Loch of the Lowes (Scotland) Osprey

[seira]

May 16

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... MVYS7f3Upl
An update from the osprey nest - if you've missed the nestside events of the last few days, read our latest blog.
We are aware that there has been some confusion about whether LM12 received supplementary feeding and can confirm that, as per our policy, we did not intervene in this situation.


https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... dcEj4FnvXl
More good news to wake up to this morning, Chick Number 2 hatched at 4:19 am and has quickly joined its sibling in sitting upright in the morning sunshine.
The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that this hatch is actually from the third egg laid - the palest of the trio.
This means a number of things, either Egg 2 is still hatching or, more likely, what looked to be an egg pip yesterday was a bit of nest material or a fish scale. This would suggest that it is Egg 1 that has not yet hatched and is therefore possibly not viable.
We will just have to wait and see! Meanwhile, welcome Chick No. 2!

[mogga]

°°°

~ 10:01

[mogga]

°°°

Circa 20:06 (Scottish time)

[mogga]

°°°

May 18th, 2023

[mogga]

°°°

Feeding 13:34

[seira]

May 19

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... KSmcUYtiEl

We knew that ospreys are brilliant at flying, but we didn't know brown trout 'gives them wings!'
(No energy drinks were consumed when making this video!)
Both adults and chicks have been feeding well, with LM12 bringing in a good mixture of pike and brown trout over the last few days, including a delivery at first light and another mid-morning!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rni_Y3g3X5g




mogga

[mogga]

°°°

May 20th, 2023

06:46 NC0 makes a short round, the chicks look around


08:04 LM12 comes with fish


08:05 Feeding begins, the chicks' beaks are already up and ready

[mogga]

°°°

08:20 End of feeding


08:52 LM12 comes and wants to take the remaining fish. NC0 does not want that, instead there is supplementary feeding.


09:17 LM12 has now been on the nest for 30 minutes, now he flies away again. There is still fish left, it is under NC0.

[mogga]

°°°

16:09


18:05 3 waiting for the next fish


18:39 It was worth the wait

[mogga]

°°°

18:39


18:51 "I've eaten enough!" "Me too."

[mogga]

°°°

20:37 New fish - new feeding

[seira]

May 20

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... YuXnm1aBul
It’s been quite the dramatic week since we published the osprey diary last Friday, keenly watching the egg ‘pip’ of the first osprey chick grow larger!
Best settle down with a brew to catch up on all the latest news.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/20 ... es-week-9/

[mogga]

°°°

May 21st, 2023

12:02 - 12:55 A penetrating, persistent intruder (osprey) flies around for 50 minutes. NC0 is attacked several times and there are chases all the time.

12:02


12:13 One of the attacks


12:24 LM12 comes with fish in between ...

[mogga]

°°°

12:24 ... but flies off with the fish again


12:25 Next attack


13:54 Calm is returned and LM12 comes back with the fish

[seira]

May 22

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... z3MYdUdnTl
Every osprey has its own unique quirks, one of LM12's is to bring in gifts of moss and sticks to his mate NC0 and lay them on her back. Is this the osprey equivalent of a bunch of flowers?
After his injury we could tell LM12 was starting to feel a bit more like his usual self again, when he started bringing more gifts to the nest. Here are some of his many quirky highlights so far from this season!

[mogga]

°°°

May 23rd, 2023

04:49 | 05:45 | 07:33 | 08:27 | 09:28 | 09:38 | 16:16 | 18:40

[seira]

May 24

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... EFq4CbMWml
It was more like an extended scene from 'Top Gun' a few days ago above the Loch, when a pair of intruding osprey drifted into the Lowes breeding pair's territory!
Things appeared fairly relaxed for the first hour, with the unringed male and female not really bothering NC0 who was brooding her two chicks. However, with LM12 away fishing, the larger female became bolder and at midday began a series of determined and sustained attacks on the nest.
This is quite common when ospreys without territory are trying to seize a breeding site of their own. It may be that this pair are returning youngsters, trying to test the strength and bond of more established pairs to find their own nesting site.
NC0 did a fantastic job of defending the nest and her chicks, showing her experience and matching the female in the air with strength and speed. After 20 minutes or so LM12 returned from the Tay with a large brown trout. He quickly took the meal to safety, closely watching the proceedings nearby and like the other much smaller male, stayed out of the way of the melee.
After another half hour the female finally gave up and drifted off, allowing calm to return to the nest once again and the chicks to enjoy a hearty feed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkVbmAJNMfI

[seira]

May 26

[seira]

May 27

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... tiyWrsJQCl
It's been another action packed week on the osprey nest, with a persistent intruder, huge fish and fast chick growing action all in the mix.
Grab a brew and catch up with the latest osprey diary below
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/20 ... s-week-10/

[seira]

June 2

https://www.facebook.com/LochoftheLowes ... GwvJ4nKCzl
The weeks are fair flying by on the osprey nest, with the youngsters now almost three weeks old!
Find out what has been happening in the latest osprey diary round up below!
(Many thanks to Mark Westgarth for the cracking cover photo!)
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/20 ... s-week-11/



There is a clear pecking order on the nest, with larger chick 1 regularly exerting its authority over chick 2. This is normal behaviour however on an osprey nest, with smaller chicks exhibiting submissive behaviour until their older sibling has had enough. Once chick 1 falls into a contented ‘chupping’ food coma, NC0 makes sure the smaller chick is also stuffed full of fish.

......

Delivery from LM12