Loch of the Lowes Ospreys 2019

Del.Monte · 26-02-2019 12:16pm #1

New thread for a new season - hope that's okay?

Last year saw 2 chicks successfully fledge from the Loch of the Lowes nest with one egg failing to hatch. The adult birds usually return from their wintering grounds in Africa towards the end of March and a look in at the webcam today showed nothing more than a lush growth of vegetation and a couple of pigeons mooching about.

You can follow all the activity here https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserve/loch-of-the-lowes/ and hopefully I will be posting key moment updates here as they happen.

amadangomor · 04-03-2019 7:18pm

Always wondered why we don't have any in Ireland, surely plenty of suitable habitat. Have we ever had a population?

Will never forget seeing one at dawn at a river in Northern California catch a fish right in front of me, amazing!

cameramonkey · 05-03-2019 12:06am

amadangomor wrote: »

Always wondered why we don't have any in Ireland, surely plenty of suitable habitat. Have we ever had a population?

Will never forget seeing one at dawn at a river in Northern California catch a fish right in front of me, amazing!

http://snap.waterfordcoco.ie/collections/ebooks/99308/99308.pdf

This is a list of bird species that were in existence in Ireland in the late 1800s.
The Osprey is listed as not breeding in Ireland at the time and there being no evidence of breeding at that time or in the recent past. However I would think it would be unusual if they never bred in Ireland. Ireland has so much water and in the past so much tree cover it would have been hard to find a better fit for an Osprey.

Looking at other birds like the WTE and GE the amount of shooting and egg stealing going on meant that they really had no chance of survival.

Also of note is that the mistle thrush "Though now resident, common, and widely distributed, this bird was apparently unknown in Ireland before the nineteenth century"
"Mistle-Thrush, shot early in 1808 in the Co. Antrim was the first Irish example that Thompson had heard of during the first half of the century the spread and increase of this species was noticed throughout Ireland, the Western coast being apparently the last reached."

Its amazing to think that the mistle thrush was once not present in Ireland.

Del.Monte · 22-03-2019 11:46am

The male Osprey arrived on the 15th March and has been busy housekeeping: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/03/lm12-arrives-to-a-warm-scottish-welcome/

Del.Monte · 24-03-2019 4:03pm

And she's back! LF15 arrived safely yesterday but there's not much activity on the nest today as there's a wild gale blowing.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/ospreys-reunite-at-loch-of-the-lowes/

Del.Monte · 03-04-2019 8:28am

No fresh news yet but the first egg may come this week - let's hope she can hold off for as long as possible with bad weather including snow forecast.

Del.Monte · 05-04-2019 11:35am

First egg laid last night.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/04/first-osprey-egg-laid-at-loch-of-the-lowes/

Del.Monte · 08-04-2019 10:53am

The 2nd egg was laid yesterday afternoon but the 1st one was left unattended for two and a half hours in the cold on Saturday night.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/04/lf15-lays-a-second-egg/

Rancid · 08-04-2019 1:49pm

Del.Monte wrote: »

The 2nd egg was laid yesterday afternoon but the 1st one was left unattended for two and a half hours in the cold on Saturday night.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/04/lf15-lays-a-second-egg/

Very unusual for the female to be away from the nest for so long even day time, but more unusual/odd at night. Unusual too, that the male didn't return after 5 or 10 mins.
Still, the second egg has arrived safely even if the first one has been lost in those few cold hours.

Tiercel Dave · 08-04-2019 2:41pm

Do they normally sit on the first egg straight away? Peregrines don't sit 'till the third egg (3 out of 4) is laid. (Rough figures of course!).....

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 08-04-2019 3:10pm

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

Do they normally sit on the first egg straight away? Peregrines don't sit 'till the third egg (3 out of 4) is laid. (Rough figures of course!).....

It's asynchrony with Osprey. Eggs are incubated immediately after laying.

Del.Monte · 08-04-2019 4:27pm

Ah, that's interesting about Peregrines as I thought that all birds of prey went for asynchronous incubation. One of the Osprey eggs failed last year but I can't remember whether the same situation occurred then.

Del.Monte · 11-04-2019 9:39am

Egg No.3. arrived yesterday!
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/04/three-eggs-for-lf15-and-lm12/

cfuserkildare · 11-04-2019 9:48am

We almost hit one on the Dublin Kildare border 2 years ago.
Was feasting on a bit of road-kill just off the M7.

Del.Monte · 06-05-2019 2:59pm

Strange goings on including the return of a two-year-old son!:

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/05/an-eventful-day-at-loch-of-the-lowes/

Del.Monte · 13-05-2019 4:23pm

First egg hatched on Saturday 11th May!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEb0wmZ3TRw

Del.Monte · 13-05-2019 8:28pm

Second chick arrived on Sunday - very close to the first timewise. The team at Loch of the Lowes think that the first egg may have hatched slightly later than normal due to being left unattended one cold evening. With a bit of luck the third egg will also hatch - probably tomorrow if it's going to happen.

Del.Monte · 15-05-2019 7:48pm

Chick No.3. breaking out of shell - now!

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

Of course as soon as I post she sits back on the chicks and hatching egg but it is happening.

Del.Monte · 15-05-2019 8:57pm

The poor male can't put a foot right today - earlier he brought in a large stick and dropped it on the two chicks and now he turns up with a headless fish and the female is up to 90 with the third egg hatching. If he was a man I'd advise him to head for the pub.

Del.Monte · 16-05-2019 7:16am

Third chick emerges 20 hours after first signs of hatching!

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/05/our-third-chick-has-hatched-at-loch-of-the-lowes/

Del.Monte · 28-05-2019 10:02am

Sad news as chick No.3. dies after being trodden on by both parents. Given the enormous size difference it's amazing that this doesn't happen more often.

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/05/sad-news/

Del.Monte · 12-06-2019 9:31am

And what a difference a couple of weeks makes as the remaining two chicks have thrived and this was the scene at the nest a few minutes ago.

Del.Monte · 24-06-2019 10:26am

Big and restless on the nest this morning. Lots of wing stretching and adventures close to the edge of the nest...can't be long now.

Big%2B%252B%2BRestless.png

Del.Monte · 29-06-2019 9:41am

Both chicks continue to thrive and were ringed a couple of days ago.
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/06/meet-pt4-and-pt5/

Can't be many more days before they go for their maiden flight attempts.

OSPREYS%2B29TH%2BJUNE%2B2019.png

Rancid · 29-06-2019 9:46am

Blue PT4 and Blue PT5!
They are definitely thriving, such growth in such a short length of time.
Amazing birds!

Del.Monte · 06-07-2019 10:08pm

And then there was one - PT5 took his first flight this evening!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmajHJHDM6U

Loch of the Lowes Ospreys 2019

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