft, fresh, grassy bedding to reline the nestcup.  Another meal is forthcoming at 9:40pm which, once again would appear to be whole.  He deposits this and flies off leaving Lady to feed their chick and settle in for the night.  Fully feasted, neither he nor his family will go hungry overnight.

Wednesday, 6^th June

Following a quiet night, Lady is awake and preening as dawn breaks and the loch comes to life.  At 4:00am the chick emerges from beneath the warmth and security of her downy body.  She takes a brief break half an hour later and is back at the nest within three minutes.  Laddie has not yet arrived but he will more than likely be up and about and presenting himself shortly.  As she waits, she retrieves a scrap of fish from within the nest then settles back upon the chick.  Laddie has indeed been up, away and on duty early as he arrives with a whole fish at 5:15am, staying just a minute before departing. The chick eagerly makes its way toward the meal and Lady provides it with the first fresh and juicy morsels of the day, then, once breakfast is over she sits in the early morning sunlight.  Laddie has been back to the nest to check upon the possibility of leftovers but he has also taken another short fishing trip and located a small meal which he delivers at 7:20am.  Lady retrieves this from him and herself and the chick enjoy their second meal in succession.  The morning is taken up with deliveries of sticks and strips of bark and as heavy rain has now worked its way over the loch, Lady shelters the chick.  Lunch is a welcoming sight when Laddie comes in once again at 11:40am with a large headless fish.

It has turned into a wet and grey afternoon as Lady lays within her saturated nest keeping the chick as warm and dry as she possibly can.  It is growing so fast that soon it will no longer be able to shelter its entire body beneath hers but for now she is able to provide it with adequate cover.  Laddie continues to supply nesting materials and Lady feeds the chick from remnants that are within the nest until a fresh catch is dropped in at 5:25pm.

They both feast upon the meal and Lady takes a short comfort break and wing-stretch at 6:45pm returning to protect the chick from the continual pouring rain.  As she beds down for the night she is troubled by the midges that invade the airspace around her and the chick is unsettled beneath her, venturing out for a comfort break of its own just after 11:00pm.

Thursday, 7^th June

Lady and chick are both a little fidgety through the night, scratching, preening and repositioning.  At 2:20am she is digging around in the nest-cup leaving the chick uncovered for eight minutes but at seventeen days it is now big enough for her to be able to do so safely for short periods.  Laddie arrives with their breakfast at 7:07am and Lady begins to feed the chick but is disturbed by something and mantles, alerting Laddie with her alarm calls which bring him straight back to the nest.  No defensive action is necessary and therefore it may only have been a passing bird getting a little too close for her comfort and therefore she resumes the chick’s feed.  She spends time later in the morning preening as does the chick and Laddie visits to finish off the remains of the meal he delivered earlier.

As afternoon commences the chick has made a short journey to the side of the nest while mum is away taking a comfort break and wing-stretch.  Fortunately she is not gone long and it soon returns to the safety of the central cup. During her absence Laddie has delivered a large branch to continue the building up of the side structure and returns a little while later with more fresh, soft and grassy bedding.  By late afternoon he has been fishing and at 5:07pm delivers a fresh meal and leaves Lady to feed the chick, returning twenty minutes later to check if there are any remnants available for himself but departs without any.

It has been a dreadful day with appalling weather conditions but Laddie has still been able to hunt successfully, delivering a large headless fish just after 6:30pm, at least he has had a good feed of it for himself considering he did not manage to get any of the earlier meal.  Lady feeds the chick, leaving the remains at the side of the nest for Laddie to take upon his return which he does at 7:15pm.  She busies herself before nightfall with nest renovations and tidying the moss and grass around her as she lays.  At 9:50pm Laddie flies in with supper ensuring his family do not go hungry overnight.  Following a twenty minute feast, both mum and chick have settled happily for the long night ahead and Laddie has retreated to his own sleeping quarters.

Friday, 8^th June

Overnight the chick has sheltered safely beneath Lady’s wing.  At 2:15am she sits looking out into the darkness of the loch and rises to take a comfort break over the edge of the nest, quickly returning to the nest-cup.  At first light she looks saturated and bedraggled but the chick has remained snug and warm beneath her protective body.  Laddie arrives at 5:45am with their breakfast but Lady does not make a move for it and remains in position for almost twenty minutes while Laddie stands and bides his time patiently.  Once she is on her feet and has taken an interest, he departs leaving her to feed their chick.  It is wet and windy and the nest is being blown about high up in their tall Scot’s Pine tree and Laddie takes to the skies on another fishing hunt.  His efforts pay off and another large meal is delivered mid-morning.  He comes and goes with sticks and nesting materials, retrieving the fish leftovers during one of his visits.

The chick is feeding from early afternoon and as Lady takes the opportunity for a toilet break it practices its skills at nest renovation, picking up a piece of grassy bedding and rearranging its position.  It is not yet three weeks old but already shows some of the essential attributes that will be required of it in adulthood.  In just three to four weeks’ time we will see it practicing its wing-flapping and comical levitation flights at which point it will be almost full size and ready to fledge.  It is hard to envisage this at such an early stage but it is growing incredibly fast, receiving all the nourishment and more that it requires on a regular basis.

There is a slight cause for concern early evening when Laddie swoops onto the nest alarm calling and mantling.  Lady spreads herself across the chick who peeps out from beneath her to see what all the fuss is about.  Once Laddie is content that no serious threat is forthcoming he departs leaving his family to go about their usual business.  He has been stick-collecting and returns with a twig which, as he positions it into place is watched intently by his young protégé. Laddie then spots something in the airspace above the nest and takes flight alarm calling once again.  Lady too, calls from the nest and follows the source of disturbance with her eyes but again it would seem to be enough to keep the intruder at bay.  Both Lady and Laddie are sat together on the nest as twilight descends with their chick in the central nest-cup.  Happy family without exception!

Fish Deliveries  -  2  (upto 11.41 am)

 

00.22 Lady sleeping

00.24 Lady wakes and has a quick dig in the nestcup, then looks around

00.25 Head goes back down now to sleep

00.29 Lady moving the eggs and the chick is laying just inside her wing

00.30 Chick pops out for a poop shot then scrambles back underneath Lady

00.31 Lady sitting up and still awake and just watching. Getting very windy up at the nest now

00.35 Lady puts her head down now and seems to have dozed off

00.55 Lady digging in the nestcup again

00.57 Settles back down again

00.58 For the next 1 hour 14 minutes, Lady mostly sleeps except on the odd occasion she lifts her head up and back down again

02.14 Lady is laying very flat in the nest. Very windy up there too

02.25 Lady lifts her head then gets up. Makes her way to the edge of the nest for a poop shot, then hurries up back to the chick and straight back down on it to keep it warm

03.02 Lady still sleeping

03.58 Lady snuggles back down
04.10 Day camera kicks in now

04:29 Poor lady is hunkered down facing 9 o c this morning as it is wet and windy at the Lowes today.Rocket must be snuggled under Mum keeping nice and warm.

06:50 Wet, windy and the nest being blown around, Lady hunkered down on the chick

05.27 Lady stands up a little as chick being restless. The she goes to the edge of the nest
05.28 Chick poops
05.29 Lady has a small bit of leftover fish and has a bite to eat
05.31 Lady flies of for a loo break and straight back again
05.45 FISH DELIVERY and Laddie brings in a huge fish, but Lady’s not wanting to move, so Laddie stands with the
fish and waits for the next 19 minutes
06.04 Lady finally up
06.06 Lady finally take the fish off of Laddie and starts to eat
06.07 Laddie off and Lady and the chick have breakfast
06.23 Lady now settles back down on the chick
06.25 Still very windy at the nest and Lady sits tight

06:50 Wet, windy and the nest being blown around, Lady hunkered down on the chick
07.21 Lady nods off for a few minutes”

07.52 LOOKING VERY WINDY AT LOWES .  LADY RIGHT DOWN ON THE NEST

08.23 CHICK BEING FED (WAS AWAY FROM THE WEBCAM FOR A WHILE, SO PROBABLY MISSED A FISH DELIVERY)

08.30 Chick and Lady tucking in to a huge fish!

08.52 LADY IS SETTLED BACK DOWN ON THE CHICK

09.09 Laddie arrives with another biggish stick
09.12 Laddie leaves with the leftover fish

09.19 Lady up and flapping those huge wings of hers
09.20 Lady on the edge of the nest and had a big wing and leg stretch

09.21 Lady’s off leaving the chick home alone, it waddles about then lays down

09.28 Lady standing on the edge of the nest looking out towards the loch

10.41 Static camera still on at Lowes. Lady is being blown about a bit, but she’s awake and looking very alrert as she protects little chick

11.39 Lady on the edge of the nest shouting and the chick just done a massive poop shot right up and over and out of the nest, lol

11.41 Fish delivery, not sure if this is the huge one that was bought in earlier
11.43 Laddie flies off the nest, Lady feeds chick
11.59 Still feeding.

12.08 Lady feeding Rocket.

12.18 Lady still eating and it looks as though Rocket is almost full now.

12.20 Lady flies off the nest. Chick is doing a bit of nestortations bless.
12.21 She is back and settles on the chick

13.26 Lady up for a wingstretch. Chick asleep.
13.28 Chick wakes up
13.30 Head down again

13.38 Lady feeding the chick with the remains of the fish left on the nest

13.50 Lady settles on a well stuffed chick, they have both fed well so far today

14.20 Is the chick home alone?  No Lady is out of site but on the side of the nest.

14.52 LADY JUST SETTLED DOWN ON CHICK – SOUNDING VERY WINDY AT LOWES

15.12 Lady watching something in the sky and ducks down 3 times

15.19 Whatever Lady has been watching is back, as she is watching it again

15.37 Lady dozing and it getting very windy at the nest

15.43 Chick pops out from under Lady for some fresh air

15.44 Lady keeps looking down into the nest as if she is hearing something

15.54 Lovely view o Ladys deep nest

16.34 it’s strange how that little chick has grown so quickly that it is now too big to be able to snuggle fully under Lady.

16.44 I think there might have been a fish delivery just now but couldn’t see properly as the cam was zoomed in. Lady is off the screen and chick is standing in eager anticipation. The cam has zoomed out and Laddie is there moving a branch. He placed that one beautifully at the back. She is preening and so probably no fish. She flies off leaving Laddie there

16.45. Lady returns. and the camera zoom in.
16.46, Laddie takes off

17.21 Lady preening

17.27 Lady up on edge of nest and still preens

17.31 Both Lady and the chick preen

17.42 Lady walks around the nest and moves some sticks

17.43Lady settles onto the chick and eggs

18.10 Laddie flies onto the nest alarm calling and mantling, Lady spreads out over chick who promptly comes out to see what is going on!!

18.12 Lady gets up and backs up to the side of the nest.
18.13 Laddie flies off 

18.14 Laddie comes back

18.14 Laddie back on the nest with a twig. The chick is watching him trying to place it. Lady carries on preening

18.17 Laddie alarm calls and flies off the nest

18.19 Lady alarm calling
18.20 Both Lady and chick looking upwards and following something

18.53 Lady shouting

18.56 Laddie flies in with another twig, chick gets up but will be disappointed!
18.58 The family on the nest.

18.59 He flies off
19.01 He is back again with another twig
19.03 And off again

20.00 – Laddie arrives with nothing and Lady is scolding him (although my sound is very bad tonight) – off he goes again

20.25 Static cam now on. Both Laddie and Lady on the side of the nest with the chick asleep in the centre of the nest cup

20.31 Laddie flies off, and the chick has woken up ready for a bit of exploring

20.48 Lady sitting facing out towards the loch, she looks as though she is dozing

20.51 No she’s awake and preening her wing feathers

21.02 LOOKS AS THOUGH THE SUN IS SHINING AT LOWES

21.09 The chick has popped out now, then it went back under Lady’s wing

21.11 Lady doing her shouting now

21.17 Look at the sun shining on Lady’s nest

21.17 Lady still listening to something going on under her, must be the noisey neighbours

22.18 Lady sitting and keeps looking towards to loch

22.23 Lady having a doze now

22.37 Just looked in at Lady and the Infra Red camera has come on now

22.49 Lady is having a good preen, then a wriggle about before re-arranging a few sticks just in front of her

23.18 Lady sleeping just now

23.41 Lady wriggles on the chick and eggs and settles again

 

Last night Ann put a post up about an Adult Osprey rescue. This is how it unfolded at 21.38pm:

Well behind the scenes you’ll never Guess what I’ve had to get Peters help with. I got a phone call from one of our members (Cartman). One of his friends has found a water logged osprey being attacked by crows and after phoning the RSPCA who DIDN’T come out to it he decided to take it home to dry in his garage. I got Peter to phone the rescuer to give advice and after it’s allowed to dry out overnight and being given fish to eat, the plan is to see if it can be released in the morning. Phew. Thank you Peter.

If I get photos or hear anything else I’ll update or Peter will.

I HAVE A PHOTO.

 

It was found in County Durham.

 

This is how it was found

 

Its been given fresh trout and left alone for the night. They can but try to help it. Fingers crossed it can dry out totally and be released back where it came from today. Ann will update us all as soon as she hears how it got on.

A big thank you to Cartman, his Friend for finding and rescuing it, Ann for being at the end of the phone, and Our Peter for the advice to Cartman’s friend.

What a great Village we have. and as Jack said to Ann last night  “it must have been pretty weak to allow itself to be captured. Thank goodness for Cartman and his friend – there are some lovely people around xx”

 

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The Dyfi Osprey Project and the Scottish wildlife Trust  have kindly given their permission for us to post still and video images from their webcams. To visit their sites please click on the relevant link.    Loch of the Lowes.  Dyfi Osprey Project.

 

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