Old Lady of the Lowes not expected to make it back

Published on Friday 6 August 2010 14:12

BIRD lovers bid an emotional farewell yesterday to the grand old lady of Scotland's ospreys on what wildlife experts fear may be her final migratory flight from the Highland loch that has been her home for the past two decades.

Six months ago Britain's oldest breeding osprey, known simply as "Lady", astounded staff at a wildlife reserve in Perthshire when she returned and produced eggs for a record-breaking 20th consecutive year after completing an arduous 3,000 mile flight from West Africa.

The osprey - now believed to be 25, more than three times the normal lifespan for the species - successfully raised two chicks in her nest at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes reserve near Dunkeld.

But fears that the bird would not survive her summer stay in Scotland were heightened in June when she spent days in her nest on the banks of the loch, apparently unable to fly.

Hundreds of fans from across the world sent messages of sympathy to an online blog, after viewing the bird on a webcam in the nest. Remarkably, Lady made a full recovery.

But the trust yesterday announced that Lady has now departed from her annual breeding ground on what could be her last journey back to Africa. Her departure has sparked a flood of messages from bird lovers across the world.

Trust spokeswoman Nicola McGovern said: "Experts now say that there is a 50 per cent chance that the bird will return next year.

"However, following ill-heath earlier this year, it is still unknown whether she will be strong enough to migrate successfully."

Peter Ferns, the manager at the Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre, said watching the osprey leave was "particularly moving" this year.

He said: "This amazing creature has exhibited an unprecedented endurance over the 20 years she has been breeding at Loch of the Lowes, living over three times the average lifespan for an osprey and producing an astonishing 48 chicks. This alone is a significant contribution to repopulating the osprey species, which became extinct in Scotland in 1916."

Charlotte Beskeen, a member of staff at the centre, said: "Usually we see her in the nest about two or three times a day because she was still part of the feeding process for the chicks. However, we haven't seen her since Wednesday morning, which is the longest she's been away."

She added: "It will be quite sad if she doesn't come back because she is obviously a big part of Loch of the Lowes and so many people have been following her story. We will have a long wait to find out though, as Lady doesn't normally return to the nest until late March to mid-April."

The Scottish Wildlife Trust's osprey blog has received almost 400 messages, from as far afield as Canada and Finland, from fans of the "Lady of the Loch".

Martha, posting from America, said: "It seems as if the nest isn't the centre of the osprey universe any more for this year, which is as it should be, I suppose. Let Lady and her family be blessed with good fortune."

Emma Rawling, the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Perthshire Ranger, said: "The support and interest we have received from enthusiasts around the world has been overwhelming and wonderful. It is encouraging to know that so many people care about Scotland's wildlife."