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Highland Perthshire Blogs

It's hard not to be passionate about Highland Perthshire as a place to live in as well as visit. Hopefully these blogs prove the point!

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Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
As if LM12 hasn’t got enough work to do providing fish for his partner and another 2 hungry little beaks, in the last day or so he has also had plenty of intruders to deal with! As he returned to the nest yesterday following a successful fishing attempt, he was forced to...
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Hits: 1960

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Amid all of the excitement of the last 48 hours we’ve managed to capture some brilliant video footage of our new arrivals which I’m very pleased to be able to share with you. Due to the streaming problems experienced on Wednesday I know that some of you missed out on seeing the first...
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Hits: 1755

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With our second chick hatching at 00:22 this morning it has had a much nicer start than its sibling did, experiencing blue sky and sunshine only hours after first emerging! Due to the much improved conditions, our second chick didn’t have to wait as long for its first meal either. Our...
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Hits: 1964

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
At 00:22 we got the first glimpse of chick number two in the nest! A hole in the egg was noticed yesterday at 14:01 although it did not appear to get any bigger for many hours. However, at 23:55 the female stood up to reveal that the egg now had a crack running...
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Hits: 1779

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
After an anxious 29 hour wait, our chick finally got its first taste of fish at 19:44 this evening! Our chicks first fish supper © Scottish Wildlife Trust Fifteen minutes beforehand, our volunteers spotted the male flying overhead with a large fish, before disappearing out of sight behind some trees to find a...
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Hits: 1846

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
As if we didn’t have enough good news and excitement yesterday, we have just spotted a hole in the shell of our second egg!! The little one could just be seen inside, but like its sibling it has a lot of work to do to break out of the egg, with...
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Hits: 1742

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
After a long wait since our first chick hatched this afternoon, the male finally returned to the nest mid evening with a fish. He raised our hopes early this evening by flying near the nest on a couple of occasions. However, he did not land on the nest, hence not meeting...
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Hits: 1636

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
After an anxious 12 hours watching and waiting as the crack in the shell got slowly bigger and bigger, our first chick of the season finally hatched out at 15:18 this afternoon! Our first chick of the season © Scottish Wildlife Trust Keep following our blog and webcam for updates on...
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Hits: 1572

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
As many of you may have realised, the hatching of osprey chicks can take a very long time! We have been watching the nest very closely today after the first glimpse of a tiny hole in one of the eggs at 03:30 this morning and this is just a quick update...
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Hits: 1621

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
At 05:22 this morning we managed to get our first glimpse of our suspected cracked egg in daylight, and were delighted to see a very small hole in the egg shell! The first crack in the egg © Scottish Wildlife Trust We are very excited to see how this develops over the coming...
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Hits: 1765

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Could it be that the first of our osprey eggs is beginning to hatch? As we are now within the potential egg hatching period we are  keeping a very close eye on the female’s behaviour and doing our best to get regular close up shots of the eggs to check for...
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Hits: 1754

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
  There are still places available on next Thursday’s Birdwatching for Beginners course. This one-day course aims to provide an informal and enjoyable introduction to birds and birdwatching. Aimed primarily at beginners, by the end of the day participants will be able to use binoculars, confidently identify common birds and most of all have...
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Hits: 1536

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Generally good conditions today at the Dam and with three fish caught it was an excellent start to the week: Alun Williams was first into action with a fish of 13lbs; Steve Watt was next with a 7lb sea liced fish: and Dave Stewart landed a fish of 9lbs - all...
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Hits: 1707

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Currently our osprey pair are sitting on three eggs, we can see that the female is feeling the heat up in the nest as she is panting in an attempt to cool down. At Loch of the Lowes we are very lucky indeed to host a consistently successful breeding site for...
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Hits: 1774

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The count at the fish ladder stood at 1044 this morning - the fish are on the move.  Lots could still be seen on our Dam beat, though, and it was another good day with two fish caught: Dave Stewart was first into action - three casts after losing a fish...
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Hits: 1926

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Over 1000 salmon have now made their way past the Pitlochry counter this year, with this figure reached this afternoon. This is the highest number on today's date since 2011 (approximate count on 13 May - 1000 (2016); 321 (2015); 445 (2014); 125 (2013); 521 (2012); and 1425 (2011)). The approximate dates a count of...
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Hits: 2174

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With light winds, good cloud cover and plenty of fish showing conditions looked good at the Dam today The fish weren't giving themselves up easily, though, and we ended up with one caught and another two lost: Gordon Nichol was the successful angler with a fish of 16lbs on the fly...
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Hits: 1683

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
It was another challenging day at the Dam but Iain McLaren was up to the task landing a fish of 9lb on the fly from Pitlochry bank this morning - nicely done. Overcast and cooler weather is forecast for the weekend - hopefully things will liven up....
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Hits: 1887

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
There was a slight rise in water overnight but not enough to make much of a difference to fishing conditions - it was to be another day where perseverance was the top tactic. As it turned out one fish was caught - Ally Gowans did well to land a fish of...
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Hits: 1814

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
We are used to seeing natural intruders including other ospreys invading the territory of our pair and triggering their normal defensive behaviour. Unfortunately on Monday afternoon we had to deal with an intruder of a much more worrying kind. The staff and volunteers at Loch of the Lowes work tirelessly around...
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Hits: 1797

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
More bright sunshine and gusty winds at the Dam today but with a good run of fish there was room for optimism. Neil McLellan was on form again landing two fish on Pitlochry bank this morning - at 12 and 7lbs - both on the fly. Hopefully more to come tomorrow....
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Hits: 1604

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With low water and bright sunshine prospects didn't look too promising this morning. Graham Nichols persevered, though, and was rewarded with a fish of 10lbs on the fly from Pitlochry bank this afternoon - nicely done. With high pressure firmly in charge it looks like more of the same tomorrow. ....
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Hits: 1894

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Just a quick message to confirm that our webcam is back online – many thanks for your patience this morning. Hope you continue to enjoy the views on this beautiful sunny day! Charlotte, Perthshire Ranger.Original linkOriginal author: charlotteranger...
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Hits: 1868

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Due to a power cut first thing this morning we are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our webcam, but we are doing everything we can to restore it as soon as we can. Thank you very much for your patience! Charlotte.Original linkOriginal author: charlotteranger...
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Hits: 1854

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Notices reminding the public about the dangers of the RiverTummel. Anglers need to take precautions too.One of our anglers took a tumble early last week from the water's edge straight into deep, cold water at the headland beside the "Stepping Stones" on Portnacraig bank. Thankfully he was wearing a life jacket. He...
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Hits: 1965

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
We have had reports of anglers out recently on Portnacraig Pitlochry beat finding both a pair of spectacles and a spectacle lens. If you have lost either of these, please let us know and we'll try to point you in the correct direction to get reunited with your property. We would always suggest...
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Hits: 1959

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
It was a quieter end to the week - still plenty of fish showing but proving hard to catch. John McElroy provided the only fish of the day - a sea-liced fish of 9lbs from Pitlochry bank this morning - good effort. At least another two fish were lost during the...
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Hits: 1875

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
At 2pm tomorrow, Sunday 8th May, we will be very pleased to welcome Alan Stewart to Loch of the Lowes to talk about his “50 years of tackling wildlife crime”. Alan is a retired Wildlife Crime Officer and a published author of five books on the subject. He is still very...
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Hits: 1668

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The action has slowed somewhat from earlier in the week but with two each at the Dam and the Sawmill our waters are still fishing well: Craig Robertson got things going with a 9lb fish on the fly from Pitlochry bank this morning; Stephane Bovy followed on Port-na-Craig bank with a...
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Hits: 1763

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The past week has been fairly quiet here at the reserve. Despite experiencing all seasons almost every day, our pair have been doing a good job sitting tight protecting their clutch from the elements as well as from the occasional intruder osprey! LM12 however does still seem to experience the odd “forgetful...
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Hits: 1794

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Ideal conditions again at the Dam today and the good fishing continued: Curtis Brunker had an excellent day with three fish caught - 5 and 10lbs from Port-na-Craig bank this morning and another from Pitlochry bank at 9lbs in the afternoon - all on the spinner; Dave Stewart was on form...
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Hits: 1680

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
It was another superb day at the Dam with lots of fish showing and lots getting caught: Steve Watt had a great day with four - fish of 8 and 6lbs on the fly and a 24lber on a Vision this morning on Pitlochry bank and another on the Vision at...
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Hits: 1805

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Due to popular demand we are offering another Birdwatching for Beginners Course with experienced local ornithologist Scott Paterson, on Thursday 26th May from 10:30am-4:30pm. Here’s some of the feedback we received from the course in March: “Scott was very knowledgeable and the course was very good for those starting out in the...
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Hits: 1668

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The river was dropping back nicely this morning and running clear after the heavy rain on Sunday - i.e. conditions were looking close to ideal - and sure enough it was an outstanding day at the Dam: Iain McLaren had a red letter day with four fish - three from Port-na-Craig...
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Hits: 1902

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With a full clutch of eggs now sitting in the nest, mating attempts have come to an end for this year. This has given us the chance to analyse, and compare to last year (the first year LM12 and LF15 paired up) the mating behaviour that staff and volunteers have recorded...
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Hits: 1855

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
There is a single ticket available for a Portnacraig bank start on Portnacraig Pitlochry Beat this Tuesday (3 May).  This is the only ticket available for the beat in May, although we have availability in June, which can fish very well too. To see our Qs and As on checking availability and how to book,...
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Hits: 1628

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is celebrating reaching 40,000 members! A huge thank you to all our members because without this foundation of support we could not carry out the vital work required to protect Scotland’s wildlife for the future. Today is the 1st of May, International Dawn Chorus Day. At 5.30am,...
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Hits: 1749

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Conditions looked good at the Dam today but despite best efforts nothing was caught to the day rods. Jim Fisher saved the day, though, - and continued his good run - with a nice fish of 12lbs from Port-na-Craig bank on the fly this evening. Returns have been pretty good this...
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Hits: 1827

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
One of our members has been forced to cancel a couple of days fishing on the Pitlochry Dam beat due to personal circumstances. Single rod available each day starting on the Pitlochry bank, dates are May 4 and May 11, £60 per day. Bookable online, first come, first served!...
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Hits: 1881

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Our weather has been exceptionally cold and dry for a week or two now, hard frost at night and very few insects hatching by day but it looks like things are about to change which is great news for trout fishers on our rivers and lochs.Today a few dark olives appeared sporadically and...
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Hits: 1932

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
It was another cold, raw day at the Dam today but the rods persevered and success came to George Renwick with an 8lb fish caught on the fly on Port-na-Craig bank this morning. The forecast for tomorrow looks better - with plenty of fish about prospects look good....
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Hits: 1783

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
More wintry weather today but with fish caught on our Dam and Sawmill beats the fishing remains excellent: Jim Fisher was on form at the Dam today scoring a hat-trick - two fish of 8lbs from Port-na-Craig bank this morning and following up in the afternoon with a fish of 9lbs...
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Hits: 1841

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
We were contacted last month by the owner of a stolen Mandarin duck. We were sorry to learn today that this pet duck has died. We offered as much assistance as we could after a Mandarin duck was spotted at the reserve, including offering to catch it at the feeding station....
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Hits: 1624

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Lots of fish could be seen in the viewing chamber at the fish ladder today - the fish are on the move. Luckily a few of them held back long enough for excellent sport at the Dam: Roy Longair was first into action this morning with a fish of 14 lbs...
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Hits: 1973

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Over the last few days at Loch of the Lowes it’s been made very clear that winter is not letting go just yet. We have been experiencing frequent snow showers, some of them falling heavy and fast, with intermittent spells of warm sunshine! This has occasionally been made all the worse...
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Hits: 1827

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
More wintry weather at the Dam today - definitely challenging conditions for the rods out today. The deadlock was broken, however, when Steve watt landed a 9lb fish this evening on Pitlochry bank on the fly - it can be done. Hopefully conditions will improve for the rest of the week....
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Hits: 1917

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Conditions were less than ideal today - cold, windy, snow showers, low water - but with a bit of perseverance fish could be caught: Steve Watt showed the way with a double today at the Dam - one in the morning at 8lbs from Pitlochry bank and another in the afternoon...
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Hits: 1941

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Yesterday at Loch of the Lowes it appeared that we would have a quiet day, with intermittent incubation change-overs between our pair of ospreys. Alas, this was not to be, as again we had an intruder osprey briefly appear around lunchtime, which caused our male to alarm call for a couple...
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Hits: 1911

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With three superb fish caught today it was a great end to the week: Russell Boyd continued his good season with a fish of 18lbs caught on the fly on Pitlochry bank this morning: Jim Fisher followed up with a 12lber on the fly from Pitlochry bank; and Steve Watt rounded...
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Hits: 1836

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Our ospreys have been kept on their toes today with an intruder osprey flying close to their nest. On one occasion the male became very agitated and on arriving back at the nest (while the female took to the wing) he trampled around knocking clumps of moss on top of the...
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Hits: 1732

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Salmon are heading up the ladder in numbers just now and the count this afternoon was 134. Fresh fish are also moving into our beat. Some of the fish have clearly had narrow escapes on their way to Pitlochry (see photo showing what looks like a beak mark of a dolphin or...
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Hits: 1966

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Good numbers of fish have been showing at the Dam over the last few days and the good fishing continues: Charlie Grosvenor was successful yesterday afternoon with a 14lber on the fly from Port-na-Craig bank; this morning on Pitlochry bank Stuart Humphreys caught a 14lber on the fly; and in the...
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Hits: 1938

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Apart from a good bird watching spot, Loch of the Lowes is also a good place for wildlife photography. The location allows photographers to come up close and personal with a number of creatures. The visitor centre has a viewing window overlooking a well-equipped feeding station where one can sit down...
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Hits: 1729

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With bright overhead conditions and low water it was a testing day at the Dam. Iain McLaren did well with a 12lb fish caught on the fly on Pitlochry bank this morning. Good to see there's still fish there to be caught - looking promising for the end of the week....
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Hits: 2033

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Salmon are now running up the salmon ladder at Pitlochry Dam just upstream of our Portnacraig Pitlochry beat in greater numbers and the count climbed from 5 yesterday morning to 55 this evening. The clear water conditions are giving a great chance to see adult springers making their way up the ladder and...
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Hits: 1973

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Another low water day at the Dam - not too promising. Les Dargie was up to the task, though, catching a 16lber on Port-na-Craig bank this morning and following up in the afternoon with a 15lber on Pitlochry bank - both on the fly - good effort. It can be done...
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Hits: 1856

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
During our round the clock osprey watch we are lucky to be treated to some stunning scenery and other interesting wildlife sightings, as well as our fantastic views of the ospreys. Last night whilst on night shift, Vanessa one of our Species Protection Officers was lucky enough to witness all of the...
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Hits: 1850

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Conditions were less than ideal today - the river level has dropped back over the weekend and there were also strong winds to contend with. Anglers persevered, though, and success followed: Steve Watt had a fish of 11lbs from Pitlochry bank this morning on the spinner; and Jimmy Ross followed up...
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Hits: 1919

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
In an almost exact re-run of the laying of the first two eggs, in little over 10 minutes with only a few obvious contractions our female stood up at 4.18am this morning to show off the latest addition – a third egg to complete her clutch. LF15 with her clutch of...
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Hits: 1728

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Fantastic news – LF15 and LM12 are delighted to announce the arrival of their  3rd egg at 04.18 this morning! More to follow … CherryOriginal linkOriginal author: jonathan...
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Hits: 1711

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Conditions were challenging at the Dam today - cold with strong winds coming in from the north. The rods persevered, though, and Russell Boyd was rewarded with a very nice fish of 15lbs caught on the spinner just before lunchtime on Pitlochry bank. At least another two fish were lost during...
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Hits: 1850

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
This morning was crisp with a clear blue sky and correspondingly icy temperatures. Now, it is slipping towards the end of the day and the low sun is once again making an appearance through billowing clouds. However, throughout the middle of the day it’s been increasingly blustery, overcast and (to quote...
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Hits: 1789

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
It was a cold start this morning but as the temperature picked up so did the fishing and with three fish caught it was another excellent day at the Dam: Ally Gowans was first into action with a fish of 8 lbs from Port-na-Craig bank in the morning and followed up...
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Hits: 1887

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Whilst I was lucky enough to witness our female laying her first egg, this time it was the turn of our Species Protection Officers, and Freya has written a fantastic account of how the event unfolded; “At 01:03 this morning LF15 laid her second egg!” LF15 with her two eggs ©...
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Hits: 1731

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
At just before one o’clock this morning, our female osprey’s behaviour changed as she lay in the nest. Within minutes her body could be seen pulsating and the classic egg laying give-away of her tail raising. At 1.03am we caught the first sight of her 2nd egg! It is a cold,...
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Hits: 1792

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Good numbers of fish were seen at the Dam this morning and with one fish caught and at least one other lost it was another good fishing day. The successful angler was Jussi Ramo from Finland who caught a 6lber on the fly this morning on Port-na-Craig bank. With settled weather...
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Hits: 1781

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
18 days after reuniting with her partner LM12 at Loch of the Lowes, LF15 finally put an end to our anxious wait and laid her first egg of the season in the early hours of this morning! Over the last few days she has kept us guessing, however definite behavioural changes...
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Hits: 1806

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
After an anxious wait, I am delighted to announce that at 12.52am this morning our female laid her first egg! After a view minutes of visible panting and contractions, she stood up to reveal a beautiful egg and immediately began tending to it. LF15 with her first egg of the season...
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Hits: 1699

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Conditions looked excellent this morning but with nothing caught during the day it looked as if we were in for a blank. That changed in the evening, though, - Steve Watt opened his account for the season with a nice fish of 7lbs and Willie Johnstone followed up with a fish...
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Hits: 1825

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Just a wee note to say that we are still waiting for an egg to be laid. After a windy morning under clear blue skies, the clouds are now rolling in and there’s a chill in the air. Rain is not far away. Fortunately, both ospreys have worked hard at creating a...
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Hits: 1745

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Superb fishing conditions at the Dam today and with four fish caught it was an excellent end to the week: Ally Gowans caught a fish of 14lbs on the fly on Port-na-Craig bank this morning; John McElroy had fish at 7 and 10lbs an a Vision 110 from Pitlochry bank in...
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Hits: 1871

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With the river at a good height it was another excellent day at the Dam with two fish caught: Gordon Hanslip was first into action with a fish of 16lbs on the spinner from Port-na-Craig bank this morning; and Tony Brown had another good day with an 11lber on the fly...
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Hits: 1846

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
There is a great feeling of excited anticipation running through the Visitor Centre and Hides at Loch of the Lowes today. Our female, LF15, is blissfully unaware of how carefully her every action is being interpreted. By our calculations she will be laying an egg any day now … any minute....
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Hits: 1956

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The B8019 Strathtummel road will be closed in the vicinity of the Loch Tummel Inn for 2 weeks (click here for google map) starting on May 30th, 2016. Please access the Loch from the Tummel Bridge direction or from the Allean access road which involves a longer route than usual on...
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Hits: 2174

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The river has dropped back nicely after heavy rain earlier in the week and today prospects looked excellent. Dave Stewart took advantage - and continued his good run - with a 10lb sea-liced fish on the fly first thing this morning on Port-na-Craig bank. The good fishing should continue into the...
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Hits: 1881

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Yesterday, osprey watch started quietly with mating attempts few and far between. It wasn’t until 09:20 that the action kicked off when LF15 was forced to chase off a rather persistent buzzard, who despite the initial pursuit was not put off and was spotted later in the day perched dangerously close to the...
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Hits: 1917

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Osprey season at Loch of the Lowes is certainly our busiest time, and we are very lucky every year to be joined by hard working, residential Species Protection Officers (SPOs) whose motivation and dedication allows us to run round the clock security and behavioural observations of our birds. You will be...
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Hits: 1834

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With mist, rain and a cold chill in the air, it’s been another quiet day at the osprey nest at Loch of the Lowes. Our pair have been doing a little bit of moss and stick re-arrangement and there have been several successful (and unsuccessful) matings. True to his past behaviour,...
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Hits: 1787

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Salmon are now starting to make their way up the Pitlochry fish ladder just above our Portnacraig Pitlochry Beat and the counter now reads 1. We did not notice exactly when the fish was counted, but it was sometime between Tuesday 29 March noon and Saturday 2 April at 1730. If any of you know...
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Hits: 1716

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
The river was slightly coloured this morning following the heavy rain of Friday but it didn't seem to put the fish off and the week ended on a high with three fish caught at the Dam: Neil Tong got things going this morning on Pitlochry bank with a fish of 8lbs...
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Hits: 1787

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
As some of you may be aware, the Osprey Nest webcam is “glitching” again, showing a picture of an empty nest. Rest assured, the ospreys are fine and have been quietly on and off the nest today. The male caught a large fish at 10.40am but kept it for himself until...
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Hits: 1771

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With almost ideal conditions it was another good day on PAC waters: Tony Brown got things going on Port-na-Craig bank this morning with a fish estimated at 15lb caught on the fly; and further downstream Innes Smith followed up on his recent success with another very fresh fish - this time...
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Hits: 1825

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
It was another good day at the Dam: Iain McLaren caught a superb fish of 21lbs on the fly this morning on Port-na-Craig bank - the quality of the fish caught this year has been exceptional. A good number of fish were seen on the beat and with the river dropping...
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Hits: 1854

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Club President Jimmy Ross handing over a cheque for £760 to the Playgroup, with staff, helpers and children. The Club Open Night on Wednesday 9 March included a raffle and mini-auction in aid of Pitlochry Pre-School Playgroup. The raffle and auction were generously supported by donations of prizes and items to auction...
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Hits: 1843

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
On 22 March, a male Mandarin duck made an appearance at the Loch of the Lowes feeding station. Although Mandarin ducks are not native to Scotland, this did not come as a surprise to staff and volunteers as we have been visited by one of these males at the same time...
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Hits: 1946

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Last week was a bit frustrating at the Dam: conditions looked excellent but the fish were hard to come by - whether this was due to a lack of fish or that they just weren't in the mood to take is hard to say. Today, though, was different with four fish...
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Hits: 1887

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Yesterday was the day we had all been waiting and hoping for – the arrival of our male osprey, reuniting him with his partner who’d been waiting patiently for a week for his safe return. Since his first appearance at 11:20 on Good Friday, despite some initial hostile behaviour and mantling,...
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Hits: 1794

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Fantastic news!!! After waiting patiently for a week for her partner to return, we are extremely excited to announce that LM12 has arrived back at the nest. He touched down at 11:20 this morning and despite not receiving the warmest of welcomes, we have already witnessed an attempted mating. Our pair...
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Hits: 1810

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With little wind, good cloud cover and the river at an ideal height prospects looked good at the dam this morning and it wasn't too long before Gordon Hanslip took advantage with a 10lber on the spinner from Port-na-Craig bank. With settled weather forecast there is reason to be optimistic as...
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Hits: 1922

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Whilst we have been glued to the nest cam eagerly awaiting the arrival of our male osprey, unfortunately all we have seen for most of this afternoon is an empty nest. That was until the female suddenly appeared with a large half eaten fish in her talons shortly after 3.30pm! LF15 with first...
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Hits: 1763

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With our female LF15 and a number of other birds now back at their nests in the UK osprey migration is definitely in full swing. However our young tracked bird, FR3, seems quite happy to stay put for the time being. We wouldn’t expect FR3 to return northwards for at least another...
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Hits: 1773

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Conditions looked good at the dam today - the river having dropped back to an ideal height over the last few days - and with a few rods out there was definitely room for optimism. Success came in the afternoon on Pitlochry  bank when Alistair Hamilton landed a superb fish estimated...
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Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
We are all over the moon to announce that our female LF15 from last year has safely returned to the nest at Loch of the Lowes. She flew in at 16:42 this afternoon, surprising us all by her very early arrival – 13 days earlier than last year. Usually the male...
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Hits: 1934

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
An osprey flew onto the Loch of the Lowes nest at 16.42 today … and is still there as I write! More news to follow …. CherryOriginal linkOriginal author: jonathan...
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Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With news that a local osprey has already been seen back at his nest in the last few days, I thought I should take a moment to briefly introduce myself before our osprey pair return (hopefully!) and take centre stage. Having been in post as the seasonal ranger at Loch of...
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Hits: 1964

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Saul Mackay continued his good run with a 12lb fish on the fly from Port-na-Craig bank this morning. The river is settling back nicely - looking good as we head into the weekend....
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Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Hi, I’m Melissa, I’m 22 and I graduated from the University of Stirling last summer with a BSc Hons in Conservation Biology. During my time at university I volunteered extensively for several wildlife charities, from Butterfly Conservation Scotland to Bumblebee Conservation Trust. I am also a committee member of the Stirling...
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Hits: 1953

Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
Club members were out on Portnacraig Pitlochry beat today trimming back vegetation and removing some debris that had arrived in the winter floods. This is part of this year's maintenance programme on the various Club waters which Club President Jimmy Ross organises. ...
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Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
We currently have one student working with us to fulfil the Volunteering part of his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. However, we have space for one more. If you (or someone you know) may be interested, please contact us by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Last year, the commitment of a full year of...
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Posted by on in Highland Perthshire
With the river up overnight conditions didn't look too promising today - and when I dropped by just after lunchtime it was no real surprise that nothing had been caught. Martin Wilson persevered, though, and was rewarded with a superb fish of 13 lb on the fly from Port-na-Craig bank. The...
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