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Richard, your disappoinment and frustration are palpable too:

As Bob Marley sang:

  "Don't worry 'bout a thing

   'Cause, everythings gonna be alright"

Now I can't get that song out of my head:o))

Have as good a day as you can and give Rothes, Mallachie and Gorten a wave for me. OOPS!! how could I.....EJ & Odin as well.

Please don't worry about us, Richard. Hopefully those visiting Loch Garten over the weekend will give us an update so staff can have a break from the blog. The good news for me is I might just get my bathroom decorated!! Weather down here (Bedfordshire) is better, but not much and we are forecast to have more rain tomorrow. No watering the garden then! Liz

REPLY: Still raining here.  This latest lot has been going on since about 6pm last evening.  -  Richard

Richard, just can't believe the time and effort you are putting into trying to restore the camera for us.  Thank you so much but remember we are here because of our love of birds and that is why we supported your tracking appeal so that we could learn more. Yes, we do, desperately miss the camera but EJ, Odin and family are the important ones and they are not interested in cameras. THANK YOU

Oh, what a shame Richard! But thank you so very much for trying to sort it for us. At this rate, I will be having to do the dreaded 'h' word. Although why I should break the habit of a lifetime now, I fail to understand.

I shall just crawl over to the corner of the room and cry quietly, all by myself.... !!  :))))

Now you did say talk amongst ourselves so, completely off current topic, here goes.....! No webcam and constant returning to the computer to see if there are any updates has given me the opportunity to read back the old blogs. Reading the back blogs made me smile and made me cry. I wasn't "around" last year so it's very interesting reading back. I'm glad they're still available, thank you. 27 January 2009 - photo of Richard cleaning out the toilets. Ugh! Not that I used them this week but this image will ensure that I think twice about using them in the future to spare Richard just that teeny weeny bit of work!!

Thanks Richard for trying to sort things out. We all know the frustration of computers breaking down and not being able to sort them out. At least we know that the girls are all fine and that Rothes at least is circling around at Loch Garten.

Weather for you all to be inside and having lots of cups of coffee or tea and some well deserved cake or biscuits.

Richard showing our age here, but I am sure some of the bloggers do not have a clue what you are talking about when you said about the test card etc., but I certainly do and it takes me back a few years when we would actually sit and watch it and listen to the music rofl.

As everyone else has said Richard, thanks for trying so hard on our behalf. The main thing is the family and they are doing well and everything else is "fluff" (as my mother keeps telling me!!). I forgot to say thank you as well for switching camera's when the picture does return. That should be wonderful to see the chicks moving about the area:)

I do remember the test card (just......) Did anyone else try and play the "noughts and crosses" game that was shown in the background!!

Keep up the great work everyone at LG and thanks as always:)

Visited yesterday afternoon and great to see all chicks and mum tucking into a huge fish. All looking fab although once Rothes had enough to eat she flew off to the tree where she did look somewhat bedraggled due to the rain. Watching her go, Mallachie stood up and did some flapping, but obviously thought better of it and sat down again. Thanks to Debbie A for a very informative talk (hope the appraisal went well!) and also thanks to Richard for the Abernethy lecture last monday, also excellent. Going home tomorrow after two weeks wildlife watching in the Highlands (very sad), including bumping into Wee Jeannie at the Sea Eagle watch on Mull.

Yes GaryS I can confirm that Simon was NOT jesting about the tecky stuff he is a middle aged geek. Also cheaper than PC world...my laptop died this morning and he has spent the last 3 hours giving it the kiss of life.I think he strung it out a bit as he has shelves to put up in the garage and up here on Speyside it is cold wet and quite nasty.At least he gets a choice on where he is unlike our poor damp famly.

Thankyou Richard for trying so hard to fix things, even if it has driven you to drink. REPLY: Steady, steady. A Friday glass of red doesn't constitute being "driven to drink"   -  Richard.  We've had such great viewing so far, we shouldn't  complain, but its frustrating wondering what we're missing. So grateful for the updates you manage to give us.

Thankyou also for the nice comments about my poem - missing the webcam drove me to write one for the first time ever. I guess the compression into a block is to save space, otherwise the blog would be even longer to scroll down. BTW thanks to whoever gave the right click on the slider hint - saves lots of time scrolling.

Thanks for all your updates on the situation with the web cam, and with our juveniles.  I am off on holiday tomorrow for a week, so as has happened so many times before, will I guess miss the next fledgings.  But the main thing is that they are sucessful in their fledge and go from strength to strength with their flying, in readiness for their first of many migrations (we hope).  I will try logging in while I am away (on a cruise in the Adriatic) to see how things are progressing.

Hope the weather isn't too awful for you, and that the sun comes back soon.

wow, thanks for the reply Wendyb, he could have been writing in another language for all I understood. He sounds like a handy guy to have around...... LOL

Great news he got the laptop working. I would do that/watch cricket (which I enjoy)/pick fruit (which I don't) rather than put up shelves!!

Thanks for the onsite report Hellym:)

It IS disappointing Richard (I admit) but as everyone has told already, you are much, much appreciated for all work you do!! Have a good weekend and I wish you all up there at LG sunshine and warmth! :)

REPLY:  Non-stop rain for 20 hours now, and counting......Really don't think Mallachie is going anywhere while it is like this.  -  Richard

Hi Richard and team - made it back to Mull - great seeing you all and of course EJ, Odin and the girls!  Great views of the dolphins at Chanonry Point and a special for me was a red kite as we drove onto the Black Isle.

Your talk on Abernethy Forest was most informative and I would urge any of the bloggers who want to keep Abernethy special - and anyone who has visited will know just how special it is - to join the cause http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/abernethy/index.asp

Back to white tailed sea eagles!

Best wishes

Gary S: I'm more of a geekette rather than a full blown geek! : - )

My maths on the transfer rate on the previous blog didn't quite stack up, but never mind, simply trying to work out a possible route to a fix on the web cam. Anyway the shelves are now up and the pile of rubbish that was on the garage floor is now neatly stacked on the shelves, quite why I didn't throw it all in the bin and forget the shelves is anybody's guess.

On Debbie's subject re- red kites on the Black Isle, does anyone know if there's a feeding station nearby, fairly frequently kites can be seen once you cross the bridge from Inverness I have been lucky enough to see them myself albeit a bit dangerous rubber necking at kite's whilst driving at 60 mph, perhaps I should'nt have said that?

Second fledging at Cumbria mentioned on 'Tweeter', so at least I have seen one osprey fledge but just isn't quite the same as seeing an LG Chick fledge. I should think the number of LG visitors could be greatly affected by the continuous heavy rain but on second thoughts, if it rains when we are there, we will still go. Weather looks pleasant at Turnberry (except for the wind). Do hope it dries up soon at LG.

REPLY: 25.5hrs of non-stop rain, and still it teems down.  I'm beginning to notice strange membranes of skin developing between my toes............. - Richard

Simon should not have been doing 60 on the Kessock Bridge as there is a speed limit and it is quite disconcerting when he mixes speed with rubber necking.Driving back from Inverness yesterday just after Tomatin I was also lucky enough to spot a red kite...and yes I did slow down.

A question for the LG Team - I will be going up to a cottage by Loch Poulary/Loch Garry next week and would be interested to know if that area is also known for any returning Ospreys?

REPLY:  Not an area I know at all well I'm afraid, but there will surely be ospreys in that neck of the woods somewhere, I'd reckon.  Certainly worth looking for an osprey at any likely looking loch or stretch of river.  Failing that, you're only about 2 hours drive from us, so why not pop and see us?  -  Richard

Thank you for the information about the T-shirts from pmc and suzyblu. I have bookmarked it now. Just enjoyed scanning the last 2 days blogs and all the helpful comments from Richard. It certainly seems to be giving everyone a headache trying to restore the webcam. I hope you solve the problem soon and sleep easy again!

Richard, another thought just crossed my mind......... and its been a long day...!

Your replies to my questions appeared pretty quickly on the blog, were you replying from the centre at the time?

If you were, this would eliminate the supposed connection issue!?

REPLY: Replying from home, in between bouts of emulsioning walls and looking out on the monsoon outside.  -  Richard

Whilst we're all twiddling our thumbs, let me share my week with you, (osprey related!)After watching webcam on work laptop when at home and this is on dial up, decided to buy my own PC last week and get broadband so I could watch unbroken view of live camera at home and not have to go to my parents, who I have introduced to it this year and can't get them off it now!(Thanks, Mum for texts when I'm  working to keep me up to date.X) All set up, then I got ill and had to go  sick, not all bad news, could watch for the fledges but a perforated eardrum distorted my hearing and when out of the room had to keep running back every time I thought I heard squawking. During one of these sorties in and out of the kitchen managed to pull a cabinet door off it's hinges and it landed on my foot, ouch! And now the camera's gone down! Any highlights, YOU BET; I saw Rothes go! (Though wasn't sure til I had it confirmed) Anyway, thanks for ALL your efforts at restoring the connection, just killing time now until I hopefully get up to see you next weekend, no more mishaps permitting!

REPLY:  Look forward to having you visit us next weekend.  Sounds like we might need to do a special Risk Assessment !  -  Richard

Well Simon and Wendy, I travel the Kessock bridge often too and always see Red Kites off the main road near the Tore roundabout. Saw a beautiful one yesterday, and stopped instead of rubbernecking! It was hovering just above a fence, obviously hunting something. Do you ever travel through Lochluichart? There is an Osprey nest on a pylon about 20 yards from the road, and Loraine (also from Skye) thought she saw young there a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday I saw what I took to be the female sitting on the edge of the nest but I couldn't be certain.

Thanks to others for your kind comments about my wee poem on yesterday's log. Moran taing.

Richard, she who is to be obeyed is suggesting we pop into LG tomorrow, I could have a looksee and see what (if anything) I can find, you ain't wrong about the monsoon, yeesh! will it ever stop, perhaps we should try for some sponsorship brolly's for the poor blighters up there on the nest, not a lot of fun for them me thinks.

REPLY: Thanks for that offer Simon, that's kind of you, but I'm not there tomorrow and would prefer to be, if anyone was going to do some further troubleshooting, and I'm not sure it's a good idea for someone out of the official loop, as it were, to take a look, in case it complicates things with BT etc etc, if you know what I mean.

Hope that lets you down gently, but thank you for offering to investigate.  I'm just a humble conservationist, who knows very little about all this IT stuff, but we do have a specialist Information Systems Dept at HQ who are on the case, who have been exploring, investigating and thinking through things, no-doubt along the lines that you have too.  Thank you, though.  -  Richard

Just adding my appreciation for all you hard work Richard .

I'll also share my birdie story of this week to alleviate boredom in the absence of the osprey family. Monday morning, out to fill the bird feeders - a twice daily task just now - prior to taking the cat to the vet for her booster. On the patio were 4 almost fully fledged house martin chicks and the sad remains of their nest, (one of five on the south side of the house and nine in total). The parents were flying round and calling frantically but I couldn't think how to get them back uo or what could substitute for a nest. Luckily the RSPCA wildlife hospital is not far away so the cat had her jabs and the chicks went to the RSPCA. When I got back home, a round trip of a couple of hours, the adults were already building a new nest and today it is almost finished, which is really quick compared to usual nest build time. Hopefully it will be more robust and will see them through another  brood.

It was amazing to see and illustrated how powerful is the instinct to breed, It also reminded me of EJ's valiant efforts when Henry kicked his rival's eggs out a few years ago!

Hope the weather improves for you at LG , but not enough for the other 2 to fledge before the camera is back on!

It's true the chicks didn't enjoy the weather today, but they certainly haven't been going without food! Odin brought in three fish today and, for the last three days, EJ has brought in a HUGE fish, in the afternoon. Mallachie decided it was her's today, despite the fact that it was very much alive. EJ  tried to help, but received a peck for her efforts! Rothes got a peck too, for flying in to take a closer look. Mallachie decided to lie down on top of the fish! Odin then delivered the third fish, which Rothes took. It wasn't the largest of his fish, but, next to EJ's, it looked ridiculous. EJ took some of the intestines that Mallachie had left and started to feed Garten. Mallachie then expected to be fed too, whilst still gripping that huge fish! EJ did feed her! Rest assured, they all, finally, got plenty to eat.

Debbie, Loch Garten,

REPLY:  Thanks for the up-date Debbie!  Went the day well? -  Richard

It went very well thanks! There were fewer visitors with the rain, but, as you can see, the ospreys provided plenty of entertainment this afternoon. Am sure we were all having more fun than you painting!

Thanks Debbie for your update. Your description of them all trying to get some fish/fed made me laugh....I can just see them.

LoTL's Ospreys got a fish each from 'mum'. The boy Osprey flew away leaving his little sister to finish eating. When they take off and come back, they look like seasoned fliers!!!!

Baby 'Hobblette' going from strength to strength, getting plenty to eat: awaiting second hatching.

My imagination has now taken over - 5 osprey with umbrellas on the nest ( Simon's idea ) and Richard with webbed feet down below. Has Debbie got a boat to show visitors around? Walt Disney should hear about this!

Love to you all, it must be extremely hard and depressing to work in such conditions but obviously your sense of humour hasn't deserted you.

Thanks so much for the update Debbie. Great news. Glad all is well and so pleased to hear what has been happening. That EJ can fish!

Yes, don't interfere with Richard's important tasks!!! LOL

Thanks for the updates guys :) LOL at Mallachie lying on top of the fish! If it's any consolation the weather's been pretty grim here as well. I'm impressed that Odin's still managing to fish well as the waters must be pretty muddied with all the rain. Our rivers are a shocking colour and are ready to burst their banks. Thank goodness I live on a hill. Richard, I've got some painting that needs doing if you've got nothing else to do ;-) Simon, maybe you could help dig a trench instead? If we all do a bit then we'll have one dug in no time!!

I have a question when you've got a minute. When the chicks were ringed and tagged I noticed that no-one wore gloves. Weren't Mum & Dad concerned that their babies were stinking of a strange scent? I'm not saying you smell or anything..... Oh dear..... someone please get me a spade...

REPLY: Hi pmc. That whole thing about; don't they smell you on the chicks?  - is  a myth.  No worries there at all.  Likewise people often ask if there a risk that the parents will not come back to them, having been disturbed at the nest and the chicks handled?  If there was any remote risk of that, then we simply wouldn't do ringing & tagging.  Nest visits (always licenced) must though always be as quick as possibly, that was why we popped Garten back in to the nest, while we took R & M away for tagging.  Giving EJ chance to return. Gloves would be a hindrance too, their long tightly curved talons dig-in and snag on things so easily, gloves especially. Easier to free the talons when snagged on hands and fingers than it would be on gloves.  -  Richard

Hi Amy & dad here. I know how frustrating it can be with computers and technical problems I hate it when Cbeebies goes down and I can't play the games but there are some good ones on the RSPB website. First time on back on blog as have been on hols but am back and hoping to see M & G fledging. Have to go to bed now so I will pray that BT can fix the problem but I know how long they can take so won't be holding my breath. NiteNIte zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

KNOW HOW YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT THE TECHIE PROBLEMS! I downloaded Internet Explorer 8 and lost all onnection with the cameras.  Bloggers were brilliant but I was panic=stricken for a while.  Don't worry about us Richard - we'll survive!  And when you've finished painting, how about a holiday in Northern ireland painting my house?  Valc, was at Castlewellan Ag Show today, we didn't have the downpour until about 5.00pm.  Told by the RSPB girls that I might well see the red kites at Scrabo Country Park (Newtownards for hose who don't know about this area) as they have already been seen at Mount Stewart (a National Trust property).  Love how all RSPB folk are enthusiastic about others' areas - I told the girls I was following the LG ospreys and they were very excited.  Luv to all at LG and the bloggers.  Night night to Amy and all.

maybe a bit off topic, but related in a general way - i had a thought whilst watching the various webcams , why do we need zoos if we have webcams? - here we can see animals in their natural environment.

Hello Debby T, so jealous that you are back on Mull. Had an amazing five days there last week, the higlight of which was obviously your trip to the Sea Eagle hide!  Also did a trip to see puffins and razorbills, minke and basking shark + lots more sea birds around the Treshnish Isles. A truly amazing place blessed with 4 days of sunshine and only one shower. A bit spooky to see you also at Richards talk a couple of days later, but would echo all your sentiments re. Abernethy and also urge people to support the campaign.

Poor baby hobby is all alone on the nest. It's wriggling around trying to find some warmth I think, can't lie still for a minute. It's very windy, not sure if it's raining. Mum seems to have been gone for quite some time now. The tree is really being buffeted.  

Apologies to everyone, there is no second hatching at NFG yet.

Anytime now!!!! I think it will have to be a fiesty wee thing because his/her sibling has had 5days head-start.

WOW - what a mammoth read that all was!  I leave for a week and so much has happened!  Thanks for all the updates Richard.  Had a pleasant week (bar one day) in Northumberland spotting puffins, guillemots, chags and cormorants (to name a few) on the Farne Isles together with a tremendous visit to the Bird of Prey Centre at Kielder - not to be missed if you're in that area.  As suspected I missed Rothes fledging but fingers crossed we won't miss the other two!!  Glad to know the birds are all safe and well which is the most important thing!

Just back from a pleasant few hours out in the countryside around the Spey. Weather better than predicted so popped into LG about 1ish.EJ on camera tree and Rothes out of camera range for a couple of hours.The other girls were resting then Mallachie got up to do some wing flapping,Garten then joined in both edging close to the edge ...a few oohs and ahhhs from the centre but then they decided on more resting.EJ flew off about 1.30 and Rothes then flew back to nest..she must have known what was coming...rain.

GaryS I thought all this DIY was because men enjoyed what men have to do!!!!

Malcolm - re our chat about nyjer seed - after 3 weeks, we've finally lured a pair of male siskins into the garden ! just waiting for a flock of goldfinches now. Another first today - a thrush, seen plenty elsewhere but not here. Also the first definitive ID on a juvenile woodpecker, feeding itself on the peanuts.

I usally cycle over to Monymusk Walled Garden of a Sunday - they have a tame blackbird who'll take dried fruit from the palm of my hand.

Oh - did somebody mention an osprey ?

Annette.

Thanks for the link. I used to have it on my computer but lost it about 2 years ago, it is a great site :-)

Thanks Annette for the wildcamafrica link. I've sent it to my daughter who worked in Tanzania for a while and misses it all deadfully.  I worried about Mrs H after the gale this-morning - I was sure she would be blown off the nest but at least it was just the webcam that went down

I've seen an Osprey at last.  Had a wonderful visit to Rutland Water yesterday.  Great talk from the Osprey team, then out on the Rutland Belle to hopefully see some fishing Ospreys.  Well, they didn't totally oblige, but I did get to see one flying down the edges of the reservoir for several minutes.  Wonderful.

Thank you WendyB for the update; much appreciated :) Welcome back BigRab!

Annette, thanks for link. I have been on it for a couple of hours now....brilliant.

Thank goodness for golf....my other half is so engrossed he doesn't realise how time flies and the time I have spent looking at all the animals. The video of Osprey fishing is fabulous, some of the fish seemed too heavy for him to carry.

Hobby camera still down. As Victor Medrew (Scottish TV Comic) would say :

"I don't buuuuulieve it"!

Just home from weekend in Kirkcudbright.  Went to Caerlaverock and saw mum n daughter on nest from centre.  On way back to Kbt saw an Opsrey flying back towards Threave where I think they have two chicks this year.  

Hope you are all well and drying out nicely.

Can anyone please tell me what Socal means after Annettes name, I know she lives in America.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, no waterfall webcam, no Hobby webcam-have to watch my barn owls tonight.

Is it still raining at LG.

Can't believe it, had stalls for my playgroup at a local funday today after organising it for a year and it (can't beleive it) actually stayed dry until an hour after it finished, sun and cloud and very windy. Jillian.

Just seen a very silly sight in my back garden and yes it has been confirmed...baby pheasant standing in the bird bath.If I been watcing web cam I would have missed it!!!

There was hardly any rain today! It was a bit windy though and it got worse as the day went on. Odin brought in a brown trout around 7am though. EJ was off to an early start, away fishing early, but, even she must have found fishing difficult, as she was gone a good while. Eventually, she returned with another huge fish, just before 9 am. Rothes took it, but was soon full and EJ was sharing it out when we arrived. Garten seemed too lazy (or full?) to stand and was being fed whilst lying down! They make me laugh too, Maureen! Odin brought in his second fish at about 1.50 pm, but was followed by a couple of intruders and he then spent quite a lot of time chasing them away. An intruder arrived with a fish for EJ today! Odin suddenly appeared in the camera tree, later on, and EJ told him to go fishing. For once he ignored her!

Rothes has been away out of sight a couple of times today. New adventures! We'll be able to see where she's been when the internet's up. She does seem to have mastered getting from the post, above the nest, onto the nest now.

At one point this afternoon it looked like Mallachie and Garten would go together! I think they are waiting for you.

We had a surprise intruder today! EJ flew to the nest, alarm calling. We all looked out and saw a kestrel fly over. Then it dive-bombed EJ and the three chicks! Odin appeared and it tried to take on him! Later, we saw three ospreys in the sky, EJ, Rothes and an intruder. Rothes decided to leave it to mum and soon returned to the camera tree!

That's me off for two days now. We await BT!

Debbie, Loch Garten.

Nice to see people writing about their sighting of other birds today.  There really isn't anything like being out and about and seeing things for yourself.  All of these live streams and blogs are absolutely brilliant educational AND compelling but theres nothing like guddling in rock pools, walking in woods and over moorland etc and coming across, for yourself, all that nature has to offer.  Talking to people today  at Caerlavarock, about  'Sir Peter's' Centenary in September, Slimbridge, they live fairly local to it and visit regularly. They said they weren't birdwatchers but liked to got there for walks.  We visited once many years ago.  Fantastic place and birds are stunning.,and obvioulsy very well looked after,  and we had and absoutely brilliant time but for me it doesn't have the thrill and excitement of being out there and doing it for yourself and seeing animals, birds, insect, wild flowers (aren't the verges looking great just now) etc flying, running, swimming and growing  as nature intended.  Long may I be fit enough to continue doing it.

Thanks for the update Debbie, enjoy your time off.

REPLY - Thanks Soosin! If anyone's wondering where that update is, it's on the previous blog. Debbie. 

Thanks Debbie for the lovely update. So nice to "see" that all is well.:) Thanks for taking the time to do it. Have a good 2 days off.

Jillian, I'm sure Annette will have the right answer for you but I think she lives in Southern California ( I know she mentioned being not far from where Michael Jackson lived/) so that may relate to "SoCal"

On the other hand I may be way off track!!!

Sorry Jillian! I assume too much. SoCal, as GaryS correctly points out, is Southern California (it's a sloppy reference), although we're actually closer (in more ways than one) to the Central Coast area, which has vineyards, rolling hills, unspoiled coastlines, lots of open space, etc. But that's probably more than you needed to know!   :-)

In the meantime, I'm tickled every time someone on the blog uses the word "whilst" - you never hear it here.