Sad news for the 25 yr old Osprey mom in Scotland, still has chics in nest

[MAK]

    They surely do have a way with words.   

[Donna]

Osprey Diary 23rd August
August 23rd, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

Camera Update: Peter is working frantically on the camera  problem again this morning- sorry folks!

 There is definitely a wee autumn chill in the air in the early mornings here at Lowes- and a beautiful mist today in the lee of the hills. Although we are still be treated to some glorious sunshine, ideal for outdoor work and play, the nights are drawing in and the odd local cottage now has wood smoke curling from the chimney of an evening.

The time of mellow fruitfulness is upon us here in the Highlands , and with it the change in all our wildlife- our summer visitors are already leaving – Dunkeld village seems quiet without the swifts screeching cries- and those that remain are beginning the frantic quest to fatten up and store food for the winter. Many, having had a very favourable summer season, are looking very healthy and plump, like our wee fat and sleek red squirrels, and should be well set for a winter ( even if it is early as predicated).

Our ospreys too should be well set for the time ahead- dad has done a great job as we all know and having remained right up until late August, he has ensured his offspring have not struggled for food and should be a  good weight. Incidentally, observations of osprey chicks have found that it is not necessarily the fattest ( at fledging)  that have the best chance of surviving migration- though a little extra fat as insurance against fishing failures on route can’t hurt!

Our male osprey has been seen just yesterday at the nest- as if looking for his errant teenagers! -and one of the juveniles was seen briefly over the loch yesterday. Keep your eyes open today for these lightening quick snippets of ospreys before they disappear all together.

Emma Rawling

[MAK]

    I'm sad to see things winding down at the Loch. I will miss the lovely reports. Thanks for posting Donna!   

[Donna]

Archive for the ‘Diary 2010’ Category
Osprey Diary August 24th August
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Well folks, it looks like our young ospreys are on their way- with no sightings for a few days we can assume they have begun their wanderings, that will hopefully lead them safely south to their wintering grounds in Africa. Our male too must be on the cusp of migration, having fulfilled his role to perfection.

The satellite tracking studies that have been done with ospreys so far, indicate that most young ospreys tend to have a good wander in the few couple of weeks, often zigzagging across their home territories and a little further afield, before settling down into a southward pattern.

 Some researchers such as Roy Dennis speculate that the Scandinavian ancestral genetic origin of our Scottish birds has left them with a tendency to fly west first (which would have kept them on a coastal course from Scandinavia). This can lead to some birds getting into trouble, especially if they end up to far out to sea- an osprey can catch a sea fish after all, but without anywhere to stop and eat it and rest, they soon die of exhaustion at sea.

Lets hope that our two Loch of the Lowes youngsters are exploring Perthshire and getting fully fit before choosing a safe and direct route south over the UK. Safe journeys wee ones!

Emma Rawling

Be strong and fly well young lad & lassie.

[Bobbie Ireland]

As Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, wrote:

So fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Dear,
Tho’ 'twere ten thousand mile.

Seems appropriate as we say good bye... especially to that magnificent Lady of Lowes...

[Donna]

As Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, wrote:

So fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Dear,
Tho’ 'twere ten thousand mile.

Seems appropriate as we say good bye... especially to that magnificent Lady of Lowes...

That was BEAUTIFUL and so fitting. Thanks Bobbie. I'm going to miss that whole family.

[MAK]

As Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, wrote:

So fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Dear,
Tho’ 'twere ten thousand mile.

Seems appropriate as we say good bye... especially to that magnificent Lady of Lowes...

That was BEAUTIFUL and so fitting. Thanks Bobbie. I'm going to miss that whole family.

Ditto on that!   

[Donna]

Osprey Diary August 25th
August 25th, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

  The osprey diary today is no not so much about our Lowes birds, who haven’t been seen on the Loch at all in the last 24hrs, probably having started their autumn migratory wanderings. Other local birds, however, are still around, and reports are coming in thick and fast of osprey beings spotted travelling through. I myself saw an adult osprey fishing at another of our reserves, Stormont Loch, yesterday which doesn’t have a breeding pair, which just shows it is worth keeping an eye out in all sorts of local waters.

Our webcams are still plagued by technical problems- how grateful are we that this didn’t happen in the middle of the osprey season!!! Most of you will sympathise with the endless contradictory answers we’ve been getting and the ‘on hold’ phone queues we’ve been enduring trying to sort out the problem, which now appears to be phone line and electricity related. Our sincere apologies for the lack of visuals and we assure you are not missing a great deal on the nest- just the sad sight of grass growing on it now there is no one home!

Emma Rawling

[Donna]

 Thursday, August 26th, 2010

 Empty Nest Syndrome

 Here at Lowes we are all starting to suffer from empty nest syndrome, with all our ospreys having left on their autumn migrations. There are still occasionally ospreys being seen nearby, mostly birds passing through on their way south using nearby Lochs as ‘lunch breaks’.

 The nest here, high on a Scots pine on our Loch shore, now looks rather forlorn, with its wide bowl of sticks now looking rather dishevelled. During the breeding season so much care is lavished on it by our ospreys – a constant tidying of sticks by mum and refreshing of the bedding material by dad- that it seems odd to have it untidy! The soft lining consists of grass, moss and dried pond weed, which accounts for the nice crop of greenery now sprouting on it.

 The nest is in fact a huge structure- about six foot in diameter , built by our ospreys over many years, but is secured on a metal base put up by staff here at the reserve many years ago to provide stability. This should ensure it will survive the winter storms and snows weight, and next spring our ospreys will only have to do their usual renovations and stick additions to make it ready for another breeding season.

 Ospreys are legendarily site faithful and even if a nest is blown down, they will usually rebuild on the same place. The prefer sites with excellent visibility and have been shown to readily take up artificial nesting platforms- effectively starter kit homes! During the autumn and winter is the time that conservation groups, rangers and enthusiasts all over the UK will be looking to erecting more of these to attract more young ospreys to take up residence in new areas- helping them re-colonise more of their former historic range and help the species recover.

 Emma Rawling

 Perthshire Ranger

1pm Update: the camera are back!!! We’ve had line engineers here all morning and the great news is that our cameras are back on line! Let’s hope it stays that way!

 Friday, August 27th, 2010

Update: the camera problems persist! BT have been informed again and we’re just waiting on a reply (don’t hold your breath!) It might be a long black-screened weekend! Sorry folks! Fiona

Who said Osprey season at Lowes was over? Nature always has the capacity to surprise and delight us- the most certain thing I have learned about ospreys after four years studying them, is that they surprise you somehow every year! Though we often talk in generalisations about’ normal’ behaviour, there is always room for individual variation and, if I can anthropomorphise for a moment, birds do seem to have unique personalities.

 But back to the excitement at hand- a visiting osprey spent a couple of hours with us at Lowes yesterday afternoon, and led us on a merry dance trying to identify it! At about 4pm, a large adult bird (solid chocolate plumage, not a speckled youngster) flew in and perched on one of the pines across the bay from the nest. The bird was very large, and so probably a female, but we did not recognise the head markings as one of our local birds.

 The osprey then frustrated our attempts to catch sight of its legs, to see any distinguishing rings, but to no avail. Perhaps it was an unringed individual, and so we will never know were it visited from. The Bird spent a good half hour preening- probably a sign it had flown quite a distance, before fishing on the loch for tea. Our Loch is exactly the kind of valuable safe stopping place for birds on the move that are crucial in their migrations. It left later in the evening to either perch up for a night, or continue its journey south.

 This reminds us that many ospreys from further north are still to pass us and that there are many more sightings to be had on migration routes this autumn. If you do se ospreys, be sure to try to get a view of leg rings- particularly the coloured Darvic rings, and report them if you can – Roy Dennis is always “extremely interested in sightings of colour rings and would be very grateful if reports of colour rings, including digital pictures showing the colour ring are sent to my email address: roydennis@aol.com â€�

 Emma Rawling

 Perthshire Ranger

Update: 11am  Sorry folks cameras down again- it still appears to be our internet connection.

Osprey Diary August 28, 2010
Saturday, August 28th, 2010

A grand morning at the Loch! Crisp, calm and clear.

Last night I was gazing north over the Tay valley, rolling wheat  beneath my feet, tall deciduous trees along the wide river banks, and up to a few, as they are called in the Western Isles, “pappsâ€�, Beinn Mhor and others at more than 1000 metres/ 3300 feet. Above, were determined swallows in a large continuous flock heading directly south aerial foraging as they went. I use the words “determinedâ€� and “directlyâ€� with intent; as I intend to underscore the drive of migrants, their ability to pool their resources and skills to one end/destination/goal.

There are salmon thrashing up the rocky gorge of the Braan just west of Dunkeld these days. A drive far stronger than the downward thrust of the cold water and gashes of stone on scale.

And so, ospreys move from this large island. As some of you know we witnessed the presence of an osprey for about two hours on Thursday afternoon on the Loch. Surely a “she� popping in to a no doubt known (to her) territory of a prime osprey nesting site. Perhaps this bird knew that if an osprey nest was nearby, fish supply and security was guaranteed… Yesterday morning too, I saw an osprey fly through the area from the crannog hide, moving south.

One of “our� blog people posts recent U.K. osprey sightings. I encourage you to scroll back to yesterday for an update. Good stuff.

These are determined times; flights of birds overhead, mass feeding sites, along shore, woods and water. The magic of life surrounds. We too are driven. I hope that we “know� why.

The best of wishes for all migrants, including human ones today. Rinchen

[Donna]

Osprey Diary August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 29th, 2010

And the wind blows cool this morn.

I would like, at this juncture to express a few thoughts about the committment to this blog and this osprey season at the Loch of the Lowes by Emma the Ranger. As many of you are aware, the “nature� of many conservation positions is a seasonal one. Her position here too is seasonal. Emma will be moving on in about a weeks’ time. She is moving a wee bit south of here to continue to do some very exciting conservation work. I wish to personally acknowledge my recognition of her diligence and care of the osprey file here in 2010. Initially, she was the human focal point for the monitoring of three absorbing eggs and coordinated many a volunteer over the 24 hour incubation period. Once the eggs hatched, although her main duties were consumed by oversight of the other 6 nearby reserves, she continued to have a third eye on “our� ospreys. The word dedication comes to the fore. I would like to say that she believes.

And the wind blows cool this morn.

Air moves with heat rising from earth and sea, in layers, in concentrations of different pressure areas, moist air, dry air. It is often during or after strong winds that migrant birds appear to us. Somehow, having partaken in this spectacle over my life, birds seem to “return� to earth. It feels as if they are not always connected to the world in which we reside. The strong connection to flight allows them to inhabit another “world�, somewhere other than our own. Perhaps this is one of the fascinations that we have for these beings.

“Our� young ospreys, I have commented, relished the wind before even being able to fly. They held out their wings to truely feel the resistance of feathers against the air. Once they were able to fly, they seemed most active on breezy skies. Avian migration is well under way with millions of feathers exploring “their� world.

Sail on. Rinchen

[Donna]

Wildlife diary 30th August
August 30th, 2010 by fiona, osprey HQ

Good morning to you all!

It’s another glorious day here this morning, but there is a definite chill in the air. Autumn is just round the corner it seems.
This month has flown by and it’s now that time when seasonal visitor start to make their next journey, including our staff and volunteers! It’a always a sad time for us who stay and have to say goodbye, but happy in the knowledge that they are moving on to start their next chapter with happy memories. We wish Emma and her team of volunteers well on their future ventures and thank them for all their hard word and dedication over the season.
We were reminded that autumn has not yet taken over as an osprey was sighted hunting on the loch this morning. No doubt a migrating individual popping in for a quick fish supper before heading on it’s way. We will continue to see sporadic sightings of visiting osprey right up until mid to late September, by which time ‘our’ birds should finding their ‘feet’ in their wintering grounds.
We have noticed an increased number of geese on the loch of late, but have since been informed that it is a gaggle of feral geese who have been hanging about the area all summer. The group are mainly canada geese, but there are also 4 bar-headed geese, some greylags, a few hybrids and one that looks like a snow goose. Quite the rogue bunch of misfits!
The squirrels continue to entertain us, and I’m quite sure there is at least 1 new kit has appeared in the last week! Squirrels, being mammals are quite capable of having 2 or 3 litters a year and can reproduce throughout the seasons, although it is less likely young will survive during the winter.

Still plenty to see folks, so stay tuned!
Fiona

[Donna]

Archive for the ‘Diary 2010’ Category
Wildlife Diary August 31st
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

How can it be the end of August already? This morning is cold and msity here at Lowes, a real taste of autumn, but I’m sure the sunshine will soon burn through! Fionas’ delightful description yesterday gave you a  good tate of the changing wildilfe here at the Lowes- it is perhaps the most beautiful times of year in the highlands.

We’ve had almost daily osprey sightings here at Lowes, of birds  passing through, which is a nice reminder of how many birds are further north than us are breeding. Thankyou to those of you posting details of other ospreys on route in the UK- fascinating reading.

Excellent news this morning about one of our previous ospreys chicks born here at Lowes, which has been sighted in Dumfries andd Galloway. The female chick was hatched here in 2001 and is a daughter of our wonderful lady and her previous mate ‘Eric’. Isn’t it wonderful to think of her descendants out there helping repopulate new areas of Scotland!

Emma Rawling

Perthshire Ranger

[Donna]

Wildlife Diary 1st September
September 1st, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

Well folks, a new month brings new excitement here at Lowes. Congratulations and thanks to the eagle eyed webcam watchers who spotted early this morning, our first Pine Martin visitor for a long time, at our window feeders.

We used to have a resident family here at Lowes, but over the last year they have been consicuously absent, theories have ranged from feral cat competetion , to local clearfelling being the cause.

This pine matrtin which apeared this morning appears to be a juvenile, probably dispersing from its birth family at this time of year, looking for a teritory of its own- which is good news for us as it might decide to stay around!

There was great excitement in the office this morning as we rewound the overnight camera recording and watched the wee beastie filling itself up on peanuts- Fiona tells me its their tradtional favorite around here! lets hope we get return visit soon.

[Donna]

Wildlife Diary 2nd September
September 2nd, 2010 by E Rawling, Perthshire Ranger SWT

The staff at Lowes were so excited by the Pine Martin sighting on Wednesday morning, that some of us stayed up very late watching at the feeder window hoping…..no such luck last night! It brought back memories of all those long nights back in the spring doing osprey nest protection watch ( can that really only be five months ago?) when you get a previledge view of the nightime world of Loch of the lowes.

At night there is the errie call of the geese calling on the loch, and the quiet footfall of the deer in the woods. The tawny owls are quite vocal and the loch surface seem to buzz with daubentons bats scimming for insects. Lots of feild mice scrurry around the base of the feeders and our resident hedghog ( who lives under the VC) shuffled out to go about its business in the dark.

Alas, the only thing msising was a pine martin, but we hope it will return soon- keep your eyes peeled and be sure to let us know if you see it on camera!

[Donna]

Archive for the ‘Diary 2010’ Category
Wildlife Diary 3rd September
Friday, September 3rd, 2010

  The pine martin is back! At about ten to six this morning the same wee juvenile pine martin appeared on the feeders outside the VC. It stayed for  about 10 minutes and stuffed itself with peanuts- we  are going to have top start putting out a more mixed and suitable diet for it in the evenings-dried fruit, and some meat too. It appears to have a wee white spot on its left shoulder – individual markings on pine martins are very useful identifiers. Lets just hope this become a habitual visit!

This will be my last blog post, as it is unbelievably my last day at Lowes. Soon I will be joining you lovely folks on the ‘reader’ side of the blog community, which will be a great way of keeping in touch with my friends up here and the joys of the coming seasons on the loch.

I just wanted to say one last thank you to you all for all your kind comments and good wishes- they have been very much appreciated. All the staff here have found the blog an enormous morale boost and it has certainly helped us through some difficult times this season knowing there are so many of you out there who care! Thank you all and see on the blog- look our for “ex ranger Emma!�

Emma Rawling