Scottish Wildlife Trust counting down the days until Lady's return
There may still be eight weeks to go, but excitement is already mounting for the imminent return of Scotland's most famous osprey.
Lady the osprey with three of her eggs at Loch of the Lowes in April 2011.
- Published in the Courier : 30.01.12
- Published online : 04.02.12 @ 10.12am
Preparations at Loch of the Lowes nature reserve are well under way and staff will be ready to welcome home Lady.
Although there are short odds on the elderly bird of prey making it back to her Dunkeld summer home for a 22nd year, birdwatchers are still counting on yet another miraculous return.
Ranger Emma Rawling said: ''We will all need to keep our fingers cross that both our usual birds make it safely through spring migration — not something we ever take for granted — and arrive home again to the Lowes. Hopefully it will be a successful and productive year for our birds.
''One thing is for sure, 2012 is guaranteed to be full of surprises and, as ever, I'm sure will teach us something new about ospreys.''
The earliest Lady has swooped into Perthshire is March 20, usually followed a few days later by her mate Laird. So for the next two months, the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) visitor centre at Loch of the Lowes will be a hive of activity.
Recruitment for species protection officers, who help provide 24-hour cover of the nest once eggs are laid, is already in hand, while the osprey information pack and section of the website is being completely overhauled by rangers and volunteers.
The webcam which sits beside the eyrie will undergo a thorough service next month to ensure that the first glimpse of any returning bird of prey will be recorded for all to see.
Figures released at the end of 2011 revealed that the Loch of the Lowes webcam attracted more than 60,000 viewers in one day.
The annual SWT volunteers' pre-season meeting is on March 5. There will be an open day two days earlier for those interested in getting involved.
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