LOCH of the LOWES
1991
This year for the first time the new nest was occupied and the female of the pair was the osprey to be later known as “Lady”. She and her mate successfully raised two chicks, which were the first chicks to hatch at Loch of the Lowes for eight years. There were three attempts to raid the nest which were foiled by staff and volunteers, prompting the 1st Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders to offer to guard the nest for the rest of the season. Soon after their deployment they prevented a fourth attempted raid, but sadly three other nests in Perthshire were robbed this year.
| 1991 CHICKS | ORANGE U | ORANGE V |
1992
The same female has returned to breed at Lowes. With the same partners last year, they successfully hatched and reared two chicks from the three eggs laid. Whilst the failed egg was removed for analysis, no conclusions were drawn.
| 1992 CHICKS | LIGHT GREEN SL | SM |
1993
The same pair returned and this year managed to raise three chicks. There were two attempted nest raids, but both were successfully intercepted by staff and volunteers.
| 1993 CHICKS | ORANGE SR | ST |
1994
Extra security was added this year with razor wire placed around the trunk of the eyrie tree. Again, the same pair bred at Lowes, successfully rearing three chicks.
| 1994 CHICKS | DARK BLUE XC | XD | XE |
1995
Thanks to a grant from Scottish National Heritage, a surveillance system was purchased and installed, including infrared lamps, cameras and monitoring systems. This was another successful season with three chicks fledging. A 1991 Lowes chick was recorded breeding elsewhere in Tayside.
| 1995 CHICKS | YELLOW SS | TS | US |
1996
This season the female returned, Lady’s partner of the last 5 years failed to return, a new male arrived, Green B, who hatched at a Nest in Glenshee in 1991. They managed to match the success from the previous years, with another three chicks raised. The 1992 Lowes male chick Light Green SL was observed breeding elsewhere in Perthshire during the season.
| 1996 CHICKS | RED AB | AC | AD |
1997
Both Unringed Lady and Green B returned this season and three chicks were successfully reared.
| 1997 CHICKS | WHITE XU | XZ | PA |
1998
The same osprey pair raised three chicks to fledging.
| 1998 CHICKS | BROWN XA | XB | PA |
1999
The same pair raised two chicks this season. The 1995 Loch of the Lowes chick Yellow TS was recorded having bred elsewhere in Perthshire.
| 1999 CHICKS | BLACK 3A | 3B |
2000
The Same pair of Unringed Lady and Green B , improved on last season rearing three chicks again.
| 2000 CHICKS | GREEN 7A | 7B | 7C |
2001
Unringed Lady and Green B successfully raised 3 chicks to fledging. The 1995 Loch of the Lowes chick Yellow US was seen at the Lowes nest this season, whilst the 1997 Loch of the Lowes male chick White XU was reported breeding in Angus in 2001 and 2002.
| 2001 CHICKS | RED 4A | 4B | 4C |
2002
Once again the same pair successfully bred this season, rearing three chicks. The 2000 Loch of the Lowes female chick Green 7B was seen at Loch Garten, and subsequently bred in Speyside in 2004.
| 2002 CHICKS | BLACK 2A | 2B | 2C |
2003
An unringed male arrived at the nest very early in the season, and was observed mating with the resident female (Unringed Lady) following her arrival and before her previous partner returned several days later, Green B then chased off this rival male. Three chicks were successfully reared, however their paternity is unsure.
| 2003 CHICKS | 3 CHICKS FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2004
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the ospreys’ return to Scotland. The established osprey pair (Unringed Lady and Green B) returned and three eggs were successfully laid and hatched, Loch of the Lowes being the first nest to hatch in Scotland this year.
Unfortunately whilst following strict procedures, sadly one of the chicks died during the ringing process, the cause of which remains unknown. The two remaining healthy chicks both successfully fledged soon after. The 1999 Loch of the Lowes chick Black 3A was recorded at Rutland Water in England, whilst 2002 chick Black 2C was observed in Essex and Aberdeenshire.
| 2004 CHICKS | BLACK 41 | 4H |
2005
For the first time in her breeding history the female laid four eggs, a sign of excellent physical condition. Two of these eggs hatched and the pair managed to raise them both to fledging.
| 2005 CHICKS | 2 CHICKS FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2006
Three eggs were laid this year and although they all hatched, overnight two of the chicks died/disappeared and only one chick was successfully raised. Investigations into the events of that night could draw no further conclusions.
| 2006 CHICKS | 1 CHICK FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2007
A new infrared camera was installed at the beginning of this year, allowing the ospreys to be monitored 24 hours a day. The male arrived back with a red ringed female although her identification could not be confirmed. The pair were observed mating until the arrival of the previous female (Unringed Lady) on 2nd April, the male then chased off his new partner and for the first time was observed displaying courtship behaviour in the form of a sky dance to win back the affections of Lady. Lady went to lay three eggs, all hatched,however, the third chick died due to unknown causes, leaving two healthy chicks to fledge.
| 2007 CHICKS | 2 CHICKS FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2008
The pair returned only a day apart. Lady returned on 30th March in the company of a Yellow ringed Male, later identified as one of her chicks from 1995. Three eggs were laid however only one chick hatched, with no explanation regarding the cause of failure re; the other two eggs. The single chick was successfully reared and fledged.
| 2008 CHICKS | 1 CHICK FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2009
Three eggs were laid, and whilst all three hatched the second died after a few days. This was thought to be caused by the very cold stormy weather which affected the male’s ability to fish, resulting in the female only managing to feed herself and two chicks who did manage to successfully fledge.
| 2009 CHICKS | 2 CHICKS FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2010
Green B, the established male since 1996 failed to return and was replaced by Green 7Y, a 10 year old from a nest near Ballinluig. Three eggs were laid but only two hatched. On the 19th June Unringed Lady became seriously ill and there were great concerns for her chicks and her future. The male took on the responsibility of feeding and protecting the chicks, and was successful in caring for them until the female recovered. Despite this set-back both chicks fledged this year.
| 2010 CHICKS | 2 CHICKS FLEDGED, NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE |
2011
Last year’s pairing of Unringed Lady and Green 7Y returned and again three eggs were laid. Sadly, all three failed to hatch and on day 84 following the first egg being laid, the pair made an attempt to bury the eggs in the nest.
At this point, staff decided to intervene and collect the eggs for analysis and security purposes. Results from lab testing confirmed that there were no embryos present, suggesting the eggs were either at an early stage of development or infertile.
During this breeding season the weather conditions were very poor, and the male was recorded on multiple occasions performing substandard incubation duties. Both of these factors could have contributed to the failure of this season.
| 2011 CHICKS | NEST FAILED THIS YEAR |
2012
Green 7Y failed to return. A new male turned up at the eyrie this year, making him Unringed Lady’s fourth partner. Three eggs were laid but only one hatched on the 21st May, the remaining eggs were removed, subsequently analysed and found to be infertile. This remaining chick was later ringed and for the first time a chick at Loch of the Lowes was also fitted with a satellite tracker. Data from this device allowed his progress on migration to be followed, and he was seen in France and Spain during September and November 2012. Since this last sighting, no further signals have been transmitted and no new observations have been reported.
| 2012 CHICK | BLUE 44 |
2013
Unringed Lady produced four eggs this season, only the second time she has done so. However only one hatched, and this single female chick was ringed and satellite tagged. She was followed on her first migration and by November she had reached Guinea Bissau on the African Coast.
On the 5th November her transmitter stopped working and it was suspected that she had died. The technology meant that the location of her place of death could be found, and after some amazing international cooperation between colleagues her body and satellite tag were retrieved from Guinea Bissau and returned to Loch of the Lowes in February 2014.
| 2013 CHICK | BLUE YZ |
2014
When last year’s male arrived, he was observed attempting to mate with an Unknown unringed female who had turned up early on the eyrie until the established female (Lady)returned several days later. Three eggs were laid, on the 7th May, one of the three was predated by a carrion crow whilst the eyrie was left unattended. Incubation continued unsuccessfully of the other two eggs until the 25th June when the ospreys were observed attempting to bury them. The eggs were finally removed from the nest by staff on the 26th June, meaning the pair had attempted incubation for 74 days. After analysis in the lab, both eggs were found to be infertile. This would appear to indicate a continuation of the pattern of declining fertility rather than problems occurring during the incubation period.
| 2014 CHICKS | NEST FAILED THIS YEAR |
Lady
· Arrived 1991
· Age estimated to be 27+ years in last breeding season (2014)
· Bred for 24 years at Lowes
· Partnered with 4 males 1991-1995, 1996-2010, 2011-2012 and finally 2013-2014
· Lady laid 73 eggs in all 53 hatched and 50 chicks fledged.
It is speculated that Lady was one of the world’s oldest known breeding ospreys.
KNOWN STATUS OF LADY’S CHICKS
| Chick Hatching Date | Sex | Identification | Progress |
| June 1991 | Male | Orange V | Bred at a site in Angus between 1995 – 1997, then at a site near Kirriemuir, from 24 April 1997 for an unknown number of years |
| June 1992 | Male | Light Green SL | Bred at an eyrie near Ballinluig, Perthshire from 1996 for an unknown number of years |
| May 1994 | Male | Unsure which chick | Bred at an eyrie near Perth |
| May 1995 | Female | Yellow TS | Paired at a eyrie near Perth in 1999 |
| May 1995 | Unknown | Yellow US | Seen atLoch of the Lowes eyrie in 2001 |
| May 1997 | Male | White XU | Bred at Glenshee from April 2001 onwards |
| May 1997 | Unknown | White XZ | Seen in Derbyshire in 1997 |
| May 1999 | Male | Black 3A | Seen mating at Rutland water on 9 April 2004 |
| May 2000 | Female | Green 7B | Seen near Loch Garten on 14 May 2002, and was breeding in Rothiemurchus Forest, Speyside from April 2004 for an unknown number of years |
| Chick Hatching Date | Sex | Identification | Progress |
| May 2001 | Unknown | Red 4B | Seen in Caerlaverock in 2010 |
| May 2002 | Unknown | Black 2C | Seen at Abberton Reservoir, Essex, on 31 May 2004, and at Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex between 1-6 June 2004. Also recorded in Aberdeenshire in 2004 |
| May 2012 | Male | Blue 44 | Seen in France and Spain whilst being satellite tracked between September-November 2012. No further signals have been transmitted since |
| June 2013 | Female | Blue YZ | Tracked on her first migration. By November she had reached Guinea Bissau on the African Coast, but her transmitter stopped working after 5 November that year. She was found dead in Guinea Bissau in February 2014 both body and Tracker returned to Loch of the Lowes |
In layman’s terms:-
72.6 % of Eggs Laid Hatched, 68.5% of Eggs Laid survived, 94.3 of Chicks hatched Fledged.
