A SCOTTISH wildlife reserve has witnessed the early return of a female osprey near Dunkeld for breeding season.
Staff, volunteers, visitors, and webcam followers are anticipating the spring migration of breeding ospreys to the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve and Visitor Centre.
The female osprey NC0 arrived earlier than expected at 5.52pm on Friday 8 March.
NC0 stayed nesting on her lochside nest for 15 minutes before flying to a favourite perch nearby and then taking flight around the Perthshire loch.
This is the female osprey’s fifth breeding season at Loch of the Lowes, where she and breeding male LM12 had seven chicks together, but now the wait is on the older LM12’s return for his 13th breeding season.
The refrain “eyes to the skies” urges everyone across Scotland to be watchful throughout March for the passing overhead of the fish-eating birds of prey.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Perthshire Ranger, Sara Rasmussen, said: “I was vigilant this year that ospreys could arrive at any time from the beginning of March.
“However, I am truly amazed at just how early she has decided to migrate this spring.
“Capturing her reappearance on the nest is one of the many benefits of having a live webcam.
“It gives such a unique insight into the lives of these birds and provides valuable data about their breeding behaviour.
“I’m thrilled that she appears to be in such good condition after her long migration and it was great to see her get to work straightaway rearranging sticks to get the nest ready for another breeding season.”
The birds were extinct in Britain for most of the 20th century, but began to recover in the 1960s.
Now an estimated 300 pairs of ospreys breed in the UK each summer with many migrating to West Africa, Spain, and Portugal for the winter.
Conservation charities such as The Scottish Wildlife Trust is credited for the effort in recovery of the ospreys.
The species protection team at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, with funds awarded by Postcode Planet Trust.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “It’s so exciting to hear that NC0 has returned to Loch of the Lowes.
“Fingers crossed she’s not on her own for too long and we soon get an appearance from LM12 for another successful breeding season.
“I’m so pleased that funding raised by our players is contributing to the protection of these remarkable birds.”
