LOCH OF THE LOWES - June 2024 to end of season

Continued from May 2024

Webcam page with links to LotL Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve FB, Twitter, Blogs, SWT News Feed and to Donate >>>

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/loch-of-the-lowes-webcam/

For the current 'LIVE' YouTube link, visit >>> https://www.youtube.com/@ScottishWildlifeTrustvideos/streams or >>> Embedded YT link

The Osprey Protection Programme at Loch of the Lowes is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, with funds awarded by Postcode Planet Trust

All captures and videos ©Scottish Wildlife Trust/Loch of the Lowes

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Since the 9th May, a dark, unringed male intruder (with a distinctive large pupil in his right eye and who the team at Lowes has estimated to be 2-3 years of age) has been a regular visitor to the nest. The Pale Male, who had ‘destroyed’ the three eggs on the 7th/8th May, has not been seen on camera again and it was mentioned that this new young male had chased him from the area.

He has delivered many small fish ‘gifts’ (three in one day on a couple of occasions) and a sizable larger one to NC0 - her calls expressed how grateful she was - but that did not stop her from catching her own huge meal on the 23rd May, to satisfy her appetite. His many mating attempts have so far been rejected by NC0 though this has not put him off from making continuous efforts. The Dark Intruder, as named by staff in the hides on the reserve, is showing great nest building skills - bringing in a multitude of various-sized sticks and soft nesting material.

Although the relationship is in its early stages, NC0 appears to have accepted him as a 'potential' future mate and they have been observed working as a team to defend the nest against seen, and unseen, intruders - all encouraging signs for the beginning of a possible new chapter here at Loch of the Lowes.

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Nest Updates 

Arrival dates:  NC0(16) - 8.3.24 (17:52)   Laddie (LM12) - 27.3.24 (16:38)  RIP Laddie (LM12) - remains found 3.5.24   Broken heart

Eggs laid: Egg #1 - 17.4.24 (10:48)  Egg #2 - 20.4.24 (10:53)  Egg #3 - 23.4.24 (20:47)

*Two eggs were destroyed on 7.5.24; the third one on 8.5.24, by an unringed, Pale Male Osprey. All were deemed unviable due to being chilled and left for long periods without incubation

Last seen dates:  NC0(16) - 13.8.24  Dark Intruder - TBC

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Links to blogs and updates during March,  April,  May

June to end of season Blogs and Updates (Published dates)

20.6.24: LotL Fb >>> Update re NC0, DI and two female nest intruders

17.8.24: LotL Fb .>>> Migrations?

17.8.24: SWT YouTube >>> Last Osprey Sightings of the Summer?

20.8.24: LotL Blog >>> Osprey LM12 died of natural causes

23.8.24: LotL Fb >>> Dark Intruder still at Lowes

  • Good morning Sandra - haha, I’ve done that before too!

    Morning Glider,

    I knew I'd done one and kept refreshing the page to see if showed up! lol Smile

  • NC0 returned to the nest at 11:48 

    It's been extremely windy this afternoon. Here she is at 12:55 (having remained on then nest) being buffeted in the wind

    She flew off at 13:02

    It stayed ENS until she came back at 15:21

    She chipped a couple of times on landing - no threat was seen or heard

    She is still there preening at present, 15:57. She's done a lot of this since returning

    I've not seen the male

    BFN

    ©SWT/LotL

  • 19:15 The male was seen flying out from the inlet. NC0 was on the birch

    He turned and made his way to the nest, NC0 left the birch

    There appeared to be either a tiny fish or a small piece of one, in his right talons

    She made her way over to him as he was nibbling at it

    She bent down underneath him to take it

    He cleaned his beak as NC0 began to tuck in

    She turned after he flew off and continued to eat

    She called for more after 5 minutes or so

    At 20:26, NC0, who had been on the birch, came back to the nest

    She was fish calling and prepared herself to receive a delivery

    The male arrived with his fish gift

    It was small but whole

    She transferred it into her talons

    He flew off

    She looked around briefly

    Then made three short calls before leaving with her supper at 20:17

    Pre night cam at 23:05

    Midnight

    ©SWT/LotL

  • 5th July

    Afternoon All,

    A couple of significant occurrences so far today. This was the first one

    At 8:24, NC0 had not very long joined the male on the nest, she was calling for fish

    He moved closer to her

    He lifted off and hovered backwards

    Then landed on her in an attempt to mate

    NC0 warned him off

    He landed back on the nest

    He waited a short while...

    Then tried again

    Once again, NC0 gestured, 'No way!'

    He landed back on the nest

    After standing on the nest looking around he flew off

    ©SWT/LotL

  • The second significant occurrence - actually, a two in one!

    From 11:39: NC0 went into defensive mode

    Chipping heard

    I don't know what type of bird this was that sped past

    She chipped

    A loud jet could be heard

    The male then brought a headless fish

    NC0 began to flap her wings, they both chipped

    An unsighted intruder chipped too

    He flew off 

    Within moments of him leaving, an unringed male intruder landed briefly

    He flew off

    He flew out of view after this (it was at 11:45)

    Chipping heard

    After it had calmed down, NC0 looked around quietly before taking her fish off the nest at 11:47

    ©SWT/LotL

  • NC0 was already back on the nest at 12:30, when the unringed male intruder returned again

    He looked to his left, 'our' male was making his way towards the nest

    The intruder flew off

    'Our' male came back into view

    He didn't land on the nest

    Was NC0 watching an unseen chase?

    12:33 A couple of minutes had passed when 'our' male came back to the nest for a very quick visit

    Aww, it looked like he had a protective wing over NC0, he left it there for a moment or two Hugging

    12:34 He took flight

    Neither the male or the unringed male intruder have been back to the nest since then 

    NC0 remained on the nest until 13:57

    She had a lovely overhead wing stretch. The streaming froze at this point so I couldn't capture her flight away

    It's remained ENS since then. Most probably NC0 on the birch at present, 15:07

    BFN

    ©SWT/LotL

  • It was still ENS when the cam went offline at 17:27

    17:47 No new YT URL as yet

    ©SWT/LotL

  • New YT URL from 17:49

    NC0 on the nest fish calling at present, 17:54

    ©SWT/LotL

  • The cam went offline after almost 2 hours of streaming. It was ENS at the time 

    New YT URL from 21:04

    It was still ENS when the new stream started.

    At 22:40, there was an unseen dive/splashdown. Within moments, a flight could be seen heading behind the area highlighted

    The cam then went offline again at 22:42 

    New YT URL from 22:50

    It remained ENS from the beginning

    Pre night cam 23:05

    At present, 23:10

    ©SWT/LotL