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Thanks for your report Claire....Odin is certainly proving himself!!!! It is always nice to hear what the other little creatures are up to. Thanks again.

Thankyou very much for the update, Claire- eagerly awaited by us all!

Lovely to hear  Odin is doing his job well - let's hope he keeps it up when the chicks arrive!

I have never seen an osprey displaying but I would dearly love to - it sounds wonderful!

I think we shall have to make an early visit to LG next year, instead of our usual June/July.  Mind you - we  went to Wales beginning of March, instead of our usual late April, hoping to see Red Kites displaying- and not a single one obliged!!

Thanks for the update Claire.  Odin also seems impressive on the screen, so can't wait to see him in the flesh next month.  

Thanks for the update Claire. Sounds like a fantastic time to be up there. I would love to see Odins display flights, maybe next year.........

Thank you Claire that's a lovely description of all that is going on at LG.

Lucky EJ she should be impressed!

It bodes well for her and their future chicks(crossed fingers)that Odin is bringing in so many fish already...long may it continue.

What a time to log into the site today to see EJ battling with this huge stick which appeared to be twisted around her leg, wing and body. My heart was literally in my mouth as I watched her teetering on the edge of the nest. Fortunately she managed to free herself but what would happen in that situation if she hadn't? Would you intervene to extracate her? I can let my adrenalin levels subside now.

REPLY: a stick would be unlikely to incapacitate her for long, she would almost certainly eventually extricate herself from it.  Any attempt to intervene would make her fly from the nest and that alone would probably result in her & the stick sorting themselves out.  -  Richard

Have just watched EJ struggling with a branch which appeared to be caught across her back or wings.  After much flapping she sat still looking bewildered and I was afraid she was in real trouble.  but another flap dislodged it.  Will feathers have been damaged?  and are there records of ospreys coming to grief this way?

Pamela

Claire - We were worried here at the Centre as she seemed to be struggling a little, but she is fine now, so nothing to worry about phew! 

Thank you, Claire.  It is a very exciting time up there!  Had to smile earlier, Odin is sooo like my hubby!  EJ had arranged the nest to her liking, Odin arrived back and changed it all!!!!!  No doubt, EJ will do as I do and wait till he goes away and change it back again!!!!!!!!

thanks for the update all sounds really positive ! How i wish i could visit you this easter!

Hoping all goes well,will look for next update.

It's been good this morning watching them wrestle with rather large twigs and the wind.  Have just been reading bird forum and someone said that there still  seems to be some debate on facebook as to whether we actually have a new male or if it's Henry. Was Henry not known for his bright Orange eyes which normally change to yellow with maturity or am I completely wrong -  AGAIN. I think Odin has  bright yellow eyes easilly seen sometimes when he amusingly stares straight into camera.  I;m sure the LG team will know from plumage characters I just always think of his eyes.

REPLY: Odin is not Henry. Yes, oddly Henry had retained his orange eyes into adulthood (orange in juvenile birds). Odin has yellow eyes.  Also Henry once had both a metal ring and a plastic colour ring (HV) which must have broken at some point and come off. But metal rings wouldn't break, so Henry still sported a metal ring which Odin does not.  And yes plus subtle plumage features all add up to this not being Henry.  -  Richard

Thanks Claire,

Sounds wonderful! Coming to visit on Tuesday so hope to see some 'action' then.

It looks like a 'bad hair day' for ospreys at LG today!

Thank you very much for letting us know he has been bringing fish for EJ !! . Each time I see her she is calling him and  he  comes empty talon to mate.  After last year's loss of "Wee  One" I hoped  EJ would have a mate this year who is a good  provider.  

Thanks for the update Claire. It looks as though we have a good team in EJ and Odin this year. Looking forward to the egg laying and hence the chicks.

..thanks Claire, Happy easter you lucky lucky lady :)

Thanks as always Claire. Very descriptive.

It may have been missed as I posted it at the end of the last blog but I wanted to congratulate Richard, Claire and everyone at LG (and from last year, David etc) on the success of the blog. Looking back to this time last year there were less than 10 comments on most entry's and the last one this year had 157! I think that shows how much it means to so many people, including me! The down side is that we are on a never ending quest for information/updates!:)

Odin just brought a fish for EJ!! She flew to a tree to eat it.

mmmm  

Odin is great value for money LOL  a real star in the making; glad things are going well and so much activity elsewhere at LG

Where is the center whne we are looking at the  Web Can feed? Is it behind the camera or  to the left or right side?  REPLY:  behind the camera

I am watching Odin as he  works on preparing  the nest. He moved branches to form a better outer ring; did some nest scrapping and is now bringing in most moss. He  certainly is a high energy bird. I hope he keeps up the good work.  He will become one of the  favorites  at LG

Thanks for a lovely update Claire , Odin is really a handsome bird .  Lets hope that nothing happens to spoil the romance because I guess there is still time for OVS to return or even Henry , I personally was hoping that Nimrod would stop off at LG on his way north  and there is still time for that to happen !!! I guess these next couple of weeks will settle things .  If Odin hasnt found the fish farm I guess that means he is not a 'local' bird then , wait till he does he will think its Xmas and hey thats easy !!!

Thank you for the update Claire and all the wonderful news...

The wind is dropping now and should be down to 5mph by 9pm..

So Ej can relax on the nest a bit more and not have twigs flying at her.

We watched the display flights a couple of years ago and it is as Claire says a site to behold, on of natures magical moments.

Looks as though we might have 4 eggs at the Goshawk site New Forest...Great news..

Come on EJ get laying girl !!

Thank you for the information Claire. Would it be possible for you to train one of your other camera's on the display and record it so that those of us not lucky enough to be able to visit could see it? I'm pleased to see that EJ is alright after her tussle with that huge stick this morning.

REPLY:  Sorry Mitch, just not possible.  -  Richard

Sounds like Odin is likely to prove a good provider - he's certainly an enthusiastic mate!  Hope he doesn't have to fight off Henry.  Thanks, Claire, for keeping us up to date.  

Saw Odin today for the first time up close. He is a handsome chap and am hoping he is a better provider than OVS. So glad to hear that he is looking after EJ.

Like everyone else am looking forward to the eggs chicks etc. Great to see so many familiar names from last year and am looking forward to my visit to LG in June. The team do a fantastic job and many thanks to you all.

Just viewed EJ? digging out that hole in the middle a bit more - hopefully she is preparing for the imminent arrival of an egg.... I'll go for tomorrow night! I havent seen Odin bring food to the nest yet, so thanks for all the updates Claire. I have just checked out Loch of Lowes and I think there is 2 eggs now (but not certain) Hope you all have a Happy Easter . Lx

Nice to see the pair of them standing there on a nice sunny evening although the way their feathers are blowing looks a bit windy, love the coy way EJ looks at him I hope this pair will have strong healthy chicks and all goes well but with nature you never know but have to say all looks very promising at the moment.

Wondered how long it would be till people starting tryng to guess egg laying times!!  My money's on Tuesday for what it's worth. Many thanks to the staff who made our 4 visits to LG last Saturday to Tuesday so interesting.  Shame we didn't see the caper this time but we saw the squirrels on the Tuesday caperwatch which is always a highlight. Went home via Loch of Lowes and Montrose Basin both of which I love as well. Was so chuffed to see Odin and EJ obviously who seems like an old friend now as she's been there since I started visiting LG...

My guess for the first egg is Thursday ............ and I say a female will hatch from it !

Odin just brought a fish in, EJ grabbed it and headed off.

2nd egg now confirmed at Loch of the Lowes. Her 54th in total. What an amazing statistic. Come on EJ it is time to get laying.

Thanks for the update Claire together with associated stories sounds as though there is so much going on now.  What an excciting time of the year for you all although I guess facing some trepidation too.  Yes Odin is such a handsome boy, EJ has found a good partner and although i have yet to see the fish coming in it is good to know from the blog that they are.

16.08pm - Odin just brought in a small headless fish, which EJ took from him and flew off. First I've seen today but presumably he brought some earlier? Did anyone see?

Hi - Being only in my second year of Osprey watching - I feel I am missing out on who's who and where. I here all these names of other / past birds and wondered whether  (and where) there is a list of who has been here / mated etc and when. Would be grateful for any direction :-) Lynne

REPLY: Take a look under Tags, to the right hand side of the diary page, that'll give you some information.  -  Richard

We may have an egg soon.

EJ was calling Odin, but when he arrived at the nest without a fish she flew away. By flying away  she may have signaled she is done mating.  He immediately started nest scraping to enlarge the hole and rearranging the nest branches and  hay

Well what a lovely sight, Odin scraping out the nest. The first time I've seen him do that and I did wonder exactly what he was up to until he turned round and did it towards the camera. Is it me but is the nest much more luxuriously furbished this year than it was last? Thanks to his efforts in part presumably.

REPLY: More fresh, red sphagnum moss than most years, maybe he likes the new colour scheme.  -  Richard

been away all day, (heard my first willow warbler,couldn't find it tho, no time) and have logged on to find a completely different looking nest since yesterday mid afternoon.  They've obviously been very busy. the bowl? looks quite big now with plenty of moss and sides are higher.  Imminent egg laying perhaps lol.

REPLY: Heard my first willow warbler too, on Saturday morning.  It woke me up. For me it's is the indicator that Summer is here.  Checked a goldeneye nest box in my garden too, it's got 13 eggs. -  Richard

Just to make a link between lovers of real ale and birdwatching (which I amply proved during my visit to the LG area :D), I've just been invited to a wedding in Shetland where the only brewery is the Valhalla Brewery named after the hall of the Norse God, you've guessed it, Odin!!! All fallen Viking warriors are met there with a horn filled with good ale apparently!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valhalla_Brewery

REPLY:  A pint of Odin's Ale, has a certain ring to it.  -  Richard

23.22 Looks like EJ is staying on her nest tonight, so perhaps we are getting very close to seeing her lay her first egg.  Hope so.

REPLY:  Could be.  In season's past, female ospreys have often roosted on the nest, the night before egg-laying is imminent.  Though maybe it happens more than we've known, as previously we didn't have an infra-red camera.  My money's on Wednesday for eggs, but entirely happy to be wrong, so long as we get eggs at some point.  -  Richard

Hi Richard. I agree that willow warbler is a great indicator that summer is finally here. I saw my first of the year yesterday (Isle of Man) along with wheatears, swallows, sand martins and sandwich terns. Puffins were reported of the Islands coast yesterday so I'm going to see if I can find any now. The way EJ is behaving I think an egg is going to appear today or tomorrow, but as you say, as long as we see some at some point. I know goldeneye have large broods but is 13 unusually large?

REPLY: Geoff, 13 isn't such an exceptionaly clutch size for goldeneye, though 8-10 might be more usual.  A phenomenon termed egg-dumping can occur, whereby immature female goldeneye, unable as yet to lay fertile eggs, go through the motions, (practice, if you like) of laying infertile eggs in a variety of nest sites.  I once checked a box that had 26 eggs in it, almost certainly a case of egg-dumping by one, two or maybe even three immature ducks.  -  Richard

Hi Anny! Another exciting season for us. Just great, isn't it? The nest is certainly much safer, and warmer for young this year. VS was not the best provider but then he is old and age has a habit of catching up with us. I think this nest is magnificent and I'm hoping the handsome Odin is as fertile as he is proficient at nest building. I think the first egg will be laid 14/15th provided first matings were successful. Like Richard I don't care as long as some are laid some time and lead to healthy young Osprey. By the way, isn't this the day VS returned last year?

Odin flew off leaving EJ and returned with a fish for her at 1.50pm.  He wasn’t gone long – 10 minutes at the most so I think he may now have found the fish farm.  I think EJ will lay her first egg tonight,  

REPLY: A fish within 10 mins, are you sure?  To make it to the fish farm and back in that time he'd need jet-propulsion, it must take at least 30 minute turn-around.  Maybe he caught it in Loch Garten, though it doesn't have much in the way of fish and the water is peaty and dark brown, like milk-less tea, making what few fish there are, difficult to see, but it's possible. Might be another source immediately local to us, perhaps.  -  Richard

I have followed the progress and blogs since this time last year but have decided to register this year. Been following the LG ospreys for over 40 yrs and can remember when the nest was viewed from a little wooden hide/shed about 6ft square. How things have changed. The Website and the fitting of gps tracking has really made it compulsive viewing.

Barbara Jean, re EJ flying away and perhaps indicating she has finished mating is not the case. Although the male sperm can fertilise eggs a number of days later, it is generally a 3 day window. That is to say, copulation that takes place just prior to or after each egg laid, will be responsible for fertilising the next egg. Copulation will continue up to the final egg is fertilised and sometimes even after to strengthen the pair bond. I myself breed Birds of Prey and witness this behaviour each year on my own cctv

Hi Richard......on 9th. April at 8.08pm ??Odin was on nest with EJ...... another Osprey flew down and mated with her and ??Odin few away. Any answers? Thanks.

REPLY:  Hmmm, that's curious.  I've just phoned the Centre and asked them to check the log book and they tell me that on 9th there's an entry at 8.07pm of both EJ and Odin being in the nearby dead tree.  The next log entry is at 8.20pm when one bird was on the nest the other still in the dead tree.

It is certainly possible that the person on duty at that time needed to pop out and make a "comfort-stop", and just missed this, but that's unlikely.  Last week's volunteers have now left us, so I cannot quiz them directly. 

I don't really look at other ospreys nest on webcams, but I gather there are several others including some abroad, and some of you have split screens with different ones up at the same time.  Could this be an explanation for possible confusion I wonder.  -  Richard

Both EJ and Odin seem to be spending more time together at the nest and surveying the air space so are there other Ospreys giving them concern ??

REPLY: Suveying the airspace above them, can be for anything.  They'll check out buzzards soaring overhead and nearby, which is a regular occurance, curlews sometimes nest in the bog surrounding the osprey nest and so they'll keep an eye on them too. Anything passing over will draw their attention, from all manner of birds to fighter jets (though if you're watching at those times you'll probably hear them) hot air balloons, anything airborne really.  So their apparent vigilance need not always indicate an osprey intruder in the area, but that does of course does happen too.  -  Richard

Wee Jeannie - thanks for posting.  I was beginning to think I was going mad!!!   We also thought about Nethy and Deshar.  After EJ left last year, VS never brought them in any fish but they must of been getting fish somewhere.  As far as I can remember they never visited the fish farm so is there somewhere nearer where they can fish?  

Hi Richard ... as well as EJs calling I have a continuous buzzing is this normal or is it my system at fault ?

REPLY: Might be picking up some interference from the gas-powered generator that powers all our equipment.  -  Richard

Richard, readiing your reply to Karen regarding fish quantities in LG I ask, are a majority of fish caught at the Fish Farm if so do they breed Brownies there as well as Rainbows because I read last year that Brown trout were brought in too.

So many questions so many grateful replies ........

CliveT

REPLY: I believe that the fish of choice at the fish farm are rainbow trout because they grow more quickly.  It is mainly rainbows that we see brought back to the nest, but yes some brownies, probably caught in the River Spey or other lochans, and small pike too. --  Richard

Hi folks - has anyone else been observing Odin having piggy backs all morning. I am sure he has forgotten what he is supposed to be doing. Between 8:30 and 11:55 I have seen him, three times, just sat on EJ looking out of the nest. (or is he just being 'very' discreet)

Richard, has any decision been made about tagging of young this year? That's assuming they have any! Surely the nest has the right decor now!! :)

REPLY: We hope to and would certainly like to, and I'm sure you would to, but we have yet to find the funding.  More anon.  Richard

Hi Lorraine, yes your assumption on who the father would be is basically correct but would depend on exactly when another male arrived. As copulation takes place many times each day, any mating just prior to and just after the first egg being laid will be responsible for the next egg and so on. IF a new male arrived and was accepted the day after  the egg laying times, then in all probability, he would be responsible for not the next egg, but the one after that. I hope that makes sense.

Hopefully that won't happen as another male may also dispose of any eggs already there as has happened in the past. This new male Odin appears to have what it takes though and would most likely see off any unwanted guests.

Barbara Jean, They always land into the wind as all birds do - if you notice when either or both are on the nest the wind is coming from the right as you can see by their feathers being blown - likewise when mating EJ is facing to the right as you look at the screen.

CliveT