Osprey chicks fly the nest
Both osprey chicks at the Loch of the Lowes nature reserve have flown the nest.
Osprey-watchers at the beauty spot near Dunkeld have now confirmed the two chicks, named PT0 and LN1, have left the sky-high nest for their West African migration.
The juvenile osprey PT0 was last seen by Scottish Wildlife Trust staff on Monday, August 20 at around 10.30am, 10 days after its sibling LN1 left the loch.
This means only the male osprey LM12 is still at the nature reserve, with experts saying the chicks left within the usual time frame expected.
Olivia Cooper, visitor centre assistant at the Loch of the Lowes, said although
The two osprey chicks have left for their West African migration they initially thought the two surpassed the size of LM12, return to breed themselves, chicks were male, they now which has made many of us at but there are a few indicators. think PT0 is in fact female. the visitor centre believe that “Females are usually
She said: “In the final few PT0 is actually female. larger, which is why we are days before PT0 left, we “It’s difficult to know the questioning PT0’s sex, and saw that the juvenile had sex of the birds until they often have a darker breast band.
“She certainly made her presence known in the last week or so, calling very persistently for fish and behaving defensively on the nest.
“She has been quite the character throughout the osprey season, and we hope to see her around in a few years’ time.”
The male osprey LM12 is expected to leave the nature reserve very soon, as his job teaching the chicks to fish is done.
Staff at the reserve say they now cannot guarantee osprey sightings at the loch because the osprey season is now over, although add there are many other species to marvel at, including red squirrels, nuthatches and great spotted woodpeckers.