As I write this blog, EJ has just delivered a fish to the nest...and Mallachie and Garten are having a squabble over who is going to get it No wonder they haven't started their migration, when good sized fish are still being delivered on a daily basis! That fish is the first of the day, but it is a big one! EJ had been eating her fill for fifty minutes, and there was still at least fifteen inches of it left! There were four fish yesterday, at least one of which we believe was delivered by Odin, as the bird literally dropped off the fish and flew away immediately, very characteristic of Odin, who probably doesn't want to get caught between his daughters when they are arguing over the fish!
On Friday there were three fish delivered to the nest. With this ready supply of fish, Mallachie in particular has rarely been away from the nest area, and it will be interesting to see if she has ventured any further than the shores of Loch Garten! She did have a rather strange intruder to contend with on Friday, when a raven was heckling her, and it wasn't until EJ returned in the late morning that it was well and truly chased off!
The wind has really picked up here at Loch Garten this afternoon, you can probably see the effect it is having on the birds, and it is even moving some of the smaller sticks in the nest. I doubt that any osprey would want to start their migration in wind like this, so we may well be able to watch the birds in the centre and on the webcam for a few more days yet!
As well as the osprey, we are still being entertained and amused by the antics of the red squirrels, birds, bank voles and wood mice at the feeders, and this week they have also been joined by a rabbit, who has been a bit of a talking point! We also have lots of fungi popping up in the woods and by the path to the centre, so even when the birds are off stretching their wings there is still plenty to see!
We await the next fish...and the next migration....
new blog
I suspected that this spot on the Gironde (where Rothes is at present) is a known osprey stopover. If you check out this log for September 2008 by the LPO charente-maritime.lpo.fr/page.php!338 you will find three sightings of osprey, a) 1 Balbuzard pêcheur, Le Pampin, Mortagne/Gironde (Réjane Paquereau) , b) 3 Balbuzard pêcheur, le Pampin, Mortagne-sur-Gironde (Ron & Hazel West), c) 2 Balbuzard pêcheur, le Pampin, Mortagne-sur-Gironde (Stéphane Cohendoz). The multiple sightings would possibly lend credibility to the guesswork that led me to assume that Rothes is not alone. If you check her flight path she was flying south-east when about level with La Rochelle, then she turned south-west, followed by a correction to near where these 2008 sightings were recorded. Another bird could be reason she changed direction? Mortagne-sur-Gironde is only about 7km from the fish farm ponds. Le Pampin seems to be on the banks of the river, judging by the Rue de Pampin that is marked on Bing Maps.
Hi Taff.
Yes it is done lol I have been to Swansea since then. I have left you a message on your profile!
Mallachie still looking for her food.
Ok I've just got home from work and need to post before you all go to bed so before I read the posts I've missed, I have this GREAT need to know if Garten has been seen this evening, cos I think she's gone and is heading south.
The sight of a solitary Mallachie on the nest at 6 pm (I wasn't here but the camera records until 6 pm and when I went online and looked at the STILL camera, there she was, ALONE )
Does anyone know please if Garten has been around this evening? I'm now going to read the posts from 16.15 which is when I left for work.