Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve

18/06/2026

We have a lovely new selection of colours in our clothing range in the Visitor Centre shop , along with plenty of great nature books and gifts for all wildlife enthusiasts. We look forward to seeing you next time you are in.

16/06/2026

16/06/2026

Some fantastic photos of some of the beautiful wildlife we have here at Lowes, taken during a recent visit by Mark Westgarth.

14/06/2026

It's hard to believe that the chick on the nest is the same wee 'Bobblehead' that hatched some 12.5 days ago!

'Bob 1' is entering the baby dinosaur stage, and growing rapidly! Fluffy down is giving way to the first feathers peeking through, huge feet are being used to prop itself upright and shuffle about the nest, dark eyes now have an amber iris and it has found its own voice!

As anticipated, Egg 3 is not viable and won't be hatching. Blue 210 is beginning to incubate it less and less and will eventually ignore it.

However, with sole access to all the plentiful fish coming onto the nest it is heartening to see 'Bob 1' going from strength to strength. Though still vulnerable, it will soon be better able to thermoregulate its body temperature, and as the weather has dried and warmed up (a little), Blue 210 is hopping off for quick flights to bring in nesting material, building the 'cot rails' up to keep the inquisitive, increasingly mobile chick from being a little too adventurous.

Keep following the we**am, or pop into the hides to see how the chick is doing and hopefully catch LM24 showing off his fishing skills! 🐟

09/06/2026

Last chance to grab one of the few remaining places for tomorrow's Bird Language course with one of Europe's best tracking experts, Dan Puplett.

You can hear more about how we use bird language to understand the behaviour of the osprey at Lowes, and use it to anticipate what will happen long before we see it, in the latest podcast with BBC Scotland's Out of Doors -listen from 1hr 12.

Come and join us to unlock your birding super powers tomorrow! Link for tickets in the comments below.

Mark Stephen and Rachel Stewart with stories from the great outdoors.

09/06/2026

A lot has happened on the nest in the last week with the arrival of two chicks, LM24 fishing frequently on the loch, and sadly the passing of the second wee chick.

Watch and read about their hatching journeys and first few days of life in the latest blog below. 🐣🐣🌈

In our last blog we took a deep dive into the topic of delayed incubation; the less frequently used strategy of waiting until all the eggs are laid (or partly …

08/06/2026

A few more little ones spotted at Loch of the Lowes. Great Created Grebes with three humbugs, a lovely scene captured by one of our visitors.
Follow link below to find out more https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2020/05/great-crested-grebes/
Photo © Rob Stubbs

07/06/2026

Not long to go now until our Bird Language course with Dan Puplett Nature Awareness on Wednesday 10th July. It's going to be a brilliant day of learning, inspiration, engaging the senses and unlocking our understanding of the wider natural world.

Here's a few words form Dan to whet your appetite.

Places are going fast, so make sure you grab your place here;

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/our-events/bird-language/

06/06/2026

Next Saturday 13th June, Trish from Viking Optical will be returning for the popular Viking Optics Fair. A great opportunity to try out and learn more about binoculars & scopes 🦅🔭🦦

06/06/2026

It's four and a half days since Chick 1 hatched and we are pleased to report that it is doing well, with LM24 providing a steady supply of fish to the nest, many of which have been caught right in front of the hides.

As anticipated, the body of Chick 2 was removed from the nest last night by Blue 210, but not before she began to eat some of it and offered some small morsels to the surviving chick.

Whilst this might seem gruesome, it is an example of nature not passing up a free meal. That said, it is unusual for an osprey to attempt to eat anything other than fish. They have been known on rare occasions to eat amphibians, small birds and mammals, however their beaks are better evolved for tearing into fish, rather than other types of prey.

Osprey are also very picky when it comes to the freshness of their meals, and will reject dead fish floating on the water, or that have been on the nest for too long. So it is unsurprising that on both counts, Blue 210 quickly gave up and flew off with the remains and disposed of it over the reserve, where in turn the wee body became part of the circle of life, feeding another hungry mouth on the ground.

And what of the third egg?

We are currently on day 37 since it was laid, which is the average time a chick takes to hatch, with the window generally being anywhere between 35-40 days. So far we haven't spied a crack or an egg pip yet, though some pieces fish scales and the remains of feeding sessions have made us take a second look. We will keep our eyes peeled and keep you updated with any progress.

Meanwhile, stay tuned to the we**am, or come and visit us in the hides to see the action for yourself. https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/loch-of-the-lowes-we**am/