Update 12:20pm: 2 redstarts and a great tit on the nest picking up the left-overs and multitude of insects present!
What a lovely site this morning of our lady osprey and both chicks on the nest, feeding well, though there is undoubtedly some squabbling going on. You will notice that mum is ‘babying’ the smaller chick, feeding it though it is well able to feed itself by now- perhaps just to ensure it is getting its’ fair share!
Our female osprey has taken to spending most of her time (when not out fishing) sitting across from the nest on the other side of the bay. Can you blame her- she must be sick of the sight of it after three solid months stuck there with eggs and chicks! It is also vital that she gets herself fit again , as migration looms only a few short weeks away.Dad is working extremely hard, even though he’s seldom seen- blink and you’ll miss him during his lightening quick fish deliveries to the nest. He is flat out keeping up with the demand, and is doing a sterling job yet again- what a hero! For those of you able to visit us here at the Lowes, we can assure you that even though the nest may often now be empty, there is still plenty of osprey action on the loch. There is almost always at least one of the birds in sight of the hides, and often a lot of fishing action on the loch, both with our birds and others from the nearby area- all in all, agree to visit and see the ospreys for yourself!Emma RawlingPerthshire Ranger
What a beautiful day at the Loch. So great to see Lady and chicks interacting and Laird dropping off snacks for all. I have to ask, what the heck was that on the nest that the camera locked in on? A bone of some sort? Something one of them carried in?
As always, thank you Team for all you do and for the wonderful camera work and views of the Loch. I hope someday to be able to see this lovely place myself. Must save my pennies to travel across the pond.
Hi Susan pet,
Are you ok today pet,, I’ll write to you by e-mail later,, how is “G”, today, I hope I asked that in my last mail to you ???
WELL,,, I have a lovely photo of “The Sculpture”,,, pet,, I’ll send it to you later on,,,, it’sn’t odd looking,, I think it’s just the bones left overs of the fish,,, and by some accident it’s been left standing up,,
I always knew our kids were talented artists,, or perhaps Isla has started them on lessons,, schools in at the moment pet,,,
Take care, speak soon
love
Chrissy
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good morning,,,,fiona,,,how sad talking about her not ever seeing them again,,,i know it is true but sad…,made tears come to my eyes. thanks to everybody at work and the bloggers.
I just had a quick look at the puffin cam, just in time to see the chick eating what I presume are sand eels brought in by mum or dad. Sorry, now back to the ospreys.
Hi Carolyn pet,,
do you have the URL for the Puffins pet,, I have one,, but it keeps on sutting down on me,,,,
love
Chrissy
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Chrissy, it’s http://www.rspb.org.uk/shetlandsummer
Thanks pet,,
Sorry i’ve been so long,, my computer closed down,, don’t know why,, and I’ve had the Devil of all jobs gwtting back on,,,,
Thanks again pet,,,,
love
Chrissy
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Hi Emma and all the bloggers. Just come home from work and this is the first time I have managed to tune in today. Thank you Emma for your usual informative blog, you always paint a wonderful picture in words and It makes me feel glad that I can share in it all, even if only over the internet. It is sad to think that in a few short weeks mum will not see her babies again but she can feel proud of the chicks this year and all the other chicks she has reared over her very long time with us.
Fiona, when we were up at Balgavies yesterday, though we didn’t see the osprey pair (just missed one with a fish, documented by a visitor in the hide) we saw some interesting comments in the visitors’ book, including one in June remarking on Lady’s recovery following ‘that’ weekend. The book also had several entries recording sightings of both ospreys with fish, and most interestingly, one recording the female soliciting food from the male, and him presenting her with half the fish once he’d had his share. This was just a couple of weeks ago – I thought that the male would only bring fish to the female is she was sitting on eggs or raising chicks. Is this behaviour usual? A couple whom we met in the hide had witnessed this, and also said that they’d been able to see through a telescope that both ospreys had rings – white on the female and green on the male. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to make out the letters/numbers.
Yes this is normal behavior. Although the female is more than capable of catching her own fish, she still feels responsible for the chicks and will stay around the nest to protect them, especially when there are intruders in the area, so will wait for dad to bring fish to the nest. Why fish when somebird will do it for you?!
Fiona, sorry, I didn’t make it clear – this pair haven’t raised any chicks, that’s why I was surprised. It’s thought that they’re a young inexperienced pair.
Carolyn if you read back this far, I understood the Balgavies ospreys were prevented from getting onto their nest by greylag geese who pinched it for their own use earlier, so the osps are too late to breed but can spend a happy summer bonding?
Good afternoon everyone.
Thank you Emma for your update this morning, only just managed to read it due to work.
So wish I was close enough to vist you all at Lowes and to see for myself the beautiful Osprey family.
I will manage a trip to Rutland this week to see their Opsrey family, the juvies have just fledged.
But I do have to say that its Lady thats close to my heart and no doubt 100 of other folk out there.
Tina
Oh Tina — the Lady has won thousands of hearts all over the world. She, alone, has made an incredible contribution to the osprey population in Scotland over her 20 years of breeding. What a legend, what a gal!
We paid you a visit today just after lunchtime and chatted to a very nice young lady who gave us a lot of information. It was great to actually see the nest and the birds ‘live’ if you know what I mean. We seen Mum and the two chicks but not Dad who was away fishing probably. Then we did see the small chick leaving the nest and having a flight over the loch to the tree they usually sit in. First time we’ve been and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Glad you enjoyed yourselves! Come again soon!
I presume dad brought in that fish, with its head still attached!
Just logged on to Cam 1….and what a superbe close up shot of a juvie with a still “live” fish in its talons…..not sure that the chick is too happy about the fish still thrashing its tail!! Had to laugh! Thanks for whoever is on the camera. I am trying to catch up with blogs, etc.
S.
Camerawork courtesy of Stephen!
Thanks for the close ups camerman/lady. Just seen some people who are in the hide, giving us all a wave! Great stuff!
Just watching bothe the youngsters on the nest at 4.25 pm and the one on the right was pecking on a fish that was still flapping it’s tail! Did it catch it itself or had I just miss a delivery from Lady or the Laird ?
Must say they look superb !!
regards
Fish delivery courtesy of dad!
Thanks Fiona – Dad’s visit sure are lightning quick !! What a star he is.
Had another great visit to the LOTL this morning. This time we met Fiona and Stephen, so nice to put faces to names. We saw Lady fly onto the nest and sit there for quite a while. We also saw 2 woodpeckers, lots of lovely wee birds and a red squirrel. A terrific place to visit. We were lucky too to see Lady on the web this morning feeding her chicks, and just now again, the chick eating the flapping fish with her brother looking on. Thank you so much to all the Osprey Team, you are a terrific bunch of dedicated people.
Good to meet you Granny Rosi! Come again soon!
Elephant is the hide again !!!!
hahahahahahaha
Maybe a herd of them.
Does anyone know whether the piece of piano music dedicated to our Lady has been completed yet, I’m sorry but I’m not sure who was compiling it?
Hi Shirley
Marjorie, who is the one who has written the piece, will be recording it on 6-7th August and she will put it on her Myspace page after that. You will be able to listen to it without joining Myspace.
Hel xxx
Yes, a copy of the manuscript is on its way in the post to Rinchen, along with a CD of a rough demo I recorded at home to give an idea of what it its meant to sound like. I hope once the studio recording is done the final production will not take long. My producer is really amazing so I hope within a week of 6-7th August I will have the final version ready to put on my MySpace page and I will post a link to it.
Thanks for providing the info, Hel. When I’m at work I can’t post anything to the blog and by the time I get home it’s 2AM in Scotland!
i.m priviledged to have been the only one so far to hear marjories work and i can confirm it is absolutely wonderful. I interpreted the tune as telling the story of our osprey season. The highs and the lows and the very very lows are all there. It really is quite clever. Xxx
Thanks Hel and also Marjorie.
Marjorie – have you done some of the poems for us? if so, I have five from you and two that are not titled – would you know which ones I mean?
Early sunlight stealing over the nest where one ‘chick’ sits, surveying the scene and then in one effortless movement, spreads it’s wings and lifts into a clear morning – it looks calm and sunny, but then looks can be deceptlive, hope this is not the case.
And elsewhere – the little ‘wols’ are putting themselves to bed after tap-dancing up and down the rafters and scaring themselves [and me, too] witless with jumps and tiny flights. Had the treat of seeing one have a meal from an incoming parent, who didn’t even bother to land, the chick just grabbed and parent was gone again
How different the parenting is but then the ‘wols’ just swallow dinner whole, whereas Mum and Dad need to help subdue the fish and carve it up !!
Have a great day everyone
one of the little darlings had a few of us really worried last night uk time. It was laying face down in the box not moving. Until then i didn’t realise they slept like that!! Fifteen minutes of torture
One of the chicks is eating. Cannot make out which one but it’s probably Piggy because the other chick is passive.
Hi
Sorry if this question was posted previously. There is so much to go through that I could only waddle through before giving up.
Could the team give a current assessment of Lady’s physical condtion et al. Has she eaten enough fish so that it will increase her chances for a successful migration?
Thanks!
HI Sami, thanks for your question. Our female is slowly regaining weight, but we would not yet say she is back to ‘before-illness’ weight. We would like to see her put more on before she attempts autumn migration. By the way, we judge a birds weight at the front over the chest- what is known as the ‘keel’ or breastbone, is wehre birds carry their fat reserves.
Hi
Thanks for the update. I was concerned because Lady appears to be rather thin to me.
I have two parrots and they definitely have some fat reserves surrounding their keel bone
, but I don’t suspect they have any urge to migrate any time soon 
))
There is plenty of fish and Laird is doing a magnificent job. Hopefully Lady will rebuild her reserves–if it takes an additional week or two–so be it. Best wishes to Lady that she will have a successful migration and return to the LOL in 2011!
team can you check 6am and before please. Someone has reported a chick bringing a fish to the nest at 5.59. Would be good to see if it was returning with it after our boy had originally dropped it off or if indeed it looked like the chick could have caught it. Cheers.
Logged on 5 minutes ago to see Lady standing on her perch and the 2 juvies on the nest. One (greedy?) is eating, and the other is watching “greedy” eating!!! Sorry I dont know if this is a fish from last night or a morning delivery of breakfast.
Now the one who doesnt have breakfast has flown from the nest.
It is so lovely to see Lady and her 2 youngsters.
Jeanette (Bishopton) – My cards arrived Monday in the mail. A million thank yous. They are absolutely brilliant. I will email you as soon as I get time.
Bloggers – if you get the chance to buy cards from Jeanette, they are lovely, and now I have the problem that I wont want to send them to anybody, but keep them for myself LOL
Now the second (greedy) youngster has gone to exercise her/his wings.
Jut logged on and see both chicks lying down quite flat on the nest and mum sitting beside them shouting at something! Perhaps an inquisitive intruder is around – the chicks are certainly obeying their instincts and lying low like they did when they were little. So her protective instinct is still there even though the offspring are just a few weeks away from making their epic journey south – they still seek the protection of the nest and mum in times of strife!
Ah I see! It’s still fairly common and a good sign that they will pair for life, hopefully returning next year to breed. If they produced eggs this year that didn’t survive then the instincts are still there, for the male to catch and bring fish, and for the female to protect her home.
Thanks so much for your answer, Fiona – that’s really interesting to know. It’s good to know that this could indicate that they have a strong bond and might be successful next year.