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Super Odin, Odin the Magnificent, Odin the Great, Odin the Fish Dude, Fishy Odin....... ok so maybe not the last one but whatever way you look at it we could not have asked for a better male! He seems intent on breaking every and any record we have, just last night he brought two fish to the nest within 15 minutes of each other, 15MINUTES!! Here we were all thinking how amazing it was that he had brought in two fish within an hour of each other a couple of times and then he goes and does this!

So including that burst from last night the overall total for the past week is 51 fish, an average of over 7 a day! Quite an achievment when you imagine all he has been through over the past few weeks, no fishing line can stop this osprey. I think the Superman 'S' would quite suit Odin at the moment.

You would think therefore that EJ wouldn't have to worry about anything apart from looking after the nest but she's been at it as well! Yesterday EJ went off fishing herself again (twice!), there is certainly no need for her to be fishing (unlike last year) but perhaps she was just a bit bored on the nest. All the more fish for the chicks which has to be a good thing.

The result of all these fishing shannanigans is that we now have three healthy chicks on the nest, in fact the chicks seem to spend most of their time sleeping off the last meal. If this keeps up then we certainly have a good chance of three chicks fledging the nest in a couple of weeks time. I am sure you will be joining us in keeping everything crossed in the hope that all three chicks will be flying off to Africa in late August.

Unfortunately have to finish on a slightly down note, we seem to have run out of cake..............

Patrick Preston is volunteering at Loch Garten this week.  Patrick has been making his annual volunteering trip here for more years than he can remember, and over that time he has become something of a poet laureate for Loch Garten and the osprey.  He penned this poem this week, and I thought that today would be a good day to publish it here on the blog, after Odin's fantastic fish total of nine yesterday!

Odin's Ode

They call me Odin, wise Norse god

I'll live up to that name

I'll break all records, fish like mad

We gods must play the game

To keep this reputation

In a tolerable state

Isn't always easy

As I shall now relate

Our nest is in an ideal spot

A des-res - what a catch

So many other osprey

Come intruding on our patch

I haven't got a ring on

So they can't tell who is who

and even my mate EJ

Sometime puzzles what to do

I came upon some fishing line

It was no use to me

But as I flew about

It nearly tied me to a tree

I felt a little poorly

For two days I stayed away

When I returned two fish were there

And a Tesco's bill to pay!

As mentioned earlier, Odin brought in nine fish yesterday, equalling his personal best.  As I type, EJ and the chicks have just finished the second fish of the day.

We await the next fish..... 

I just took a phone call from Mrs Mckintosh a teacher at Quarryhill Primary School in Aberdeen.  "Just to let you know", she said, "that you're on speaker" and I found myself talking and listening to the pupils of her Primary 4/5 class.  They wanted to tell me some news.

At the count of three from Mrs McKintosh, in unison the children yelled out very loudly "£345".

This was the amount that the children had raised for the Loch Garten ospreys, the proceeds from an art competition and sale.  The children were given blank canvases and created art in the style of Jackson (Jack The Dripper) Pollock.  Their works of art were then sold to over 100 people who attended their exhibition including staff, parents, friends and family of the children, raising this amazing sum for out work here at Loch Garten.

So, Primary 4/5 of Quarryhill, I know you'll be reading this, so from all of us here at Loch Garten, a huge THANK YOU to you all for this fantastic fund-raising effort on our behalf.. It was a very kind, thoughtful and wonderful thing for you to do for the Loch Garten ospreys.  We appreciate it very much and the staff here are very proud of what you have acheived.  You should all stand up in the classroom right now and take a very well-deserved bow.  You're brilliant.

So, when EJ was out of sight for a couple of hours yesterday lunchtime and then again in the evening... we had our suspicions as to what she might be up to! Our suspicions were correct, and EJ returned with a fish!

In 2008, when EJ went fishing, it was clear that Orange VS was not bringing in enough fish to sustain the brood and of those that he was bringing in, he was definitely eating more than his fair share.

In 2009, the chicks are looking amazing, Odin is bringing in an amazing amount of fish, plenty for three chicks, so why did EJ go fishing? I guess we'll never know, maybe she was just bored; she has, after all, been on or around the nest constantly since Odin arrived on 3 April! Maybe it has become learned, pre-emptive behaviour after what happened last year.

One thing is for sure, each year EJ does something to surprise us and rewrite the osprey manuals, whether it is fishing before fledging or laying a whole second clutch as she did in 2007.

I have made a chart of fish deliveries for 13-21 June, comparing Orange VS and Odin's deliveries, as well as EJ in 2008 and 2009. Please remember that not only were many of Orange VS' fish smaller than those that Odin is delivering, he also often ate much more than his fair share, bringing the tail end (quite literally!) to the nest.

As I type, Odin has just delivered the fourth fish of the day. So far, EJ has remained firmly at the nest today, as the weather has been rather inclement.

We await the next fish... but who will deliver it?

PS - Richard says 'Thanks' to Diana for the card and donation.

Last evening, we finally got around to having our hatch party, an annual event in our calendar to mark the hatching of our osprey chicks.  It's now almost four weeks since the first chick hatched, but we've been too busy to fit in a celebration.  So better late than never, we wetted the youngsters heads, so to speak, last night, joining our wider team colleagues here at Abernethy for a BBQ.

It was a great evening, with a mix of weather, from warm sunshine to the odd shower, but you can't plan for these things.  We all chipped-in with contributions to the spread of fare, and thanks to those of you out there, who called in to provided us with cakes.

Talking of cakes, take a look at this.....

and this...........complete with those red patches of sphagnum moss, you've seen on camera!  Note also the accurate size differences between the three chicks. 

This superb cake was made by Julie, one of this year's Caper-watch Team (aka JulieQ, on Loch Garten bloggers).  So far we haven't sampled its delights as we haven't the heart (yet) to cut & spoil such a magnificent cake.  But from here in the office, I can hear the team down at the Centre, food-soliciting, so it'll be ceremoniously cut later today no doubt.

Osprey Team 2009:  from left to right; Ian, Malcolm, David, Claire, Debbie and Paula.

Oh by the way, all's well with the osps.

Just a brief blog post to up-date you on the satellite tracking fund total.  I've just received the following figure;  £3,825.  This, plus the £693 that visitors have given us here on site at Loch Garten takes us to £4,518.  Wow!  This is simply fantastic.  Our thanks go out to all of you who have helped make this happen. It has been a marvellous response from you, and very much appreciated.

The original figure we asked for help with was £4,500 to cover tag costs and initial download costs.  We desperately hope that the two tagged chicks this year will fare better than Deshar and Nethy, and can be tracked for a few years to come. 

Your tremendous support for this project and the huge following out there of our ospreys has been of real encouragement and a real boost to the Loch Garten team. They are thrilled and feel really good about their work here, knowing that you, and all our visitors are right behind them.  It was great to meet several blog readers and contributors at the Osprey Centre over the weekend.

If any of you wish to donate to the work of the team at the Osprey Centre and/or our wider work here at Abernethy, we would still welcome donations to the Abernethy appeal.

Many thanks.

Don't panic!  All's well.  Really well, in fact.

First, the great news.   Has our boy got back to tip-top form or what?  Whatever it was that impacted on Odin's fishing ability has certainly now passed.  Since Friday 4th June his daily catches have been; 4, 3, 2, 4, 6, 5, 7, 7, 6 and an astounding 9 yesterday!  What's he using, a trawler?! 

Many of these fish have been whoppers too, so there has been no shortage of food available for the chick.  At times, surplus fish have been littering the nest awaiting to be eaten and at other times if seemed like EJ was force-feeding her brood, so completely replete were they.  Even the youngest is getting just about all the food it can handle.  Wih so much food, the squabbling between the chicks had eased a little and they spend a lot of time just sleeping off their big meals.

Some of you have asked will all this food mean that they will fledge earlier?  Unlikely, not by any significant difference anyway, more that they will hopefully develop into big strong healthy young ospreys.  So on this front anyway, you can imagine how relieved and pleased we are that we appear to be through that vulnerable and worrying period of Odin's impaired performance.  Phew!

More great news: Saturday, was our Golden Anniversary - 50 years of osprey viewing at Loch Garten. Over 350 people came along to the Centre on Saturday to join us in celebrating this quite amazing milestone.  When it all began back in 1959, it was no doubt a hope and an aspiration that it was the beginning of something big, certainly from the birds' point of view. And it has been. From that original pair way back then, to a population now of between 200-210, it has been a magnificent conservation success story for Scotland.  However, what I don't think was imagined back in 1959, was the phenomenal interest and the enduring appeal of the ospreys story to so many people.  Over two million people have visited the Loch Garten Osprey Centre since it all began.

The day dawned damp.  No, wet in fact, very wet.  But it couldn't dampen the excitment of the occasion.  There was a real buzz in the Centre all day, with the usual eclectic mix of visitors. Many, (more than usual), who had visited many moons ago, making a return visit, others for whom the ospreys were new.  It was particularly pleasing to see some local faces amongst the crowd - folk who too no doubt visited way back, but not since.

We were delight to have three guests of honours with us. Firstly, Frank and Kathleen Hamilton and also Fiona Thomson, from Edinburgh, the winner of our poetry competition, who first visited Loch Garten when she was 7 years old.  Frank, who was Director RSPB Scotland (1975-1995), but perhaps more importantly on this occasion, was present back in 1959 when osprey viewing at Loch Garten first began, at a time when stalwart Kathleen cooked for the staff and volunteers back then.  Frank said some fine celebratory words to mark the occasion and then we called upon Fiona,  to recite her winning poem:

Loch Garten, where my heart is home.

No matter how long I am away you welcome me back with open arms.

Ancient roots remaining,

new shoots sustaining,

you will out live us all in your glorious splendour.

After which we called upon Frank and Fiona to attach the golden fish to the Osprey Centre sign, and all in all it was great occasion.

The disappointing news: Sadly our weekend of excitement was spoiled somewhat by the discovery this morning that we had had break-in last night at Reception, down at the car park.  Doors had been forced and broken and a window smashed, and all the for the princely sum of £4 taken from a pin-badge box.  The money wasn't much, the damage can be rapaired, it's the intent that's upsetting and has got us off to a downcast start to our week at a point when our season was at an all-time high.

But we'll rally.

The Loch Garten emotional rollercoaster ride continues, and presently we're climbing, thankfully.

Odin seems to be back on form now, in fact back on better form than before!  He delivered no less than six fish to the nest yesterday.  This return to form strongly suggests that he has now overcome the dual problems he was having early last week, of possible impaired fishing ability due to injury, and a relentless onslaught of intruding ospreys to deal with.

As you know, on Wednesday last week we added a few trout to the nest.  This was in order to tide-over EJ and newly hatched brood, at what for them was a very vulnerable time, and to buy some time until we knew quite where Odin was at, in terms of possible injury and trauma following his entanglement with fishing line. 

We are firmly of the view that he had sustained some sort of damage after what we think was a struggle with fishing line, for example strained muscles perhaps, when fighting to free himself?  This, at a time when he needed to be fishing fervently, and perhaps requiring all the more time to do so, due to reduced efficiency because of injury.  And yet he had his work cut out repelling intruders too.

Given that his change in behaviour appeared to have resulted from an anthropogenic (man-made)cause - the fishing line - rather than a more natural mishap, after much careful thought and deliberation, we decided to intervene and add a few fish to the nest. We did this just once last week and it was our hope that he would get through whatever was ailing him, that the incidence of intruding ospreys would subside and that Odin would return to full fitness and to being the in-form osprey he had proved himself to be thus far.  

At the time we couldn't know what the outcome for Odin would be - would he survive at all, would he recuperate fully, and would he get through this problem period, caused by man and his activities.

Our actions would appear to have helped and to have worked.  Those added fish, just eased the situation for hungry EJ and brood, eased the pressure on the recovering Odin, and in so doing gave him some respite from dual duties, enabling him to concentrate on dishing out short-shrift to the marauders.

Odin seems to have made a complete recovery and the smiles amongst us here have not just returned, but have got broader and broader at each arriving fish.  The huge relief, glee and excitement were palpable yesterday amongst us all; oursleves here, our visitors, those involved in the conference-call between the recently convened Odin think-tank group, formed to review the situation, and of course you all out there in the ether.  When checking the blog comments late last night as that sixth fish of the day came in,  it was abundantly clear that you  were all also ecstatic.

A day at a time, mind.  Odin does seem to be back on form, but given what's happened, I think we cannot take everything for granted and we should be pleased, but measured in our confidence.  The three chicks would appear to have had a surfeit of food in the past few days, to the point, as some of you have commented, that EJ almost has to force feed them.  When stuffed full, they are likely to just lie there motionless which I know can alarm you, as and when you first log on, but they are currently doing very well.

I know also, that the rivalry between siblings concerns some of you too.  This is perfectly natural behaviour.  We tend to see more of it, when food is short and they are sparring with each other for dominance in the nest in order to secure the lion's share of fish. Nevertheless, such bickering between chicks can occur at any time, its just the chicks asserting themselves, learning combative skills, learning to live alongside each other - all of which may serve them well in later life etc. 

We've seen it all before, many times and have always shared your concerns, especially when it gets particularly brutal and unpalatable to watch.  But as I type this, this sort of behaviour is going on in every bird of prey nest with young, the world over - it's just what happens.  In this case, it's the down-side of being able to watch & witness all the other amazing, fascinating and enjoyable behaviour. A classic case of the rough with the smooth, I'm afraid.

If my memory serves me (and it does so, less than it did), such bullying hasn't led to the death of a chick here at Loch Garten, except last year, when we lost the smallest one due to a lack of food, because OVS was just so utterly useless at provisioning EJ - (cue howls from OVS fans, no doubt). We didn't step in then and supplimentary feed, because as far as we knew the short-fall in food was a result of OVS' natural incompetence. 

Another year, the third and smallest chick took one hell of a battering from his siblings to the point where his proudly, newly acquired brand new head feathering lasted about a week before it was all pecked out - Baldrick, I think we called him that year!  But he made it through to fledging.

So, with Odin seemingly back on the best of form, even if the youngest chick were to go into a natural decline, we will not be intervening with fish, and from this point on we will let nature take its course.  Quite frankly the way fish are arriving, I feel confident all three chicks will survive.  Some have suggested removing the larger chick to alleviate the attacks on the younger two.  We'll not be doing that either.  They will be left to their own devices now, unless some further unforeseen anthropogenic problem arises, and then we will review the situation. 

It has to be the way.  Some of you will no doubt disagree and think us heartless if anything were to happen, but that just has to be the way forward now.  If a chick goes under for natural reasons, that was its fate, its destiny.  Lending a helping hand might never turn that weakling into a viable, healthy, thriving young osprey, capable of migrating successfully. Think Deshar, last year.  With hindsight, was he in poor condition through a lack of food?

Honestly though, looking at these rotund, weeble-like chicks lolling around in the nest, replete to the point of bursting, I am confident all three will succeed, especially given how many of you have reported how large our chicks are in comparison to those at The Lowes, who are at least a week ahead of ours, I think.

It's up to them now.  Here's hoping.

Our ospreys of course steal the show here at Loch Garten, but there is a varied supporting cast too.  Currently redstarts are nesting right in front of the Osprey Centre and showing very well.  Red squirrels - a rare mammal in UK terms - are a fixture, with up to six present throughout the day.  Even capercaillie sometimes still show, in the afternoons, seen from the Centre.

Talking of Caper, our fingers are crossed this week, for them and Black Grouse, two iconic species here at Aberenthy.  It is this week, that we can expect and hope to see the first broods appearing.  The weather has been reasonably kind so far, though typically just when we need it to least, it has turned showery, but at least it is not heavy rain.  It's turned a wee bit cool too, which seems to be the pattern nowadays,  just when grouse chicks need fine weather to get them through there first few weeks of life. But we've had it worse, at this time of year, so we are desperately hoping that the current spell of weather, ideally improves or at least stays as is, to help the fortunes of these two species.

Finally, this weekend marks 50 years since we started showing people ospreys at Loch Garten.  If you are able to come along on Saturday (or at any time), please do. We'd be delighted to see you. Given the events of the past two weeks, it's further cause to celebrate.  Hope you can come along.

You've no doubt just been watching so will know that we have had two fish in this evening, plus that one at 05.11am this morning.  So it is all together looking much better.

There is some debate out there as to who that male was, on the nest this afternoon.  The team at the Centre phoned to tell me they thought that it wasn't Odin.  I went down to Centre at 6.30pm to look at some footage that they had recorded, and I concur.  Yes I know, EJ seemed accepting of him suggesting that it was Odin, but she must be full of uncertainty at the moment about Odin's behaviour and this could well make her more tolerant towards male intruders, in the hope that they might take her on and bring her fish, even if Odin doesn't.

This evening, I didn't see the fish arrive, but trusty duty volunteer Dan kept me informed by phone as to events and he is of the opinion that it was indeed Odin who delivered the goods tonight, and I have no cause to doubt him.  And hey, in any case, whilst it would be interesting and preferrable to know that it was Odin for sure, and I'm sure it would have been, what is important is that today EJ and chicks have had three fish and all is well.  With light fading, it couldn't be easy to tell for sure, but I for one will sleep easy in my bed tonight, and you should too, but remember, a day at a time.  That's all for now.

By the way, thanks Soosin.

I am guessing you'd like to know what's going on, right?  So would we, as it happens!

We still haven't got to the bottom of what is happening, but be re-assured Odin seems to be fine in himself, though of course we can't be sure what effects the fishing line incident of last week has had on him.  He doesn't seem to have any obvious external injuries.  Internally, who knows?  Psychologically?  We can't know that either, but there has been a shift in his behaviour.

What we think is going on is, that he is completely torn between either going off to catch and provide fish for EJ and her brood, or standing his ground and repelling all boarders.  We have as many as five intruding ospreys with us from time to time now.  Sometimes one at a time, sometimes two, sometimes more.  Yesterday at one point we had EJ with her brood, obviously, and four ospreys in-about the nest.  I don't know whether there is a collective noun for ospreys?

One of these four was undoubtedly Odin, so relax on that score he's with us and seems fine.  However things are complicated for us by the presence of another un-ringed male osprey.  So when this one fleetingly lands on the nest, it's tricky to confirm which one it is, Odin or the other one, even if we press record and then playback it is hard to distinguish between them. EJ appears to lunge at both; to repel one, the intruder,  or if it's Odin, to spook him to get airborne to chase off the intruders and not stand by her on the nest, that she's quite capable of defending. When this behaviour from EJ is dished out to both these un-ringed males, and immedaietely they land, it's quite confusing.

Anyway, Odin last brought in a fish on Wednesday lunchtime, but with this, coupled with those we added, EJ and chicks are currently doing fine.  They have had plenty of fish and are well fed.  However, what we've needed to see is Odin resume his hitherto good track record of bringing in fish. He brought nothing at all yesterday, but EJ fed the chicks on & off with fish, from stocks!

There was a no-show from him last evening, overnight or at first light today, until that is, when at 05.11am when my mobile by the bed, burst into life and our trusty volunteer night duty team called to tell me that he was back, and with a fish, a 10 inch trout.  Maybe you nocturnal viewers saw this?  EJ fed all three chicks, whilst Odin sat in the nearby tree.  So all good and bit more positive.

Rather oddly though, Odin landed on the nest and removed the last Tesco fish and disappeared with it.  Was it hard and dry by now (past its shelf-life?) and so he was removing it?  Seemingly not, as a while later he returned with what remained of it, having eaten a third, deposited it in the nest, and EJ set-about feeding it to the chicks too.  Though clearly still good food, did EJ feed them the fresh one first because of the better moisture content in it, than a drier one?  Chicks will get much of their hydration needs from fresh wet fish. Can she think that through - who knows?

So for now, EJ and chicks are fine & well fed.  Odin is off-site, hopefully fishing, yet would he be if he knew, that whilst he is away, an intruder is present?  I think we have to hope that he sets off to fish when the coast is clear, so he can focus on fishing.  If intruders are present, then he seems reluctant to leave EJ and go to fish and with so many intruders keeping up what seems a bit like a relay-presence at our nest, he's just feels compelled to stay.

So where have all these intruders come from?  Well, I reported previously the nest robbery of another site in our district.  It could be that the failed pair from that site, with time on their hands (wings) now, are loitering here at Garten, attracted by an occupied nest.  Or, again as I mentioned previously, we have some recently, but late arriving birds, also drawn in by the antics at our site.

Hopefuly things will settle down soon and these intruders will get bored with their mischief-making and push off, leaving EJ and Odin in peace.  But each day at a time.  Certainly never a dull moment here at Loch Garten.  Plenty of anxious ones though. Unless you've got a weak disposition, why not come to visit and ride the rollercoaster, and see if you can hack it. Phew.

The Osprey Centre team are fine and dandy.  They are working very hard and very busy with visitors.  We normally have a celebratory hatch-party but just haven't had chance to fit one in.  When we get chance we're planning a team BBQ, but I think it likely trout won't feature, just too work-related.  Believe me, they know you're out there and right behind them, and it does help.  Thanks.

At last.  I know many of you have been clamouring for news of progress on how the tagging fund is going.  I now have figures. To-date  the tally stand at £2,345 from 101 donations on-line, plus we have had a total of £493 given to us here by visitors to the Centre, making £2,838 so far. This is just marvellous, thank you so much to all who have contributed, it is very much appreciated.  We're on our way with it, but it does currently leave a shortfall of £1,662.  So, (and as if you can't guess what's coming next!), if any one out there, who hasn't yet made a contribution, but would like to help, please consider doing so. Very many thanks indeed.  Your generosity and support for our work here is heartening and sustaining at these anxious times.  Without your support we simply couldn't do all that we do.

Just to say, that given what is going on with our birds, were anything untoward to happen and it was considered inappropriate to proceed with tagging this year, such as weak chicks or poor condition, then it would be held over to next season.  I trust you'll understand that decision if we have to make it, but that you will continue to support the project.  You can be sure we will keep you informed when it's time to make that decision. Thank you.

AWOL for 30 hours, but it now looks like Odin is back.  An un-ringed male just delivered a fish to the nest, then cleared off.  Our view was fleeting. There has been an un-ringed male intruder around in recent days so we couldn't be sure that it wasn't him, but EJ didn't react adversely to him.  Was it Odin?

This male has just been back again, stood alongside EJ as she brooded her chicks and protected them from intruding ospreys above, as this male alarm-called.  IT HAS TO BE ODIN!!  We managed to record some footage of this visit so I'm off down to the Centre to check, but it looks for all the world like Odin is back.

Where on earth has he been for 30 hours?  Quite frankly, who cares!  He's back and that's what matters.  Poor lad must now be wondering who else has been provisioning his lady and brood with an impressive four fish!  Still it might make him stay closer, if he thinks he's got a rival.

Sorry for all the angst and worry, we don't do this deliberately to you, you know, honest. Why would we?  We could well do without it too.  Many thanks though for all your concern and support.

I've said it before...............but it looks like we're back on track!  Here's hoping.

I feel another lie down coming on.  Phew.

More woe, I'm afraid.  I can hardly bear to break the news to you, but it is looking like we might have lost Odin.  He hasn't been seen since for over 24 hours, since 07.15am yesterday morning (Tuesday) and the chicks have not been fed for 27 hours since 06.20am yesterday morning.

We have no idea what might have befallen him.  After last week's trauma involving fishing line, he was clean of line and over the weekend seemed to make up for lost time by bringing in a surfeit of fish for EJ and brood but he's now gone AWOL.

There are so many un-answered question; has the trauma of fishing line entanglement taken it's toll on him, either by ingestion of hooks or line?  That wing damage he sustained as a result of entangelement, has that injured him in some way, even though he seemed to be able to fish well over the weekend?  Has he encountered some other problem?  Or is he not as saintly as we've thought, has he had his head turned by another female osprey? There have, apparently, been some very late arriving ospreys in recent days, has one of those caught his eye? Any of the above are possible, but something linked to the dificulties of last week perhaps seem most likely?  Needless to say we are very worried.

Seeking counsel from Roy Dennis, he told me that he has known a time when a male was absent from an active nest for 4 days, but then re-appeared, though it is very unusual behaviour.  We can but hope that Odin is ok, out there some where and that he might just return.

Meantime, we are concerned for the chicks and so to buy us (and Odin) some time, this morning we placed some trout on the nest to sustain EJ and her brood, in the hope that eventually Odin will come back, safe and sound.  If you were watching this morning you might have seen hands placing fish in the nest.  Sorry if this alarmed you, but we were taken over by events and the decision to do this was taken late last night, and we did not have time to forewarn you that this would be happening.

It was done under licence, shortly before 9am this morning. EJ was off the nest for just 20 minutes, returned promptly and immediately, within one minute, she began feeding on the deposited fish, and feeding the chicks.  We are likely to do this for a few days, possibly morning & evening, in the hope that meantime Odin returns, but we are taking things day by day, consulting with experts and reviewing the situation.

If Odin does not return, then according to Roy, there is an outside chance that another young non-breeding male osprey intruder might respond to EJ's calls for food and those of the chicks, and possibly take on this ready-made family. Certainly last evening and again twice already this morning there have been intruders on site, at one point two of them believed to be a pair, sat in the camera tree adjacent to the nest, appearing to await EJ shifting.

Sorry to bring you this bad news,  We'll keep you posted.

A quick and brief up-date for you, with a mix of good and reassuring news plus, I'm afraid, some more bad news for ospreys.

Things are fine and have settled down here at Loch Garten. Both Odin (and us here!) seem to have overcome the trauma of last week's events, but it was a close call. Odin is fishing very well and piling in the fish, and all three chicks are feeding very well.  The weather has been/is glorious too, so it's all upbeat news from here, thankfully.

Except that is... for a press release just issued today by our local boys and girls in blue, Northern Constabulary, about the robbing by egg-thieves of another osprey nest somewhere in our area, between late April and the end of May. As if ospreys and other birds didn't have enough (both natural and un-natural) hurdles to overcome and contend with!

We can assume that the nest robbed will have contained a clutch of three eggs, so that's three young ospreys that will not be entering the Scottish osprey population this year. Will this completely illegal, but also socially unacceptable, obsessive and irrational behaviour ever end? 

So our relief that here at Loch Garten things are back on track has been tempered by this sad news.