Lady, the famous Perthshire osprey, is to be the subject of another book.
As all eyes are on the nest at Loch of the Lowes in anticipation for the bird’s return, author Helen Armitage is preparing to release her book, titled Lady Of The Loch: The Incredible Story Of Britain’s Oldest Osprey.
Inspired by the global interest in the bird of prey which inspired online fans of the osprey to release their own book the writer travelled from London to the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) reserve near Dunkeld to research her story, arriving just a day before the bird of prey left the nest.
She said, “Lady is a magical and compelling bird and the journey she has been on seems to offer inspiration to people not only in Scotland, but all around the world.
“When I found out there were 55,000 people watching her dying in her nest in June last year, I realised people were interested and there was a story to tell.
“As a writer, I was very drawn to the life of Lady and to the return of the osprey as a breeding bird in Scotland in 1959. Hopefully Lady Of The Loch will draw attention to ospreys and make people more familiar with them.”
Lady and her family found fame when webcams were installed in her nest, allowing people to watch her antics on a daily basis. However, tragedy almost struck last year when she was hit by a mystery illness, from which it seemed she might not recover.
Incredibly, thanks to the help of her mate Laird who brought food to her, Lady struggled back from the brink and was able to set off for her wintering grounds in Africa.
Despite this astonishing turnaround, there are fears that she may not return this year due to her advancing years.
Ms Armitage added, “I wouldn’t be so bold as to predict what will happen, but people who have worked with her for years and years at the SWT give a 40 to 50% chance of her returning. We’ll know quite quickly as ospreys are creatures of habit and, if she comes back, she’ll arrive when she always does, this month or early April.”
The new book can be ordered through the Scottish Wildlife Trust website, with profits going to the work at Loch of the Lowes. See blogs.swt.org.uk for more information.
Members of the SWT online blog have already enjoyed success with their publication, which features poems, photographs and stories all inspired by Lady.