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.