SHES BACK!!!!!! The Lady Returns

Tough life, and to think how old she is - one amazing bird.

Lai

The Lady's sitting proud on her eggs, just doing a bit of re arranging of the bits round her


WS

Doogs, but I don't know anything about birds or how they age!

Lai

It's another question for WS Doogs - he's great at finding out things.

Over to you Hutch .................. sorry Starsky.

Lai Pai

WS on the case again Lovely to see her in that pic WS and I agree she does look older but I don't know how they age either, not sure if its a weight thing that they get thinner in the crop or if their feathers get more raggedy looking, i'm not sure but everytime I have looked at Lady it has been fairly windy and her feathers have been blown around so it's often hard to tell how she is looking sometimes.

littlewid-x-

News: Remarkable osprey hatches first egg for two years
22nd May 2012

The resident female osprey at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes reserve in Dunkeld has hatched her first egg for two years, the 62nd egg to hatch in her lifetime.

The osprey, known affectionately by many as ‘Lady’, was standing by yesterday as the first of her three eggs started to break. The chick emerged after 12 hours, at 7pm last night (Monday 21st).

Almost 20,000 people watched the egg hatch live on the nest webcam. Click here to view the webcam online.

The formidable bird has been returning to Loch of the Lowes for 22 years and has laid 64 eggs during her time there. 48 of those have produced chicks that have fledged, so this year she may reach a half century of chicks fledged at Loch of the Lowes.

This chick is the first born at Loch of the Lowes since 2010 as last year the eggs failed to hatch, despite being proved fertile.

The osprey nests are under 24 hour protection thanks to two Osprey Protection Officers, fully funded by SITA Tayside Action Biodiversity Fund.

Perth and Kinross Quality of Life Trust and the Scottish Government and the European Community Rural Tayside LEADER 2007-2013 Programme have contributed to upgrading the visitor facilities at Loch of the Lowes over the winter.

This year, the female and her new partner have been incubating three eggs, so there are two still in the nest, which should hatch any day now.

Scottish Wildlife Trust Perthshire Ranger Emma Rawling said:

“The chick started breaking through the egg at 7 in the morning and was finished by soon after 7 at night. This is perfectly normal; eggs can take up to 24 hours to hatch.

“We know the female is used to being a parent but we didn’t know what to expect from her new partner. Fortunately, he seems to be acting responsibly. He has been to catch fish and the chick has been fed this morning.

“It is eating happily and looking strong.

“Provided that at least one of the other eggs hatches, she could reach the milestone of having successfully fledged 50 chicks in July, which would be a quite unbelievable achievement. We’ve had interest from all over the world and people visiting in their droves since the eggs were laid.

“We expect many more as the other eggs hatch and the chicks fledge. We are going to satellite tag these osprey chicks to monitor exact routes, timings and behaviours of these fascinating migrating birds.”

Really great to see the chick feeding, and quite funny watching as it tries to keep its balance






WS

truly wonderful news, well done Lady, what a star she is.

Thanks WS - lovely news and great photos.

Lai

Right you Girls were asking about Birds ageing. I thought you'd have known this without asking . You know how it is with an old Bird she starts to get a bit scraggy round the neck, if you mention it, it ruffles her feathers, if she's had to many cropfulls. it tends to go to their bottom making it difficult for them to get off the nest. Also if you have'nt got access to that collegen, or botox stuff, there's not alot you can do about it.
IS THERE

WS

WS

Lai

What fantastic news that is, she is such a star isn't she, now all we have to do is to wait for the other eggs to hatch. Brilliant that her new partner is doing his job and getting food, I am so delighted for her and what a lot of people watching the hatching.
Thanks for the post WS oh and by the way young man......I think I put it a bit kinder on how old birds age........watch it matey

littlewid-x-

You Guys keep feeding me the lines, and I'll keep cracking the yokes

WS

WS

Lai

Oh WS, they get worse

Hope lady has been ok today, too late to check now as it will be dark, must try and have a look tomorrow.

littlewid-x-

As of yesterday the second and third egg had not hatched, I have just checked on Lady and the cam pic is rubbish but I can see her first chick but I can't make out if there is another one, it's so hard to see but I keep thinking there is more than one but I will have to wait for the blog update.
littlewid-x-

I had a look last night LW, and the cam was poor then, although it was night, it could have been a lot better there were waves moving up the screen, I dont know if it was there reflection fromthe water
WS

WS

Great update and lovely to know the chick is doing so well, it must be lonely without any siblings, although at least it doesn't have to compete for food.

Thanks WS

Lai

That is a lovely update WS and hard to believe the little chick is sixteen days old, time goes so quick.
After watching SW this evening and seing the Osprey chicks on there and the one being rather a bully to the other one and pinning it down so he could get the food and then being a bully when mum and dad were not there, I bet this chick may not mind being on his own and getting all the attention and food........but yes I agree, it must be lonely.
Wonderful to know all is going well though.

littlewid-x-

Impossible to see what's going on - its looks very wet and sounds very windy

See Wildlife diary 14th June for latest news

http://blogs.scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/osprey/

Lai