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The first movements of Rothes and Mallachie have now been posted - see the tracking page.  Alice and I (well, Alice really - remember her from last year?) inputted some data earlier this evening and it seems to have worked!  On the map, you can see the Osprey Centre, in the native pine forests near to Loch Garten and about 150m from the Centre ,you can see where the nest is, on a drier knoll of moranic material out in an extensive area of forest peat bog.

Rothes can be seen to have ventured around a bit, towards Loch Garten itself  and towards the township of Tulloch.  Rarely do we see adult ospreys fish in Loch Garten, despite the close proximity to the nest.  Two reasons for that, a) there are hardly any fish in the loch, just some stunted jack pike, and b) because the water is very brown and peaty, like tea without the milk, and so seeing what few fish there are in there is very difficult.  So adult ospreys just head out towards the nearby River Spey, other local lochs better for fish and of course the fish farm near Aviemore. 

Just been to collect my visiting nephew from the train station, and from the platform, I saw an osprey stack, above the fish farm which is unseen behind the railway station - three ospreys all circling the waters below.  Anyway, over the years, once young from our nest fledge, at first they do not know any different, so we do sometimes see instinct kicking-in and our juvenile ospreys circling Loch Garten attempting to fish there.  Before long though, they soon either realise that it's not a good spot or notice their parents ignoring the loch and venturing further.  We can expect to see this from Rothes and Mallachie in days and weeks to come.

In case you wondering why we do not stock Loch Garten with fish, to make it a good spot for ospreys to hunt, well, it is because the loch is part of an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) a UK Governmanet nature conservation designation, in this case, on account of the lochs natural characteristics as they are, albeit poor for fish.  To stock the loch would potentially irreparably alter the natural ecology of the loch ecosystem, counter to its status as an SSSI - tempting though it is!  Sadly, there is enough ecosystem change and damage going on the world over, so why would we want to add to that?

As I've mentioned the subject of designations, the Abernethy reserve must rate as one of the most heavily conservation designated places on the planet, and for very good reason.  It is SSSI, NNR (National Nature Reserve), SAC (Special Area for Conservation), SPA (Special Protection Area), NSA (part of a National Scenic Area), it includes a RAMSAR Site, and is part of the CNP (Cairngorm National Park).  That surely leaves you in no doubt what so ever how ultra important and precious Abernethy is for nature conservation.  More on that anon.

Anyway, meantime, it's been a busy day at the Centre, with as many as six ospreys viewable on site at some points today, our family of five plus an intruder.  All good learning experiences for Rothes, Mallachie and Garten, to see intruders coming in about the nest and to see them repelled by Odin and/or EJ - all good stuff for them to be witnessing, soaking up and storing, as part of their steep learning curve to help equip them, in their lives ahead.

Hello.

It's great to see you enjoying our new online community. It launched on Friday and though we're working to fix a few minor teething problems, we're delighted that so many Loch Garten osprey followers are exploring the site.

Here are a few tips to help you get the most from it:

• Specially for you, we've set up a Loch Garten ospreys 'group', complete with its own forum and gallery. It's the ideal place for all your osprey-related banter!
• If you'd like us to set up a new forum or group on a different topic, please give us your ideas
• To make it easy for everyone to find your post or comment, there are forums about different topics. Make sure you're in the right one!
• You can change your nickname and password once you're logged in by going to your profile page and clicking 'edit profile'
• If you have a technical problem, you can refer to our 'Help!' forum and get advice

And about those birds...

As Richard has mentioned, our young ospreys are starting to explore their surroundings. It's an exciting time! I can't wait to see which routes our birds will take this year. As with Nethy and Deshar, you'll be able to follow Rothes and Mallachie's progress on our map and also on Google Earth. You'll be the first to know as soon it's ready.

Thanks!

No, don't panic!  All's well on the technical front (fingers crossed), but the interrupted viewing to which I refer is the absence of our ospreys from the nest for much of the day, meaning you will not have seen much of them. I'm afraid that's how it gets at this stage in the season when the birds have fledged and spend increasing amounts of time perched in trees in the vicinity of the nest but not in or on the nest itself.

We have had ospreys on site all day today, but we have struggled a bit to see them, as they have chosen to perch in trees behind the nest, 200-300 metres from the Osprey Centre itself.  Virtually all our visitors today to the Centre, will have seen them though, through our telescopes, but you, our virtual visiting audience will not have.  Sorry, but we cannot do much about that.  Changing cables back and forth to put one then another camera on the live-streaming system , would I'm afraid be a bit of a faff, and we'd end up doing nothing else, as they have been tree-hopping all day, in one tree one minute seen from one camera, then in another tree moments later, seen from another camera.

We have been very busy with visitors today enjoying the ospreys of course, but also thrilling at our red squirrels too, especially children, chuckling at the antics of these, one of our rarer mammals in UK, yet seen so well here at Loch Garten, given their confiding nature.  There are usually 4-6 squirrels on view somewhere here at any one time.  The feeders have proved poular too, with juvenile great spotted woodpeckers now a fixture, for all to see.  Though not rare, and everyone knows of the bird, if only from cartoons, but they are not a bird that it is easy to see well.  Here at the Osprey Centre they feed within 3m from the Centre windows, and when seen at that distance, and through a 'scope, they prove to be a complete WOW for visitors.

Some of you have noticed the juvenile redstarts hopping about in the empty osprey nest.  They are taking advantage of the ospreys' absence to forage there for flies and other invertebrates, attracted by fish remains.  I mentioned previously in answer to a Q about what happens to the nest, that we do remove material from time to time, often in Spring before the ospreys arrive back.  When we have done this, we have discovered that the nest is full of flies, finding a warm place to over-winter, owing to the heat generated by the well-fertilised compacted compost that the nest platform becomes by the end of the season.

Years ago, we examined the invertebrate content of the osprey nest and a nationally rare beetle was discovered living in the nest.  It has been found in the nests of Common Buzzard ans Eurasian Sparrowhawk too, but in very few other places.   It's not a beetle that lives on carrion, like fish bits,as you might expect, but on those bits of feather sheaths that you will perhaps have seen blowing around the nest when the young ospreys are on the nest busy preening their new feathers, it's the sheath material through which the feathers grow - the equivalent of bird dandruff I guess!?  

So, we have rare birds, supporting rare beetles.  A couple of flies have been found here too, that bear the site's name, with the specific parts of the name being gartensii and abernethii.   It's not just all about ospreys here, there's much more besides. 

STOP PRESS:  Not just redstarts, but crested tits seen on the osprey nest this morning (28th July) at 09.00hrs.  Perhaps we should start to keep an osprey nest species list?  -  Richard

Blogger George asked a question about when the ospreys are likely to begin their migration?  So I thought I'd answer his question with a wee blog and in so doing take this opportunity to begin to prepare you for their inevitable departure, as day by day we move inexorably towards that next stage in the lives of our birds.

The usual pattern, over all the years here at Loch Garten, is that female ospreys leave first.  EJ could be gone by perhaps as early as c.8-10 August.  Rothes, Mallachie and Garten are likely to be with us until c.20-24 August.  Male ospreys are last to go, so Odin could be with us until he is confident that the youngsters have indeed gone, hanging on just that little bit longer for several days to check, then off he goes too at the end of August or early September.  They do not go together as a family, though it is possible that they may encounter one another en route.  Last year, Deshar and Nethy both spent a month or more in southern England, but not actually anywhere near each other.

One explanation why female ospreys go early, is that their job is done, the young ospreys are at least semi, if not totally independent by then, and the male is of course still around to provide back-up supplies of fish if the young still have not fully mastered fishing for themselves successfully.  Also, because the female has; a) put a lot of her bodily resources into the production of eggs, b) been relatively inactive during the 36-42 days of incubation, and c) spent another two months hanging around the nest, guarding & tending the young - she is therefore relatively out of condition and potentially quite unfit compared to Odin.  So she leaves early to give herself a longer time to make that migration flight, perhaps at a more leisurely pace, recovering her fitness along the way.

Odin, who as chief provider of fish, has spent months & months flying back and forth on fishing trips, anything up to 9 times a day, therefore he in contrast is as fit as a butcher's dog, as they say, is in tip-top condition and therefore can afford to delay his departure for the sake of the family, before he then heads off, when his fitness probably enables him to make good progress, and fast.

Interestingly, given EJ's resumption of fishing duites far earlier than we have seen from most female ospreys here at Loch Garten over the years  -  no doubt a result of learned behaviour, of not to trust males to provide enough fish, after her experiences with VS  -  it will mean that she will have regained some of her fitness, maybe returned to full fitness, and so be in a better condition to start her migration.  Will that mean she stays longer?  Or maybe she will just go early as usual, but be all the better to cope with the rigours of migration, arrive in West Africa in good shape,  survive the winter more easily and return again to breed in 2010?  Could our EJ have hit upon a strategy that will serve her well in future -  start fishing early and get back in shape?

Like you, we too are now getting to grips with the re-vamped new lay-out and system involved in this super-duper new RSPB Community web page.  This is the first opportunity to place a blog for a few days, so please bear with us until we each get to grips with it.

Firstly, sorry we've not been in touch/writing blogs/answering questions/publishing comments, but these scheduled changes to the web page came on the back of the technical difficulties that we were having.  Anyway, hopefully all is resolved now.

The birds are fine.  All three of the osprey sisters have now fledged, as you know.  Really disappointed for you, that you missed some of it due to those problems, but the good news is that they are all doing very well so far.  They are not venturing far at this stage, just to the dead tree adjacent to the nest, though some early tracking data shows that Rothes is getting curious and heading out just that little bit further, but no where major as yet.

We have had 7 fish brought in today by both EJ and Odin, with EJ bringing in the bigger fish, some real whoppers, as explained in a previous blog post.  All chicks are showing signs of independence, squabbling for fish when it arrives, grabbing it and eating it themselves.  EJ was on the receiving end of some teenage tantrum behaviour this afternoon, when Garten had a pop at her mum, grabbing her head in frustration.

Alas the weather hasn't improved significantly, rain rain and more rain, but we have been busy with visitors - as we are an indoor thing to do on such days. July is a very busy month for us and the team have been at full-stretch meeting and greeting our visitors, telling the osprey story answering questions and recruiting new RSPB members.  This afternoon the team made their 400th new member of the season, which is a magnificent achievement and a well-deserved milestone for all their hard work.  They'll probably celebrate by having some cake!  Talking of which, can I ask (on behalf of the team) that you ease up, for a while at least, on your very kind donations of cake and chocolate.  Such has been your generosity that we can hardly keep on top of it all, even when we divvy-up amongst our trusty volunteers too.  Your kindness towards us has been overwhelming, thank you, but for now we could do with a breather from cake.  Our thanks to all of you who have come to see us, especially those bearing gifts of all sorts, not just cakes.  You'll know who you are.  Much appreciated. 

Stop Press!!!

Both Garten and Mallachie have fledged, in that order!  Here is a run down of the day so far -

3.50 - Odin brought in a fish.

9.50 - Rothes lands on the post beside the nest and calls to her sisters.

10.00 - Rothes and EJ sit on the camera tree.  Mallachie and Garten sit on the nest.

10.05 - Odin delivers a 10" brown trout, Mallachie tucks in!

12.10 - EJ returns to the nest and alarm calls, as an intruder circles around the area.

12.15 - Odin delivers a fish, Rothes returns to the nest to eat as well.

12.24 - The intruder returns, EJ alarm calls.

13.15 - Odin flies off.

13.28 - GARTEN FLEDGES!  She circles the nest and lands in the camera tree.  Rothes flies to join her on the  camera tree.  Mallachie sits on her own on the nest!

15.30 - MALLACHIE FLEDGES!  She flies to the camera tree and sits on top of the camera!  EJ and Garten sit on the camera tree, Rothes and Odin are out of sight.

As I type Garten and Rothes are sitting together on the nest.  What an exciting day! 

As Katie wrote, unfortunately we cannot publish your comments at present, but I hope that you are enjoying the webcam and that this blog fills in any gaps.

We await the next fish and the next flight....

Hello. This is just a quick note to let you know that we're making some improvements to the blog software today, in preparation for the launch of our new and exciting online community (we'll let you know more about that later...).

Unfortunately the work means that you won't be able to leave any comments on any RSPB blog until tomorrow.

(booooo)

But before the wailing and gnashing of teeth commences, there is good news too!

At the time of writing, the video webcam is back up and running once more (touch wood). Hurray!

And though I can't quite see what's going on and I haven't spoken to anyone at Loch Garten, there seems to be only one osprey on the edge of the nest...

I'm sure that one of the LG gang will let you know what's occurring as soon as they can.

As I write this blog, at 7.45pm, I can inform you that there have been no flights for Mallachie or Garten so far today. 

During the morning we had intruders at 5.40 and 6.30, before Odin delivered the first fish of the day, an 18" brown trout at 7.40.  By 8.42, this fish was well and truly finished, and as EJ called for food, Odin flew off his perch in the camera tree and out of sight.  He returned with another fish at 12.05.

EJ has been off site quite a bit today, perhaps she will return with a fish later, you never can tell at Loch Garten!

Rothes has been enjoying stretching her wings today, flitting around between the nest, the camera tree and beyond!  She treated us to a lovely fly past, right in front of the centre as we closed up this evening, which was fantastic!

Meanwhile, back at the nest, Mallachie and Garten, were doing lots and lots flapping and jumping this afternoon, some of it was even synchronised!  But as the title of the blog suggests, neither of them have fledged yet, as I write!

So we await the next fish and the next fledge, I wonder which will come first..... 

It's 7pm Sunday and as I type, Mallachie has not yet fledged the nest, so you haven't missed anything major.

However, late morning today, after 30+hours of non-stop rain of varying intensity, it finally stopped.  It dried up a bit, the sun came out, it got warmer and a fairly stiff breeze got up too.  I don't mean to taunt you given that you still cannot see what is going on, but I'm afraid that these would now make for perfect conditions for fledging, given that Mallachie is probably overdue to take the plunge, having been kept firmly rooted to the nest by the atrocious wet weather this weekend.  If these conditions persist this evening she just might do it, but if not, then I reckon it will be tomorrow if it stays fair, as I feel she is ready to go.

At intervals today she spent time vigourously flapping her wings, and had she not been firmly gripping the nesting material at the nest-edge, effectively holding her down, she would have been up, up and away.  I don't need to tell you that the webcam is still down, but we will strive to have it functioning tomorrow morning, hoping to beat Mallachie in the race againt time before she fledges.

Meantime, at the nest today, Rothes was absent for about an hour and half, no-doubt off somewhere exploring, enjoying her new-found freedom and independence and honing those flying and soaring skills.  She will not have gone far, and was soon back when she got hungry.

At 6pm I phoned the Centre to see how the day had been.  Ian reported that at that point three fish had been brought in, including what he described to me as another "whale" brought in by EJ.  Whenever she goes out to fish, to help provision the family, she does seem to return with whoppers, far bigger fish than Odin catches. He too has brought in some good sized fish this season, but nothing that compares to the whale-sized offerings from EJ.  Why is this?  With the webcan being down, what now follows is another of those Cliff-singing-at-Wimbledon moments, to keep you informed and interested in what's going on at a time when you cannot see what's happening.

The simple reason why EJ catches and returns with bigger fish than him is because she is a bigger, more powerful bird than he is, and so able to carry a heavier payload than he possibly could.  It's not just these two, all female ospreys are bigger than males.  In fact virtually all female birds of prey of whatever species are bigger than their male couterparts.  This is true for four out of the five bird of prey families in the world, with just one exception, whereas in all other bird families world-wide the males are either the bigger bird or are the same size.  Only in raptors (plus owls & skuas - also predators) does this occur.  It is called reversed size dimorphism (size difference).

So what's all that about then?  Well, it is an adaptation to their raptorial lifestyle, linked to diet.  Male raptors are smaller than females because by being smaller they can supply frequent meals for the females and young - a case of little & often, if you like, because males specialise in smaller prey items, which are generally more abundant in the environment as species and as individuals, than are larger prey items, be they mammals, insects, birds or, in the osprey's case, fish.  Later in the season, females by being larger can supplement the efforts of males at a time when the growing family need all the more food the most. This coincides with a time when females can leave the well-grown young unattended and so freeing them up to lend a hand to raise the family. Being larger more powerful birds, they can drawn upon prey from a wider size spectrum - larger fish in EJ's case, catching fish that are too large and heavy for Odin.  Hence the "whales" she has been returning with.

Larger female size in raptors confers other advantages too, in theory.  Larger size means dominance, this helps promote successful pair formation, helps secure prey items from the males by making them surrender food, it helps prevent males potentially harming females and can help prevent males, accustomed to killing, from possibly killing their own young (not known in ospreys, I don't think).  If you watched the goshawks on Springwatch you might have picked up on Simon King saying that the male goshawk is often afraid of his much larger female, barely visiting the nest, and if he does, he does so very briefly before getting out of there, fast.

Interestingly, in raptors, seemingly the faster and larger the prey, the greater the extent of this reversed size dimorphism.  In vultures that eat dead things (carrion) - which doesn't move (!) the males and females are virtually the same size.  Yet in some of the hawks and falcons, who prey on other birds which are clearly faster moving prey than carrion, the size difference between males and females is all the more marked, like the goshawks for example.

Anyway, enough for now.  Hope that keeps you informed, interested and curious.  And once again, sorry for the lack of pictures from our osprey nest, but rest assured that all's well.

Phone calls back and forth this morning, trying this, trying that, checking this, checking that (again), all to no avail, sorry. Try as we might, we simply cannot get this sorted right now and it is looking increasingly likely that things will be down until others can do/try some other things on Monday now, I'm afraid.  Bah! 

Your disappointment is palpable.  The perversely good news is that the weather forecast this weekend is just awful - rain, rain and more rain.  Rejoice in this, as it just could mean that Mallachie (and Garten) will remain rooted to the nest until better weather conditions prevail, and she is encouraged to take to the wing.  She was flapping strongly when I was there this morning, trying to sort things, but again they all looked completely sodden and dejected and not like they were going anywhere very soon.  Rothes was perched in the nearby dead tree, clearly not intending venturing very far if at all, probably just back and forth to the nest pillar, a round trip of all of about 50 feet, total! 

Once again, our apologies for the loss of transmission, normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.  Cue the test card and inane musak, and talk amongst yourselves for a while.............  Any breaking news and we'll let you know.

Still no pictures for you I'm afraid, due to technical problems.  The router that sends the images down the line was struck and fried by lightning.  We here and our web-team colleagues at HQ have all been on the case to sort it as soon as, but it now rests with BT.  We're chivvying & chasing them to resolve this, but we're not there yet and, dare I say it, with the weekend now upon us.......

You're frustrated we know, we are too, not to be able to share events with you as they happen at such a crucial and exciting stage. Everyone is being understanding and patient  - thank you.  We are desperate to be back on-air.  When that happens, as explained in an earlier blog comment reply, I have switched cameras, so that you will see the picture from the tower camera, giving the wide full shot of the nest which will enable you to see the birds take off. 

If we are not sorted before the weekend, then I'm afraid that you will likely miss Mallachie's inaugural flight, as that is very likely to happen this weekend.  This is regrettable, but if that is the case, once we are transmitting again, then all chicks will be back & forth to the nest, so you can imagine that when they make subsequent lift-offs, that it is their first (just pretend).  It will, after all, be the first one you will have seen. Not ideal I know, but I'm just trying to lift your spirits.

Meantime, Rothes successfully fledged at 10.40am on Wednesday morning, after a spell of vigourous flapping, she took the plunge and launched herself off the nest edge into the unknown.  Mercifully, it was a successful maiden flight, she flew around rather awkwardly before alighting in the nearby dead tree.  Here she remained for some time, too terrified to try flying again.  Until that was, when food arrived at the nest, luring her back.  Mallachie and Garten seemed intrigued if not fascinated by their older sister's new-found independence.  In contrast Rothes seemed to peer down with disdain at her younger siblings.

Two days on - the gap between them - there is no sign as yet of Mallachie taking to the air, other than a few exploratory leaps up from the nest flight-deck.  Torrential rain here on and off over the past few days especailly last night and into the wee small hours this morning, has thoroughly soaked all the birds - enough to dampen their enthusiasm.  When I got to the Centre this morning and looked out towards the nest M & G were sat there, whilst Odin, EJ and Rothes were perched in the adjacent dead tree, all looking a tad dejected.  Rothes regularly flapped her wings impatiently, eager for another test flight, but was grounded by poor weather.

Fish continue to be delivered; 6 yesterday and 2 so far today as I type this (3pm).  EJ continues to feed both M & G though both are also grabbing and eating bits when they can. Rothes, is to grown up now to be fed by mum, and grabs fish and feeds herself.

We are still getting intruder action.  There was a good aerial chase this morning, when EJ made several very determined stoops at the interloper.

Apart from that, it has been great to meet so many bloggers at the Centre this week and thank you for all the cakes. Some of you, not members already have joined during your visit, which is great, thank you.

More anon

Richard

Not a very exciting title I know…but I think it pretty well sums up the past two days, during which we seem to have been more or less swimming in fish up on the nest!

I don’t know where to start with yesterday, it was so exciting, with eight fish in total and two delivered at once, all during fairly inclement weather!  Here is a run down of yesterday’s key events;

03.59 – EJ tries to shelter the chicks from heavy rain and wind.

04.49 – Chicks try out early morning exercise moves.

04.55 – Odin arrives with breakfast – 9” brown trout.

05.08 – 07.55 EJ flies off to the south, and rests there, returning a few hours later.  In the meantime, a chaffinch is spotted on the side of the nest forging, when it realises it is being watched intently by three chicks, it is understandably more than a little spooked and flies away!

08.45 – Odin delivers the second fish of the day.

10.20 – Odin delivers the third fish of the day & sees off an intruding osprey!

13.04 – Odin arrives with a 16”” brown trout – the fourth fish of the day!

14.40 – EJ flies off.

15.09 – EJ and Odin both return to the nest with fish, number five and six!  EJ’s is at least 18”!  One of the chicks eats Odin’s smaller fish, while EJ flies to the camera tree to feast on her enormous fish!

16.53 – Odin arrives with the seventh fish of the day.  EJ returns, still carrying her enormous fish, difficult to tell which one they are eating!

And finally …. 21.55 Odin arrives with the eighth and final fish of the day!  Phew… it makes you tired just writing it!

The feast of fish continues today, with Odin bringing in 5 fish so far, at 05.48, 08.56, 10.26, 12.25 & 16.15!

And now for a few hellos, as we have had several bloggers visiting the centre in recent weeks!  It was nice to meet blogger Alison, here at the Osprey Centre, a few weeks back, who has sparked an interest in the Loch Garten ospreys amongst her colleagues at Stour Surgery. "Hi everyone".  We hope you're all still watching and thanks for spreading the word Alison.  It was great to meet Amy and Trevor when they visited the centre yesterday, and they were lucky enough to be in the Centre when EJ arrived with her giant fish!  Quiet Lady it was lovely to meet you again, and thank you very much for the cake and shortbread!  And John, I haven’t managed to meet you myself, but great to hear that you had a good time!

Just an aside, but judging by your comments, many more of you are planning to visit us in person in the coming weeks, which is great and we look forward to meeting you.  Many of you will undoubtedly be RSPB members, but some, perhaps not.  If not, then please consider joining RSPB here on site when you visit, or perhaps consider joining a family member, friend or neighbour, and take advantage of a free limited-edition print of an osprey by wildlife artist Andrew Hutchinson, free when you join us, by Direct Debit here on site only.  Doing this is a great way to help the Team LG.  Many thanks.

In the meantime…as always…we await the next fish…

Yep, we have ourselves a girl band - all three chicks are female.

Very sorry that you were not able to see some of the event "live" this morning, we just were not able to sort the technical faults in time. However, the video is back now.

Heavy rain overnight and some light drizzle this morning, almost caused us to postpone, but when we set off out to the tree it was dry and on the plus side, it was relatively cool at 17 degrees C which compared to the hot & humid weather of late made for good ringing/tagging conditions.

I don't know if the sound was working (I suspect not, given that the camera wasn't) but you might have heard EJ alarming as she saw us approaching.  She high-circled above the nest, and her alarm call was the chicks' cue to lie motionless in the nest.

My colleague, Robert climbed the ladder to bag-up the chicks and bring them to the ground. The youngest/smallest, Garten was weighed, measured and ringed, photographed and them promptly put straight back into the nest. 

We then beat a hasty retreat with two boxed-up osprey chicks, back to the Centre for tagging.  The chicks were kept cool and in the darkness of the box until it was their turn to be tagged.  To calm them further, during tagging Roy places a falconry hood over their heads, which subdues them almost to the point of dozing off.  Anyway, rest assured, they were handled very gently, preciously and carefully throughout.  In return?  They both pooped on Roy and I as we held them for photos!

As hoped and predicted, EJ, who had been overhead throughout, came back towards the nest and perched in the adjacent tree to the nest.  I don't think she came back on to the nest, but I wasn't watching all the time, too busy with other things.  Whenever I checked she was sat quietly nearby.

The dampness of the morning had made it hellish midgy, so we set up table and chairs inside the Centre building, at which to tag.  Roy Dennis ringed both first, then fitted the tags, taking time to explain to those of us gathered to watch, each step in the procedure.  Once both birds were fitted with their tags, there was a photo-call for all those with cameras including the local press, and a thrilling once in a lifetime experience for young Alfie, Jack and Erin, children of some of the staff, to actually touch an osprey. 

Then it was promptly back out to the tree with Rothes and Mallachie to replace them in the nest, check for any fishing line and clean the camera lens.  By this time Odin was back and at one point he valiantly made a half-hearted stoop at Robert at the top of the ladder.

The details are as follows:

Oldest chick: Rothes

• Leg ring: White PJ    
• Radio No. 76830       
• Wing length: 376 mm     
• Weight: 1,646 g

Middle chick: Mallachie

• Leg ring: White PM  
• Radio No. 92583      
• Wing length: 342 mm      
• Weight: 1,790g

Youngest chick: Garten

• Leg ring: White PH  
• (No radio)               
• Wing length: 325 mm      
• Weight: 1,770 g

You will notice that the oldest chick Rothes, is the lightest in weight.  Roy explained that on a growth curve they increase in weight with age, obviously, but that once they have reached a certain peak point, they actually lose a bit of weight - heavier fat, converting to lighter muscle, as they prepare to fledge.  I am very pleased to report that all three chicks are in very good condition indeed, according to Roy, all of a good, if not decidedly chunky weight, and no sign of "checks" in feather growth which result from food shortages.

We've had two fish today so far, one at 04.30am and another just in at 14.40 pm.

Fledging will likely be between 19-22 July for Rothes, the other to follow a few days later.

Sorry for the delay in posting this blog.  Further lightning strikes knocked-out the office computers.

Try as we might to resolve the problem with the web-cam pictures of the Loch Garten osprey nest, we haven't yet managed to do so.

The problem appears to be the piece of kit called the router.  I remember stirring in the wee small hours on Thursday to the sound of heavy rain, though I didn't notice or hear any thunder & lightning, but we may have had such conditions and lightning might have knocked-out the router.  Something similar happened a few years ago, only on that occasion it struck the nest microphone.

We are still on the case, and may be able to sort this by Monday, but with it being the weekend, some key folk we have to speak to are unavailable.  We'll keep trying all that we might be able to do, but it could be Monday before other checks can be made.

I'm afraid the ringing/tagging will still have to go ahead, unless of course the weather is inclement.  So I'm guessing now that you'll all be praying for torrential rain come Monday morning and an accompanying postponement! 

Sorry for the disappointment for now at least, we just might be able to sort by Monday.

Some good news that you might be interested in though, is that last Monday we were visited at the Osprey Centre by intrepid explorer and TV presenter Ben Fogle.  He and a film crew were here at Abernethy, for BBC's Countrytracks, (the new Countryfile, I believe), to re-visit a feature covered by Countryfile, 21 years ago, back in 1988 when RSPB had just acquired the larger chunk of what is now the Abernethy National Nature Reserve.  The feature then was presented by Magnus (I've started, so I'll finish) Magnusson, the then President of RSPB. 

Ben Fogle's visit was to see & report on what has changed and developed since 1988, whether our plans back then for regeneration of the forest, have come to fruition and been realised.  The (previous) Osprey Centre also featured in the 1988 programme, and will again in Ben's up-date and there have certainly been some changes here.  Back then there were just 53 pairs of ospreys in Scotland (now c.210), there had been c.1.3 million visitors to the Centre (now over 2 million) and of course there were none of the cameras, web-links, blog and routers etc that we have now (or not, as the case maybe, at the moment!).

It will be on television sometime soon, in the coming weeks, but we don't yet know when , but the crew will let us know and once we know, we'll let you know.

The time has come, well almost.  We plan to ring and satellite tag the young ospreys on Monday 6 July at c.8 am.  This is somewhat dependent on weather.  If conditions are not right, then it will be postponed until that evening possibly or even the next day.  But as it stands just now, Monday is the day. Osprey expert Roy Dennis will be ringing and tagging the birds for us.

Many of you I know will be watching, so I thought I would explain what will take place and what you will/might see.  I'm afraid that you will not see very much.  For safety reasons, both for us involved and of course the birds, ringing and tagging takes place on the ground, not at the nest, so all you will really see is when the chicks are removed from the nest and then a little later, placed back.

Firstly, you will hear EJ give her alarm call and leave the nest.  The chicks will respond to this and slump down into the nest and remain motionless.  This is a survival strategy whereby their camouflage is such that they might go unnoticed by any airborne predators like crows flying overhead.  We though aren't that easily duped.

Next you may here our voices - and before any of you ask, no, we will not be giving anyone a name check over the microphone into cyberspace!  The ladder is already in place, left there from a few weeks ago when we had the fishing line incident etc.  We ought not need to alter its position, but you might hear the clunking of ladders.

A mysterious pair of hands will then appear.  Each chick in turn will be carefully bagged up to be brought to the ground.  Our plan is to satellite tag only two of the three chicks, the third chick will be ringed first and promptly, and replaced in the nest complete with bling.  The other two will be taken out of sight of the nest, for the longer proceedure of having tags fitted, this will give EJ the chance to return to the nest and the third chick. If EJ doesn't return to the nest, please do not be alarmed, she'll be there, but may well just be perch in the nearby dead tree 10m from the nest, where you will not be able to see her.

Once tagging is complete, the two chicks will then also be returned to the nest, ladder removed and we retreat from site.  Whilst we are at the nest we'll have a further opportunity to check for and remove any fishing line, and buff the camera lens.

All three birds will be ringed, weighed, measured, sexed..... and named.  I know you've all been clamouring to know the names and thank you for all the suggested names and suggested naming- threads that we might follow.  There have been some good suggestions, some.... less good, shall we say.  But thanks all the same.

They are to be called:

Rothes (pronounced Roth-es).  This is a primary school north of us here, and both last year and this we received a significant contribution towards the project from someone connected with the school.  The third chick last year, that died in the nest in mid-June, pre-tagging, was scheduled to be called Rothes, so we are going ahead with that name this year.  The other two are to be called Mallachie and Garten, the two lochs here at the reserve.  All names are effectively unisex so the, as yet undetermined sexes of our brood does not matter.

I trust you approve.  Yes, I know, there'll be those of you out there, who like these names and those that don't, others that wanted Norse names, relatives of Odin etc, but there you have it, Rothes, Mallachie and Garten are this years' birds.  The ref's decision is final.  Please do not harangue us about these names, it's a done deal.  Dissenting, name-debate blog comment will not be published, sorry, but I just envisage heaps of them and we will not, in any case change the names now.

The ringing event is not a public event - the osprey staff team and volunteers will be present, so please do not be tempted to turn up to join us.  Ringing and tagging is carried out strictly under-licence and it is not a public event, sorry.  Later that day or the next day we will post some details of the sizes, weight and sexes etc plus some photographs of proceedings.

Can I please ask you all again to be patient with all things blog, whether awaiting comments to be published, answers to questions, latest news and up-dates.  As if we haven't been run off our feet already so this season so far, July and August are our busiest months, plus staff have annual leave to take which can leave us short-staffed at times, yet with no let up in all that we have to do, servicing the blog included.  So bear with us folks, please.  Many thanks.