Well, you can probably predict the situation. The latest data we have shows - a drum roll, please -
Rothes: still in residence near Fontaine, north of Bordeaux
Mallachie: still around the nest she calls home.
The weather forecast for Aviemore shows high winds and rain coming soon, which will surely put off Mallachie and Garten from migrating just yet. I'm sure the Loch Garten crew will report any exciting occurrences.
So, here's something to talk about. I'd like to hear about your most memorable osprey experiences (staying up to watch the osprey webcam for 24 hours straight does not count!).
Here's mine. We were walking along the moor top at Porthgwarra in western Cornwall, through beautiful heather and gorse. There were migrant wheatears dotted around, choughs playing in the breeze and gannets and shearwaters cruising past offshore.
Suddenly, a big bird came into view: an osprey! We got a fantastic look at it as it flew right over us, even down to the pale tips to all its wing feathers - it was a young bird that had hatched just a few months earlier.
It looked around as it flew south-east across the headland, and that got me thinking. Where did it hatch? Where's it going? Will it cross the Channel from here? And that's what so interesting about birds - their mystique! There's so much that we don't know... your imagination can run riot.
Your osprey 'moments', please, ladies and gentlemen...
thanks again pony tail girl.
I have never seen a real live osprey Boo Hoo!! Does that mean I have to be quiet XXXXX
Sadly, I haven't either.
Oh Katie, That sound amazing. I can tick the wheatears, choughs and shearwaters but in Wales.
Ospreys I have only seen at Rutland Water and many years ago(early 70's!) at LG.
In July on Holiday in Scotand we were sat in a hide near Glenshee and 4 Osprey came fishing. We were sat there for nearly 2 hours watching them,. Got some good pics of them and was really pleased we stopped at that spor.
Thanks for that Katie. Most memorable moment was probably at Rutland Water in 2007 when I saw the male bird at the Lyndon nest dive to attempt to catch a fish right in front of the Waderscrape hide. Unfortunately it missed in its attempt. Also saw same male chasing gulls off its territory.
Thanks for report, Katie. Only ever saw a real osprey when in Lake District 2 years ago, and a kind RSPB man lent us his telescope to look across the valley to where the 2 adults were nesting. A magical moment for me, though.
I hope that bird in the distance is the "GHOST PARROT"
My first blog but have been following since the last two years.
Just wanted to share my osprey stories ... First osprey sighting was this year at LG. I was lucky enough to visit on the day that both Garten and Mallachie fledged. I was looking through the telescope at the nest and Garten fledged right in front of my eyes, amazing :-) Unfortunately we left before Mallachie fledged :-( Second osprey sighting was about three weeks ago, at Lochluichart in the Highlands where there is a nest in a pylon. I saw the osprey standing on the edge of the nest, fabulous place to build :-) and lastly was a week ago about two miles (as the osprey flies) from the nest at Lochluichart flying over a river but lost sight of her/him after watching for about five minutes.
I've only seen EJ on the nest from the LG Centre. Maybe next year the fish farm at Rothiemurchus
Thanks for the report once again Katie, good to know that Rothes is safe and enjoying her stay courtesy of the Gironde estuary and the sturgeon farm!!!!!!!!
Neither have I tish, its my first year watching the ospreys at LG. The only memory I have was out in the Yorkshire Dales when we stopped, looked around and there on the moorland were the curlews, watched them for a while, flying and calling. Alright I know it wasn't an osprey but I don't get much chance to see birds in the wild. I don't drive so have to rely on my husband - its usually when we are on holiday that I can try and pick out some of the species around where we might be staying at the time.
Welcome, Short Stuff. Glad you have enjoyed (?) our rabbitings on. I'm so jealous that you have been to L. Garten....
Thanks Katie
Mine was seeing an osprey for the first time, at LG. I didn't know anything about them, visited the center last year on vacation and on entering the building, looked out one of the "slits" and saw Nethy and Desher flapping their wings like mad (It was a few day before fledging). I couldn't stop watching and then looked through a scope at them and saw their expressions and I was hooked.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Camera person what beautiful shots you are giving us but don't know who Garten at a guess
Wondered who the close up was of a few moments ago, can tell now that its Mallachie courtesy of tag.