What a defensive lot we have in our wee osprey family! This morning all three (mum and two chicks) were happily roosting in the trees opposite the hide- you may have seen me zooming in on them – from where they can survey their domain. They show little interest in the nest now (far too grown up for that obviously!) UNLESS someone else gets too close (in this case an intruder osprey). What a lightening fast reaction- all three of them appeared within seconds and began mantling (covering the nest with dropped wings and squawking) over the nest like it was still the most precious thing in the world to them.
There has been a lot of discussion about our female osprey’s weight recently- we estimate she lost up to a third of her bodyweight during her dramatic illness. Rest assured she is slowly regaining weight (despite always favouring the chicks over herself with food) but we would not yet say she is back to ‘before-illness’ weight, and 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 where birds carry their fat reserves.
Emma Rawling
Perthhsire Ranger
I have been following this historic osprey way before she became ill & in awe of the support from far & near she has had albeit her not knowing! I’m off to the Maldives for 2 weeks tomorrow & suspect she may not be around when I return. I’d love to think she will be strong enough to migrate successfully after all her hard work.
Will the blog be closed once the “birds have flown”? Or will there be other comments afterwards on other topics?
I need to thank the team for all their interesting feedback/answers & great camera work during the young ospreys new lives & I have kept my colleagues at work, family & friends (either bored or interested), informed of these great birds’ progress relentlessly! It’s been an entertainment also reading all the blogs from all over & I have learned alot about these magnificent creatures(I’m talking of the ospreys now, not bloggers!!)
When I get back, I will be filling the washing machine as usual & getting back to work mode, but not before a sneak peak at the nest first! Are there patches for withdrawl symptoms available!! What birds of prey are there in Maldives?…..
Hi Irene pet,,,,
I hope you have a lovely holiday pet,,, what a time to be going,,migration time !!! [ laughing ]
Sorry pet,,, no patches I’m afraid,, it’s “Cold Turkey”,, for all of us,,,, I could provide a Vallium or tow if they will help ???
love
Chrissy
XXXXXX
checking in from pennsylvania after a couple of weeks on holiday away from perthshire. There is NOTHING LONELIER IN THE WORLD than that nest at 4.30 a.m. with nothing in it but a single unhatched egg! Looking forward to a visit in august. Hope there are a few ospreys still hanging about when I get home!
Both chicks flew onto the nest around 10.05, one with a largish fish in its talons (I can’t tell them apart.) Lots of noise, and at one point the one in possession of the fish was mantling over it to keep the other away. Come to think of it, I guess human kids can be pretty disagreeable too. Adults too … OK, no deep philosophy at this time of night please. Night night.
10.20 – back at the nest, both chicks now eating a fish. Papa must have made a drop.
One of the chicks is eating a fish
Good Morning everyone. It’s a grey damp morning here in Bathgate; i hope it’s better in Dunkeld for our family. I just logged on in time to see our Lady swoop onto the nest in a very defensive manner, protecting her nest and the egg still, what a fantastic bird she is. It must be time for a late breakfast for them as she is calling and one of the juvvies (I suspect Greedy guts) has just appeared.
the loch is like a mirror this morning so still is the wind. and a chick is sitting so melancholy alone on the nest. it must be “our boy” and i am sure chrissy will have something to say to him
maybe get your tail down to the loch and catch a fish…the osprey equivalent of “get a job!” 
he looks so lonely and sad…oh the hardship of growing up and making ones way in “the real world”!!! he has survived a very close call…..and he has his talons and a wicked beak…and wings…NOW to coordinate all his tools to sustain himself here at lowes, and on the journey south, and finally in africa. he is the good-luck-child and he will be alright 
.
Hi ALL,
Last night, around ten-ish ,Big sister had a medium size of fish,
The greedy pig,finished it all then flew off the nest.for her bed time.
our boy, stayed on the nest hoping someone will bring a fish for him.
So lady, being a good mum couldn’t leave her boy on his own,
stayed untill 23-45 hrs on the perch. In the end her boy given up
and flew off! then lady took off for her beauty sleep too.
I will miss her when she depart, What a loveable kind creature she had been all along.
Good luck, and best of health for the future my sweet heart. Jx
Morning everyone – quick question – will the book of poems and the DVD be available on line or by post from the Centre? For those of us who live too far down south to get up there easily? I hope it can be put in the online shop – which is were I purchased my “adopt an osprey” from – I’m sure you will get hundreds of hits! The poems are great – very emotional too concerning our Lady when she was so ill, and the stirling work by the Laird to protect and feed his family – I also loved the comical poems from the perspective of The Egg and The Nest – has anyone tried one from The Tree? I had a bit of a go but I’m no poet – there are some clever people out in bloggerland I’m sure one of you can come up with something??
HI Jill, I will ask Fiona to post a reply about this- she handles all our shop resources etc,. I’m sure she will come up with some clever idea for postal customers. Emma
Hi Jill, I may be able to help regarding the Book of Dedication! I am editing and compiling it for Lowes, it includes photographs, sketches, poems and any reports that the Team would like to include from their perspective. It will be available in two forms, one as an online book that can be purchased through Boots Photoshop, however this is the more expensive of the two versions and started out as purely my own private piece of work, and the other that I will be printing and binding myself and then taking to Lowes for sale within their shop. I anticiapate that the cheaper version (which many people have requested) will sell for around £7 or £8 but if Lowes want to amend that cost they are at liberty to do so as the entire profits from the shop sold books will be viewed as donations to their cause. The more expensive book however will be in the region of £25 and I shall be purchasing two of these and donating one book to Lowes for onward sale at whatever cost they deem fit. The book is gaining momentum as more and more poems come in to me but I feel now that I should appoint a cut-off date in order to keep it to a reasonable cost. It should be completed and available by the time our “family” leave for southern shores.
Shirley – can I say a big THANK YOU that you have taken on this project. You are doing a great job, it must be taking up quite a bit of your time as I don’t see many blogs from you these days, especially if you have a day job too!!!! Would you please make a note that I would like two of the online version, thanks.
Tricia YOU ARE A STAR! Thank you so much! I had no idea when I posted my first poem that this book would evolve as it has and I am grateful to EVERYBODY for their dedications and pieces toward it. I am only able to really skim through the blog these days looking for pieces to include and hope to goodness that I have not missed any. I also rely on people like Jeanette, Susan, Ann and others to point pieces out to me if I have missed any. I would really love to include the sheet piano music of marjories but don’t know if that would be possible. Thanks again Tricia, I think I have two of your inclusions already (Appreciation and Two Homes) are there any more that I should know of?
Hi Shirley, My sheet music for The Lady of the Lowes is really just a hand-written manuscript! But I do write very clearly and what I probably should do is try to scan it and email it to you, or I can snail mail it to you. I’m afraid I’m late for work now so must rush off, but I will be off Friday through Sunday and we can communicate more then and arrange something perhaps, if you’re available then. Thanks for your work in assembling the book! By the way, I also could burn CDs of the piece too, once I get it recorded.
Marjorie, that would be fantastic if you could email the music to me to include in the book. Have you thought about using it as the opening track to Peters DVD, just how that would work I don’t know but it would be lovely to have it recorded onto that as well. Let us try and contact one another over the weekend and see what we can come up with!
Re your poems, I have five but only three are titled, do you know which ones I mean?
“When the days are growing longer” and “Three speckled eggs were laid in a nest”. Would you like to title these?
Aha! Hi Jill, looks like you’ve thrown down the gauntlet! I’m away to my mum’s this afternoon for 4 days and will miss a great deal, but that sounds like a “homework” project to me! Leave it with me and watch this space………………..!!
Hi Nick – have a good few days away and I will be watching out for your return after the weekend. I’m sure you will come up with something!
OK Nick… but meanwhile here is my offering – I’m sure you and others cam improve on it!!
Shirley….can I just re-iterate what Tricia said, and say a huge thank you to you, and Susan, Ann and Jeanette for what you have all done. I know I shall certainly be going to the Lowes to purchase one of them, or I shall try and buy online if something is set up. It will be worth every mile from Oban to Dunkeld!
I already purchased six of Jeanette’s beautiful cards, and I hope to purchase some of her Christmas ones with the poems once they are ready. You ladies are to be commended for your dedication and talent, and we are all extremely grateful and should support you and the work of the LOTL staff for their work with the anmials and birds both great and small.
Sandra C.
Sandra, how lovely of you, thank you! You were the first to do a poem of THE EGG and I have placed it with a picture of the lonely egg in the nest. If you would like me to email it then just let me know so you can see it. X
Thank you Emma – I hope it can be put on the Centre’s online shop as that would make it available for lots of people! And thank you Shirley – your efforts and dedication are marvellous and I look forward to seeing the fruits of your labour – in one form or another! And wasn’t there talk of a calendar with photos as well? Anyway with all the proceeds going the LOTL it such a worthy cause I am sure you will have a best-seller!!