Blogs

Gosh! Rothes has really been flying around, she has ventured far. :-)

Brilliant News !!!

Taff

Richard thank you so much for alerting us to the tracking now being available. As I hadn't deleted the link for Nethy & Deshar it has just updated automatically. It's interesting to see that Rothes is flying much further afield than her younger sister even though she only fledged a few days before her and it's nice to know where they are going when they're not visible through the webcam. I can now imagine where they are instead.

Wonderful .. have got them on Google and will follow them daily ................. Congratulations to all at LG Bravo !

Taff

Wow Richard, thanks for that.  I will have to read it again in the morning when, hopefully, my brain is more receptive!   Our osprey chicks are just wonderful and have had the best start in their lives they could possibly hope for.  EJ is an exceptional mother and Odin has proved himself to be a great provider for both EJ and the chicks.  Pru

EJ mantling on the nest just now.  Perhaps Odin in around with a fish.  Pru

Richard, many thanks for the update on the sat tagging. have looked at the map and rothes certainly seems to be the more adventerous one at the moment. I have also looked on google earth and have eventually,reluctantly, removed nethy and deshar's routes although i have marked them.

Thanks also for the info on the different conservation designations, especially for abernethy, i never realised there were so many., although having visited abernethy on several occasions it is understandable why it is so important.

Thanks also for letting us know that things seem to be on track for our 'family' haven't seen much today due to work but reading other peoples comments have kept me up to speed.

Brilliant. Thanks Richard!

Richard, thank you for the information. I'm not sure where to log on to. We have lost the camera on the nest at the moment but I'm sure I saw all three bedded down for the night before things went awry. No its still down, never mind. I'll see what I can glean from the pages of the RSPB website to get the map up!!!!  Here goes!!!

Thank you Richard and Alice for the tracking details:) As others have said, interesting Rothes has gone further afield already.

Very interesting about all the different designations there as well. Lets hope the area stays protected for ever.

Great viewing today and EJ was around for hours:)

Beg pardon, having looked properly up the page I have now located the map. Thanks once again for the info.

Richard thanks for that update.  I have managed to do the google earth thingy with a bit of help from a friend.....

We could just go through the alphabet -- isn't it funny how we all know what a special place LG and surroundings are without anybody telling us.   Aren't we clever :))

BTW paula pmc he he, Lesley and Keith I've replied in the previous bl0g.

Has anyone heard from Maureen and Cirrus tonight?   xx

Night Night all.

Is it just me or is the live cam down??

Richard, haven't been able to log on since this morning.  Great to know we can now follow the girls'adventures on Google Earth (though not wee Garten, of course).  I remember eagerly following Deshar's and Nethy's forays around the area last year and urging tem to follow the road to Coylumbridge and turn right!  Thank you for another of your very infomative posts.  Would really love to hear one of your talks so will have to try for a different holiday time next year.

Fantastic news getting tracking operating.

Am so looking forward to the next few months.

3:15 a.m. in UK. Sacre bleu! (sounds better in French).  The webcam is down. GaryS reported it down an hour ago.

5 a.m. LG cam still down - LOTL cam up w/two ospreys on nest

RICHARD...thank you for keeping us up to date. I agree with you wholeheartedly about the damage to the ecosystem.  I was involved for 6YRS. fighting to save the ONLY green space in our neighbourhood......RSPB, SWT, Entomological studies and use of space by people were totally ignored. We lost.....but heh! there are lovely new houses on the biggest part of our space.

Anyway, it is great news that our chicks are exploring their surroundings and I wonder if Rothes is looking for TESCO in Tulloch!!!  What a wonderful start they have had and what WONDERFUL PARENTS.

Thanks for the update Richard, interesting!! I would like to visit the area some day, of course because of the Ospreys, but also to see the forrest, the lochs, maybe some day :)) I was determined to not follow the tracking... only months ago. Hm...that has changed a bit. I think the main reason is gained knowledge about the "backpack", it feels much better to know that it will fall off them after a while. Thanks (whoever it was) who told that!! I like the idea of them being totaly free birds, without aerial after their "comission" is done. May they live for many, many years and enjoy life.

Oh dear, have had great difficulty getting into any RSPB site and no camera picture  from LG.  Is it just my computer?

Thanks to all those behind the scenes for all this information. We shall now also be hooked on peeping daily (or even more often) to see how our girls get on with their exploration and eventual (sniff) migration south. Didn't know Abernethy was so important, but glad that there are enough people who care about these things to put such a lot of effort into this important work.

Thank you Richard, I had set up Google earth ready for the tracking in anticipation.  For those who haven't used it before this is the link to set up  

www.rspb.org.uk/.../googleearth.asp

Also a big thank you for the photos on the tracking page of Rothes Mallachie and Garten

Thanks for that, Richard and Alice! Will be following their progress closely- here's to  three successful first migrations for our chicks,  and all three returning to Scotland in due course.

Answer to GarryS - From yesterdays experience whilst visiting LG which I posted, the answer is "can be very close".

Odin was intercepting by flying  between a line from the intruder and the nest/camera tree which was occupied by his entire family. This particular intruder had landed on the camera tree with a fish earlier in the day and was persistant all day and at times Odin and the Intruder came as close as touching - this display took place between the nest and hide. I understand from Roy that they can clash with talons.

The rest of family all played there part by letting the intruder know he was not wanted - it was a fascinating watch.

Richard/Claire - Your staff wrote on the daily board ID of the intruder as TF - do we know age/origin of this bird.

Answer to GarryS - From yesterdays experience whilst visiting LG which I posted, the answer is "can be very close".

Odin was intercepting by flying  between a line from the intruder and the nest/camera tree which was occupied by his entire family. This particular intruder had landed on the camera tree with a fish earlier in the day and was persistant all day and at times Odin and the Intruder came as close as touching - this display took place between the nest and hide. I understand from Roy that they can clash with talons.

The rest of family all played there part by letting the intruder know he was not wanted - it was a fascinating watch.

Richard/Claire - Your staff wrote on the daily board ID of the intruder as TF - do we know age/origin of this bird.

I still love this bit of the site best for comments - it seems so much more connected to the LG team and the latest info on our birds.  I recorded some brilliant video from the nest yesterday afternoon - all three girls and (presumably) EJ with a fish.  Then Rothes (I think) took off with a visibly full crop and EJ fed Mallachie (again guessing it was that way round) for quite a while.  Garten didn't seem interested or knew she had to wait her turn.  I'll enjoy revisiting that clip when they've gone.

Thanks very much for all that information Richard. It is reassuring to know that such a beautiful area is well protected. Two ospreys on the nest at the moment one with a large fish.

Some bad news from elsewhere is that Alma the golden eagle has been found poisoned. It is sad that there is still such lowlife despicable people who can lay poisoned bait for such majestic creatures.

Rothes and Mallachie on nest at moment one of them has a rather large fish!

Thank you Alice.  I never thought I would get hooked on my computer.  I live outside most of the time  LOL  What have you done to me.  Good job. xx

Thanks Richard...again! I feel I've spent the entire summer thanking you and the rest of the team but really...thank you! Sounds like those at LG yesterday had some fantastic viewing. We're hoping to pay another visit on Wednesday. We missed you last time; are you about on Wednesday? Hopefully there will be as much action happening for us then, if hubby can get the day off.

I see you have a problem with the still images camera feed :(

Alan, I like your new avatar ;-) How's Tracy Island coming along?

Now I must drag myself away and do some work. Ok, maybe just a bit longer.....!

It looks like a repeat of yesterday.  EJ sitting on the nest with the remains of the monster fish, which she lovingly brought in earlier this morning for her chicks.  They have all eaten and flown off. Pru

Soooooooooooooooo Sad to hear about the golden eagle Alan.(I'll talk to you later about that avatar) **!!)

It's impossible to comprehend the mentality of these people.  Why ??   Do they derive a pleasure from it??

Name and Shame or let us bloggers at him female especially  He he! we'd sort himout!!

Birdnuts  so cute and cuddly - your avatar   LOL

Great to be able to track the youngsters on google earth.  But can someone tell me how to delete the tracks of Nethy and Deshar.  They are making it impossible to see what this year's two are doing.  I have tried everything to delete N and D but every time I start up google earth they are still there!

Garten looked like she was doing some sort of a jig.  Or maybe trying to get a bit of fish from her talons.  Jumping from side to side with wings spread.  Silly girl  XX

Garten in a tree at the moment eating a fish. Glad to see he has mastered the art of fish in a tree eating.

Brilliant news and info Richard, and nice to hear Alice is back. Can it really be Garten eating a fish in the tree awhile ago. Me thinks it requires a special gift to do that- but we are mere mortals. Just going to look at Google Earth.

just watching Garten (?) on a branch enjoying her fish:))

Oh, it may not be Garten, just saw a "jetpack" before she flew off.

Love the new Avatar Alan!! FAB (or, as Captain Scarlet might say, S.I.G...........)

I so agree Birdnuts. This is the only site where you reallly KNOW you are going to connect with someone.

I've tried so hard to connect with people using the threads of the Loch Garten Osprey forum to no avail. Which one do you all use habitually??

I feel quite low about this.

And Patriciat. I've only just managed to access 'We Have Lift Off' at 14.54 after trying since 08.30 am this morning. Nor could I access the forums or galleries or personal pages (not even my own) until very very recently. GE also took forever to show me Rothes and Mallachie. I'm hibernating my system from now on for as long as I can.

I've just been reading the article about Alma, the golden eagle.  She was being tracked boy Roy Dennis  etc..   Wicked wicked people.  All for their own moneymaking schemes.   Very  very very angry.  They have to be stopped.. NOW. People who kill animals and birds are practically murderers.  THeyobviously have no feelings about any sort of living thing maybe even humans!!!!

while I'm on my high horse... THat picture is eerie .  I can see an osprey in the middle but it seems out of perspective somehow.  Interesting though  ::))

Thanks everyone for the informative blogs. Here at work the camera shots are barred from our internet usage, but I can at least follow progress with the blogs. Delighted to see the youngsters starting to explore their terratory. Hope to catch a quick visit on Monday afternoon, so with a bit of luck the weather will be clement.

Camera zoomed in on Rothes. Wonderful close up of beautiful bird. FAB

It is shocking that people poison birds I quite agree any bird poisoned is horrific but birds like golden eagles majestic and beautiful wish there was more of them, nature is nature and we will never change it and do we want to I don't think so foxes eats chickens cats kill mice ospreys kill fish are we going to try and stop all that as well. I know it is sad to think of a little lamb being taken by a bird but that is how it all works we do not live in a perfect world and will say again what I got into bother for saying last year the survival of the fittest keeps it the way nature intended. Leave our birds of prey alone they are beautiful and we want them to survive not be poisoned by cruel people. HANDS OFF OUR BIRDS OF PREY  

Just looking at the nest this afternoon, looks like all three girls are off the nest and exploring again. Good for them.  It looks windy up there.

Thank you Alice, and thank you Richard. And to think I was wondering what I would find to do when the family leave. For a few moments, I though I was going to be forced to do housework!!! But then, why break the habit of a lifetime?  :-))))

Once again Simon hears news before me...on returning from my Friday shopping he looked a bit down. He then told me about Alma so sad and such a waste...Roy Dennis must be bereft.

Oh!! I finally remembered my password and am immediately back  with "add comment" right here.  But I think I must be even more confused than everybody else.  I have checked several different pages (blogs?) and I can't see any difference in content.  In fact after I'm there a while I can't tell which one I'm on and all in all, feel quite lost.

  You asked for our opinion (I think) so HERE IS MY VISION:  The Nethy - Deshar (now  Mallachie - Rothes) page which contains official reports from staff would be for communicating with staff, reporting of activities on the Lock Garten nest ONLY, of visits to LG and other info pertaining directly to our Loch Garten osprey family & other lock Garten animals & activities

   Anoher place would be used for neighborly, over-the-back-fence chit-chat about OTHER RSPB nest activities, backyard activities, doctors appointments & other personal matters.  

    With the two (or more) pages seperated in this manner,  once we had our LG Osprey "fix"  any who chose to & had time  could then go on to the other "place"  for extended chit-chat.  Of course for any such plan to work the staff would have to  define the rules of their choosing and post them - probably several times over an extended period as not every one is logged in to read every posting.

In other words - wouldn't clarfication by the staff of the intended use of each of the places end much of the confusion?  Thanks to everybody for all that is done on this marvelous site.

Agree with Tish about Alma.  I heard yesterday on the radio news, ad felt sick.  It has been so interesting logging on from time to time to see where she was.  Now she's gone, and for whose benefit?  But just how can we stop these poisonous people?  I think the police do their best but it bust be very difficult for them to find the culprits.

Empty nest at the moment.

Paula :- Tracy Island put on hold. Cant seem to get any sticky back plastic anywhere and as for getting those palm trees to fold down.

Anyway back to the ospreys with no strings attached. FAB

Hi Cirrus - glad you feel the same about the two parts of this site. Tish - my cute and cuddly atavar is a barn owl chick (captive bred) that I helped to hand rear.  She's doing really well and a feisty flyer now.

Margo

I forgot to say that if you're using Google earth's tracking system from last year, you can scroll down on the left to see what traces you are displaying. It should specify each of the birds and you can deselect Nethy and Deshar by clicking off the ticks against their names (this isn't permanent so you can get them back) which will remove their traces from the screen.  Otherwise, as you say, it is too cluttered.

5:15 p.m. UK time.

PAULA P: As they say, "Housework won't kill you, but why take a chance?"

JUNE: Re general confusion, Teresa has posted a new thread (or whatever they call them) under Groups - Loch Garten bloggers, about this. I concur with her - and you. Currently we have so many blogs, forums, threads. Would love one-stop-shopping on RSPB site for communicating with everyone. I just don't have time to stop at every site..... (my problem, I know, but).  I hope this posting makes it onto the diary....

Thanks so much to the camera person for all these lovely shots!!

According to my "vision" described above this post would go "some other place", but until when & If any clarification is ever made I will post here in interest of keeping this post near my last one.

    Almost a year ago I discovered (don't remember how)  the Loch Garten site just as Nethy & Deshar had started their migration.  I was immediately interested and soon started reading past reports.  I very quickly bonded. I suffered when the wee one suffered & cried when I read that Wee Yin had died.  I followed Nethy & Deshar in their migrations and grieved at their sad endings.  In fact I cried again when I saw that this page had appropriately been renamed for our current travelers. Like many others, I spend far too much time on this site and find it frustrating to have to sort out news of "my Scottish birds" from all the non-related material, as I am not particularly interested in daily activities of nests in other locations.

       However, I do find much of interest on this site beside our LG osprey.  I enjoy our slight language differences - the new use of a familiar word, new words some of which I still have not figured out the meanings, the hint of your various accents, a different, to me, turn of phrase.  I delight in familiar place names and have looked up on the map many of the unfamiliar ones.  I enjoy the neighborly chatting across continents.  I have taken particular note of the times of daylight & darkness during these midsummer days as I have long had a desire to experience the lighting in the far north (either Scotland or Alaska) in midsummer & even midwinter.  Actually, this site has become my Scottish vacation (holiday), and a delightful one it is!!!!!

Beautiful shot of Garten and how close she is to the nest. She is my favourite and so gorgeous!! :o )

JUNE SPRADIN.. That sounds so complicated to me.  I stick to this blog because that's where most chat is!!  It  suits me  and what you're suggesting is making complications more complicated.  I love birds not trying to navigate round a compuiter all the time.  My opinion though.  Don't take offence,  Tish

Just logged on and there is an absolute monster of a fish on the nest. Rothes is tucking in and Mallachie is in the foreground. EJs ability to catch large fish is awesome. What a great family. FAB

Lovely shot, closeup, of Mallachie & Rothes on the nest with a good size fish. I so hope to see them in the flesh on Monday. Here's to then ...

Could you tell us what weight (approx!) these huge fish are that EJ is bringing in? You have given us lengths before but not weights. She is bringing in a lot - the chicks will miss her when she goes. Also thank you to the nice cameraperson for the close up shots.

That is an amazing sized fish that is being eaten now at 18:08 ... Rothges and Mallachie are on the nest

I thought Rothes was eating that huge fish then I popped over to see Holly Hobby.  When I returned it looked like Mallachie had the fish and now Garten and Mallachie (I think) are eating the same fish.  Sisterhood !!Ahh..

Hi birdnuts - about google earth I had already tried deleting N and D but their tracks were still visible.  I wondered if it maybe took a while to update so I closed down and started up again - and would you believe it, N and D were back in the places list!  Then I discovered that I had Loch Garten Ospreys in the place list twice (I had already put in the link last year, and put in the same link again this year, thinking that it would probably just over-write last years link - bit it didn't), and took one set of LG Ospreys out.  I had to THAT twice, but in the end it worked.  So now I have a much easier to read screen.  

Thought I'd post all of this in case someone else did the same as me and ended up with the LG osprey link in twice.

paula (formerly pmc)  THanks for that.  I had a right good browse through them .  It's a reminder of our lovely family.    Can't get enough of them.

Further to the Google Earth site. Aigan, if you scroll down on the left side to Deshar and Nethy, click on them and then hit the delete button, a box will come up and ask you if you want to delete. Just click yes and.... They'll still be there when you log back in (just tested it!!) I would imagine then that they need to be deleted by the RSPB or whoever set original tracking up. Sorry, I tried.

Please somebody say they saw Rothes ar Mallachie flying off the nest with the remainder of that ginormous fish.. I have ever seen one of the girls flying with a fish in her talons before  !!  Good stuff X

Does it really surprise anyone that Rothes has ventured much further than Mallachie?  the few days birth difference seems to make a great deal of difference in development. Besides, Mallachie always was the timid one.  Just wish we knew what my favorite, feisty Little Garten has been up to.  I bet she'll be the one with the adventures to tell.  

Agree with Anette, Thank you camera person  :))

What a lovely scene at the moment :0 )

Rothes (?) flew away......Garten went for the fish and is now SHARING with Mallachie. Mallachie and Garten should go on the same route, at least we know they will share food??!!!!!!

Now I am on my soapbox!!!

I will never understand why certain people can kill/poison beautiful birds like ALMA.

1. It is not because they are hungry!

2. It is not because they want to have it stuffed for ornamental purposes!

3. Has anyone seen the birds taking a lamb? Have they?

I was visiting my daughter in Ireland and a friend of her's (farmer's wife) told me that they put food out at night for the foxes...their philosophy is, a hungry fox will not steal.

I would suggest that, if the Alma was taking lambs, management practices could be improved.  BUT, what do I know?

Like TISH and others I get soooooo angry. Do these despicable people not realise that other creatures who eat the carcass will also be poisoned : form the smallest insect etc.?

They are really getting about now. I will miss them badly when they go.

Just like the kids leaving home

Well, it just shows that if you hear a bird calling, in this case a herring gull flying over my garden (in Croydon - yes we do get them! ) it's worth looking up in the sky with bins.  The herring gull was mobbing a sparrowhawk and actually bumped it.  Having a closer look I could see that the sparrowhawk had some poor little bird in its talons which was obviously slowing it down a bit and I cam to the conclusion that probably the herring gull was trying to pinch it!  

Was lovely seeing most of the family on the nest just now.  I go out into the kitchen to dish out the meal, come back in and the nest is empty - just when I thought I had some time to watch them whilst I was eating!

Another awful day at work again with no web connection too!  Not very happy as missed a lot - again!!!!  :o(   x

Margo - Go to places on your Google Earth - All the birds will be there - I have them all (Nethy, Deshar, Rothes, Mallachie) and the two Sea Eagles from Mull.

You will see two entries for each LG bird one is the line the other the bird logo and name.

Just untick them and click OK and the line and bird will disapear. If you want them back just repeat and tick them again - you do not loose the track.

Have a go- I add and take away as neded as I have six birds on my Google Earth at present and the lines are a bit congested.

2 on the nest at 20:18. Rothes or Mallachie eating and Garten waiting her turn. All a bit fuzzy tonight. Should have gone to Specsavers Virgil. FAB

Annette in SoCal I find this site more informative than some of the rest mainly I think because you get all the input from the staff at LG and it is easy to watch the girls. I am either lucky or unlucky to have the time to trawl the other sites, being retired has its advantages, but I always return to this one to get all the information from the rest of the bloggers.

Haven't seewn Mrs Hobby for over an hour unless she's been back when I was away.  Poor Holly Hobbit  looks so lonely  :((

birdnits tell me about your barn owl.

You know I meant birdnuts.. sorreeee  

Thanks Birdnuts, I have set Google Earth ready to trace our girls as they migrate. I don't want to see them go but at the same time am excited about tracking them.  Next weekend we should see EJ making her way. I just hope Mallachie does more exploring before she mirgrates. Rothes is doing a grand job investigating the area around her 'home'.

Garten has flown off the nest. She gave up trying to get Mallachie to leave the fish for her.

Empty nest at 21:11. Time to say goodnight to all at International Rescue. Night Jeff, Virgil, Scott, John, Gordon. Night to Thunderbirds 1,2 and 3. Also the god Odin and supermum EJ. FAB  

STOP THE KILLING NOW!

I am not sure whether my anger, sadness or helplessness is the dominant emotion right now - the inhumane and illegal poisoning of another Golden Eagle is so horrible.

If anyone hasn't yet signed the pledge to stop the killing, please do so now (link on Loch Garten Osprey page)

Annette, I can't find Loch Garten Bloggers under Groups or anywhere else for that matter. :(

There are only  2 Groups: Loch Garten Ospreys and The Lodge.

Nor is Loch Garten Bloggers under Loch Garten Forum.

The last post in Loch GartenOspreys/ Forum/ Loch Garten Ospreys is dated 28 July.

This is where Iwant to bow my head and give a  silent scream.

Great to see the tracking movements working well - goodness Mallachie has been getting brave with her flights!  Nosy girl needing to see what lies beyond!  Good for her.  Thanks for the brilliant update!  I've really enjoyed everything this year.

As the light fades, two girls sharing a late supper on the nest.  The light is too dim now to make out who they are, but they have been eating companionably for the several minutes I've been on line.

Now, as to BLOG vs FORUMS;

The BLOG requires a lot of monitoring and input from the LG Team.  Last year when LG closed, we had no way (other than FacebooK) to communicate with each other, except for short intervals after a BLOG update, and that required extra time from a team who were supposed to be off-line!  This year, we also have;

The FORUMS, which, being monitored centrally, can continue all year.  Within the FORUMS, we have our own LG Group, where we can gather and chat amongst ourselves, without bothering the (potentially) much larger website membership.  When LG is closed, we will still need somewhere to discuss our ospreys, and that is the most logical spot to do it.  We can also chat away on a whole range of other topics there, with instant postings, rather than waiting until someone has the time to go through all our ramblings and moderate them on the BLOG.  Outside the LG Group, there is the community area, where we can see what is happening right across the website.  As the website membership grows, there will be other specific interest groups to join.  

In the Community area there is also a very good shortcut called 'Posts you haven't read yet'.  this is an excellent way of keeping up with what is happening, since it can filter out those posts you have read before.  The sooner we start using this, the easier it will be for us to use, since at first, ALL the posts will show, since you haven't read any of them usung that filter.  After that though, it will only show you those you havent read since the last time you caught up with them.  It's a real time saver.

Nobody likes change.  It puts us outside our comfort zone temporarily.  Sometimes though, change can be for the better, as this is.  We still have our BLOG, but we now have so much more.  We are NEVER too old to learn something new!

Thanks Richard.  Now have something to watch over the coming winter months.

Was watching Deshar and Nethy last year.  Still got my fingers crossed for Nethy.

Cirrus, I think you just have to stay with the blog that you are on here. Going to the forums or groups means looking at blogs and replying to whatever is there if it takes your fancy. I find its easier to keep on this blog now.

Have not had an opportunity to tune into LG until now.

Great news on the tracker.

Thanks for another great update Richard. Looking forward to visiting next week.

I hope they are all still in residence??

Arriving in the area on Sunday and staying for 7 nights, so will have plenty time for a visit or two or three :-))

7:52 p.m. in California; 3:52 in UK.

GEORGE G: Sorry, I didn't make myself clear - the Diary (this 'ere page) is for me the official necessary page that I turn to first. The other pages under Forums and Groups are the ones that I find confusing (that's why Facebook works for some people, because it's one-stop-shopping) However, I think I'll just be quiet about blogs, forums, and groups from now on because I've also apparently confused....

CIRRUS: ....by giving entirely the wrong title on the "Groups" page! You are correct, Cirrus, it's the Loch Garten Ospreys, not the Bloggers. So sorry - that shows how perplexed I was/am/whatever.

So. Now that I've totally confused at least two people (including myself) and probably more, I'm going to slip quietly away until the dawn rises over LG and then I'll try to confine myself to comments of the osprey variety! :-)

9:11 p.m. in SoCal; 5:11 in UK.

Webcam working andnot freezing - how great is that!

Two birds just arrived on nest. Can't ID them or see antennae at this distance; light also not great yet. Uh oh, another bird arrives; all are looking skyward and - wow! beautiful shot of another osprey gliding in. OK. So now four on nest and EJ is there and feeding one chick. Oh I don't believe it: video freezing! Aack!

5:37 in UK. One bird has left; we have EJ, Garten, and one tagged chick left. All look up intermittently but I don't know what's up there  - can't be that interesting since they're back to eating. Funny how EJ still feeds them, even though she's smaller then they are. But, as my (tiny) Mom used to say, "The best things come in small packages." (Not sure what she was referring to.) Anyway, did not see who brought the fish and can't see it from this distance...  

All three (EJ, Garten, and UFO - Unidentified Feeding Osprey) HaHa - get a grip Annette! - still eating.

5:48 in UK. Tagged chick has left leaving fish, EJ and - who else? - Garten. Looks like the wind has come up there in the last few minutes.

JANE (who used to worry about the bullying on the nest waaaay back when Garten was getting beaten up by Rothes all the time) are you on this site?

5:55 a.m. Tagged chick flew off and then returned (same one?different one?) EJ leaves; Garten goes next; then UFO lefts.

6:09 in UK. Nest empty; calling it a night here. Here's wishing you all speedy and rewarding webcam and blog experiences at LG!

It's been great to see the first movements of Rothes and Mallachie online via Google Earth.  Congratulations to all at Loch Garten for a successful season!  All the highs and lows have certainly been worth it in the end!  Whilst the ospreys are not away yet, I felt it best to get some form of season round-up put together in the form of a video which will probably be my last of the 2009 season.  A little sad perhaps, but inevitable.  Don't be sad though, because it's only the beginning for our ospreys as they explore their new world!  So , my own thanks to EVERYONE at Loch Garten for keeping things moving along, and thank you to all you fellow bloggers around the world for your posts!  

www.youtube.com/watch

REPLY: Brilliant BigRab, and thank you for all those very clever and entertaining osprey cameo-films,  just brilliant.  -  Richard

Thankyou, first time I've seen a real close up like that, I think it was Rothes I've just seen on the nest. So amazing :))

Thank you BigRab that was fantastic. It is going to prove so nostalgic to watch again in the winter months ahead.

Don't worry Annette, Tiger sorted me out. I'm out most of the day hiking now (despite the rain) . I too have found Facebook 'cos as you say, it is 'one stop shopping. But come the winter when maybe we can't blog under the official Blog (Diary) LGO/Forum/LGO will be the 'thing' . I too have booked marked it now. I do wish Firefox would permit me to view the live streaming videos. I HAVE windows media but because I have a server  I can't down load the plugin on Firefox (Window Media 11) .

And it case anyone would care to know, I  have discovered that 'print screen' , dumping image in Word, and creating a .jpg later ( all assuming you CAN change DOC into .JPG on your PC)  does not lose any quality of the image but gets LARGER images. I've done both the right click and save to hard drive and the Word dump now.

Great viewing today everyone ........catch you later (as 'they' say :)  )

As usual BigRab, superb video! Thanks.

Hope my comment did 'go' . I tried to 'copy' BigRabs link on  youtube instead of sensibly waiting for the page to finishe its thing.

FABULOUS, BigRab.  THANK YOU SO MUCH - you've really enriched this season's viewing!  Great music too.  Hey but it's not over yet - looking forward to tracking the Girls down to Africa, and thinking of Garten flying alongside.

BigRab74, Thanks for putting together a video, I will certainly go and look at it in a minute. The nest lools empty, obviously doing their morning exercise!!!!!!!!!  There certainly looks the remains of supper on the nest.

Thank you BigRab74, have just watched it, its brilliant. Keep me going during the winter months whilst we wait for next season and see what that brings!!

BigRab74 Just watched your video and once again it was great and we will have that one along with the rest to watch during the winter months while tracking them on their flight south.

Its Mallachie or Rothes on the post, doesn't she look handsome, if that is the right word for a girl, certainly looks gorgeous anyway. She is looking round as if to say. do I go back on the nest and someone will feed me, or do I just stay here for the time being!!!!!!!!!! Hang on whats that down there, perhaps something or nothing!!

Beautiful closeup of one of them. She's looking intently at something, could it be a small creature or one of her sisters close by!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks BigRab74 for another great video. You have certainly enriched our viewing of the osprey family this year.

Rothes on the camera post just now. Great close ups of a great osprey. you can see every feather, Every talon. Just awesome. FAB

Signing off for now, I could watch all day but housework is beckoning me. Will latch on this afternoon and see whats happening. Still closeup of either Mallachie or Rothes. Looking windy up there as well!!

Wasout all day at Glorious Goodwood yesterday and we were so lucky it was a glorious day.  Even managed to pick a couple of winners.  I missed my osprey fixes so much and have just read all on this site.

Richard thanks so much for the update we are truly spoiled and I know we can't thank you enough at LG for keeping us so informed about everything.  It was very interesting to read about all the conservation work as well.

The girls seem to thriving and what a brave girl Rothes is turning out to be.  Can see from the posts that fish are still plentiful courtesy of both EJ and Odin.  This very special family have given us so much pleasure and I am just hoping they will all make a successful migration which I will be watching avidly on Google Earth.   I still have Deshar and Nethy's journey showing but thanks to the people who have advised how to delete them (not permanently) so Rothes and Mallachie's journeys will be easier to track.

I along with many others are absolutely sickened the poisoning of Alma the golden eagle.  Words really defy me as I just cannot understand why people would want to destroy such a magnificent bird of prey.

Lastly for now I want to say thanks to BigRab74 for all the videos and your finale with the captions is just so good.  I always feel very emotional watching them and during the long winter months I am sure I will be watching them over and over again.  This particular family are so special and I love love them to bits.  Having said that all ospreys are special but there is something about this wonderful family that takes you to a different plain.

Having read everything on this blog I am now going to catch up with the other sites but must confess I feel more comfortable posting here.  Have a good day all and hopefully I will see our family at some time during the day.

Robert, that video was BRILLIANT, thank you! I've enjoyed every single one of them. Thanks for doing that and sharing them with us :)

BigRab74......Have just watched your video..... FANDABIDOZIE.....SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPEDALIOSHUS  

in other words BRILLIANT. I certainly will be looking at all your videos during the winter.

Glad to have the webcam back, couldnt get it yesterday, then had to go out, so back now for my LG fix! THANKS,THANKS BigRab, for the great video, what fun, & always love your music too.  Laughed out loud at the end as 'That's All etc.' is used a lot in our family, having been avid cartoon watchers all our lives, and passed this vice on to our children, too.

Very, very angry and sad to hear about the Golden Eagle on the radio news yesterday.

REPLY:  Lindybird and everyone else out there reading this - the anger you feel about this eagle poisoning is palpable.  This is why as many of you as absolutely possible, must sign up to the - Stop the killing of Birds of Prey Campaign.  Many of you I know have done so already  (thank you),  but if you haven't, please do and encourage all your family, friends and neighbours, work colleagues and anyone else you can think of, to add their voice, to get these completely illegal, barbaric practices of persecuting birds of prey stopped, once and for all.  Please do it.  Thanks.  Richard

Another brilliant video BigRab ... thank you ... that one and the other videos will be a great reminder of our lovely osprey family!

Hi Tish - birdnits (I suppose they must get them - they certainly get lice) here!  The barn owl chick is one of two that we hand-reared from eye-opening, from a pair that bred this year at the bird of prey centre where I help as a volunteer.  Apparently, owls (unlike hawks and falcons) can't be trained easily unless they're imprinted and think they're human. I took the picture one of the nights when it was my turn to take them home for the late night and early morning feeds. They're now fully fledged and flying to the glove - real characters.  Of course birds in the wild are best but these are from a long line of captive bred stock and they have a really great home.

BigRab74 - as always, brilliant video. made me lol at the parrot sketch, i remember some of that conversation on fb. thanks again.

A few of us thought that perhaps we may benefit from a Daily Updates Thread in the LG Group Forums so I have started one for today www.rspb.org.uk/.../3474.aspx If you want to contribute that's fantastic but if you don't then that's fine. Some of us will find it useful as it will be, hopefully, up to the minute action! We are being encouraged to use the forums side of the website so lets do so.

And Richard, please feel free to rab me on the knuckles (publically if necessary) if I've done wrong here. The last thing I want to do is to upset anyone at LG.

Many thanks BigRab74. I have just watched your video. Brilliant! It will be great to watch over the winter. We have the tracking all set up now and have been capturing pictures of our feathered friends with Screenshoter. Many thanks again to all at LG for keeping us informed.

Thankis everyone for the reports and thanks Annette for the overnight details.

Been watching Rothes bouncing away on that branch for a while. I am enjoying every minute I can while they are still around.

BigRab, what can I say! Yet again you have come up with the goods, come up trumps, etc. The video is fantastic. I had missed all of the clips you used and to get Garten fledging (I think), well.......... loved seeing EJ wet from her fish trip:) Thanks for all the ones you have put together this year, it has been a real bonus for us all.

BigRab you have excelled yourself once again.  That was brilliant.  What a great collection you have done for us all.  Thank you :o) x

Thank you, BigRab, that's another wonderful video! Hope you will be treating us to some more next year? It's lovely to have these to look at when we miss seeing them, and will keep us going till we start all over again next spring.  :-))))

Thank you, BigRab74, it will be great to watch your videos during the winter though we will, hopefully, have Google Earth to watch as well.  Sad that they will be going but wonderful that they are 3 'big, strapping lassies'!

BigRab74 (Robert :)) Thank you so much for that video, much appreciated!

This is all very exciting.  Thanks for the update Richard.  We're just back from holiday today so I've been starved of internet connection for a couple of weeks and every time I did manage to log on via my husband's computer, the nest was empty!!!  Wonderful to see Rothes (or Mallachie?) tucking into a big fish just now.  Thrilling scenes when just a few short weeks ago they were tiny wee things depending on EJ to feed them.

Just watched the video BigRab - fantastic, thanks for keeping me entertained on another dreary wet day in South Yorkshire!!!

Just back from being out and about where incidentally I got a fantastic view of a buzzard which was on the ground at the side on this one track road. It flew up and we were able to follow it in the car for a few yards. Really close up views. You always see these things when you least expect them.

Great view of Garten on his favourite tree perch.

Cirrus are you related to Cumulo Nimbus or Alto Stratus.

Thankyou to whoever is on the camera - fantastic views! Just came in and was telling Better Half about the excellent view I had earlier as I was logging on when lo and behold - lots more great views! Thanks :))

Looking forward to watching your latest compilation BigRab :))

Big Rab You are just brill! Many thanks for the videos, I loved them all!!!! Maybe you can still do a very last one for this year.... a developmental one, from EJ sitting on the nest on the egg/s till EJ waving good bye to them???? Krisztina

2 on the nest at the moment. EJ and Mallachie I think. Lots of wing flapping and posturing so there must be intruders about. Great viewing once again this afternoon.

3:42 p.m. UK. Morning all

BIGRAB: Not only was that video fun and fascinating (I've missed a lot of those tussles w/fishes) but also helpful since I've also missed a lot of the zooms (don't have that option) and finally was able to really study the difference between Rothes and Mallachie. Thanks so much!

Two birds on nest, but can't ID from this distance - although suspect the one sitting up expectanty is Garten waiting for food to appear out of the sky.

WATTLE: Thanks for additional info on options re blogs/forums

Thanks, BigRab74 - that is just brilliant! I'm sure I shall watch that many times over  during the winter

months.  SueD - I agree - really miserable here today, isn't it?

Well done Bigrab very nice video.  Have saved all yor videos for re-playing over the winter months.

This is my first blog on here.

I have been watching the site for 3 years now. Never a dull moment but unfortunately a few sad ones especially last year with all 3 perishing (although Nethy could surprise us all)

Excellent work by all at LG hope to visit next year

Hya Kingfisher and everyone else, I have only been on the blog 3 or 4 times, but have been watching the site quite a while now. I don't get to watch it as often as I would like, cos of work, and long days , but I turn the computer on this site as soon as I get up in the morning and again at night, when I get home from work. It is such a fascinating time for the birds and us, and I hope they all make the long trek. There has been a lot of coming and going tonight on the nest. Nice to see so much action.

Welcome Kingfisher.  

Great 'end of season' video BigRab, just absolutely great. I am so appreciative of the wonderful videos you have created that we can watch over and over again throughout the winter.

I had a VERY wet hike today - would have been better off infront of the nest !

I have nosied about the groups and forums and everybody seems to be there but under what title etc.  .  I think I'm going to stick here for a while.  I just want news of the ospreys  and no more stress at this time.  Night Night.