We have captured some jaw-dropping footage of the female osprey from the nest-cam this weekend - some of the best footage we have ever seen here.
On Sunday morning, at around 10.30 am a big clump of visitors were huddling inside the centre, as the weather wasn't great. The male had brought a fish back and the female had taken it just a few feet away and was sat on the nest tree eating it - on a thick branch that grows off the main trunk behind the nest-camera. With a little experimental manoeuvring on our remote control, we managed to spin the nest-cam round 180° and focus in on her as she ate - fantastic! Every feather and talon was as clear as if we had been sat in the tree with her.
As she ripped into the bright red flesh of the rainbow trout the whole visitor centre was mesmerised. About two-thirds of the way through the fish, she jiggled it around in her talons to try and get at the flesh on the tail end but it slipped from her grasp and plummeted to the floor. Everyone expected her to go after it but she didn't worry herself - there is plenty more where that came from thanks to her mate, who brings back an endless supply of food.
The feeding footage was so good that we showed the recording to visitors throughout the day, who were all suitably thunderstruck - it certainly more original bank holiday viewing that the usual James Bond film.
The female brought a huge branch of sycamore to the nest last week - another addition to their ever-growing home. They do seem to like bringing back green, living branches. Sometimes they just fly at a tree, grab hold of a branch and wrench it right off. They have been bringing branches of pine back quite regularly - a natural air-freshener for the home perhaps.
It can be quite a blustery spot here on the flood plain. The nest itself is particularly exposed to the elements and we can often see the osprey's feathers being blown around in every direction. On the whole though, we have had a glut of warm and peaceful days since the eggs were laid. This consistent weather with only minor variations in temperature helps the incubation process go smoothly, so there shouldn't be any surprises. Hatching is predicted to begin in 8 days time - watch this space.