Loch Garten osprey diary

The ospreys at Loch Garten have people across the world gripped in their tale of violence, adultery and... well... fishing.  More...

Saucy......

Apologies for the title but when we had an intruding bird with the leg ring "HP" landing on the nest I simply couldn't resist. Yes, that is right, yet another intruder. This 3 year old female landed on the camera post just above the nest at 5pm on Friday evening and stayed there for several minutes whilst EJ covered her eggs, mantled her wings and alarm called - the intruder, who was rung on the Black Isle in 2005, didn't hang around for too long before flying off. There was another intruding bird which divebombed EJ on Saturday morning, but it only happened the once and happened so quickly that we couldn't positively identify the bird.

Apart from that things are very much the same, OVS is bringing in fish (not a great deal I hasten to add) and doing his bit on the eggs, our resident goldeneye is happily incubating in her nestbox and the capercaillie are showing well, throw in regular (though infrequent) sightings of the crested tit and you can imagine that the visitors to the Centre are very happy.

Before signing off I'd like to thank the children in Class 2 at Colliers Green Primary School, Kent for their keen interest and support.

The next blog will be posted on Wednesday, unless of course......

If you want to specifically help the Loch Garten Osprey Team 2008, you might consider supporting the RSPB. You can do this online via the RSPB website: http://www.rspb.org.uk/join, if you add the code PR08, your membership will be credited to the Loch Garten team.

Posted by david gascoigne at 21:30 on 11 May 2008.  15 comments

Comments

Carol
Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 at 8:29
8.25 am Delivery of fish. EJ couldn't wait and almost snatched fish out of OVS's talons. Hope he is feeding her enough. Thank you David for the biographies of the three Ospreys. Didn't realise that EJ and OVS had such a long history between them.
Maureen
Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 at 9:58
Thanks for all the info. David.
Tex
Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 at 10:41

I missed the fish delivery this morning but have been tuned in since 9:00 am. EJ returned at about 10:30. She must have been fishing. OVS could not wait to get off the nest and out of there. Maybe he was hungry.  It will be interesting to see when the next delivery of fish takes place.

Debby Thorne
Posted on Monday, 12 May 2008 at 13:16
EJ (I think!) brought in a rather large twig/branch to decorate the nest this morning.
quietwoman
Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 8:58
Is OVS feeding the two females, EJ and Green B (?)? If so does EJ go fishing for herself?
John B (not the sloop)
Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 10:17
Huh... wha.... who's Green B? Has OVS got a "menage à trois" going on? He's going to be one tired boy by the end of the season.
david gascoigne
Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 10:35

If EJ has to go fishing for herself then the season is in serious trouble..... leaving the eggs unattended makes them vulnerable to predation.

To answer the question about OVS and another nest.... last season he did have another nest however, we believe that he has lost this as two birds were seen mating on that same nest earlier this season whilst, at the same time, OVS was sitting in the camera tree at Loch Garten.

David Card
Posted on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 at 12:51

Back to the grind in Dubai after a great week volunteering at the nest.  Keep the info coming as I now feel a little remote from the action.  The webcam reception is a little patchy out here (our server, I'm sure), and I do have some work to do, so keeping track of the live action is tricky.  Regards to all at the Operation.

Kathy J
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 7:31
7.30 EJ just left.
Kathy J
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 7:32
and by 7.32 she was back!
quietwoman
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 9:10
Can we start the countdown? This is so amazing --- like having an Osprey nest outside your window.
Maureen
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 10:45
Hi Quietwoman - is it nearly time for hatching? I can hardly wait!!! and yes I too feel like I have a nest on the windowsill. In fact, I feel that EJ and OVS are 'mine'. I also feel like having a stern word with OVS!
Debby Thorne
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 11:13
Just had a heart stopping moment - just turned on the webcam and it looked as though (EJ(?) was pecking at the eggs! What's going on I thought? then she stood up, backed away and started scratching again - it was just the angle on the camera looked as though she was pecking the eggs but it was just a scratch - she is now having a good old preen!
Carol
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 11:35
Logged on after work last night to see EJ being dive-bombed on the nest (about 7.15pm). Didn't see what bird it was but OVS was there like a shot. Both birds alarm calling and nest dive-bombed again. OVS took off and I hope he saw intruder off! All quiet at nest when logged on again about 10.00pm.
Kathy J
Posted on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 at 15:03
I think we should be expecting them to start hatching next weekend (Bank Holiday weekend) - Sunday25th will be 37 days from when 1st egg was laid, I think.

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