My thanks to my web-team colleague Katie Fuller, for holding the fort for a few days while I was away and for resolving my parting error of Rothes' day trip to Mongolia and back! Not sure I can now compete with her fancy web-ways an' all. I'm afraid that it is back to the humble field staff now out here in the boondocks - good word eh? Note to self: must try and use that more often.
Rothes is still in the same general area, on the east bank of La Gironde river, but she is perhaps now getting a tad exploratory and restless. At 2pm on 25th she was picked up having travelled north, on an afternoon out, to Chenac-St.Seurin-d'Uzet, before returning later that afternoon/evening back to her now regular fish-farm spot to roost. Next day (26th) amongst other localised micro-movements, she had a day out south this time, with a fix at 3pm that afternoon at what looks like, from Google Maps (we don't have Google Earth here), another fishpond or gravel pit-type complex, not easy to tell. Rothes was back at her roost at 8pm that evening. Not much more to report on her.
Some developments on site though, here at Loch Garten. Just spoken to David and the up-date is as follows. There has been no further sign of Odin for a few days now, so he is presumed to have gone. EJ, who we thought had gone too, is in fact still here, she delivered a fish this morning at 9am. What is going on here? EJ still here! Males are always last to go, as I've said before. Not any more, seemingly. Bin those osprey manuals, yet again.
Interestingly, Garten hasn't been seen since 8.30pm last evening (26th). Has she gone, or just finally plucked up the courage to go that bit further afield? I bumped into a friend in Grantown High Street this morning, who's a ghillie on the River Spey and he told me he had had an osprey above him as he fished a local beat of the river. Could that have been Garten or Mallachie?
Meantime Mallachie is still here, as I type, perched in the dead tree adjacent to the eyrie, and somewhat agitated, because we have an unidentified, un-ringed juvenile osprey perched below her in the same tree. From whence, who knows? Could be from anywhere. A youngster from further north in Scotland or even beyond that perhaps. On its way south, passing close by or overhead and attracted by seeing or hearing our birds, and has called in for some company and reassurance, maybe?
It is becoming inexorably autumn up here now, all the more and faster it seems to me after just a few days away in the south. Darker all the earlier now and noticeably cooler. The forests have fallen virtually silent, and most migrants are now long gone (except our ospreys!). The rowan trees are bowed low under the sheer weight and volumn of fruit and the purple heather moorland is beginning to lose its lustre. And yet at the BIrd Fair, it was hot and sunny and seemed like high summer down there, compared to here in Hyperborea - another good word, seldom used, must use that more often too.
Map for Rothes should up-date this evening.
Thanks so much, Richard. Glad you enjoyed Bird Fair. am adding Hyperborea to my vocabulary, after I've looked it up, that is, in the dictionary!
Thanks, Richard ... good to have you back ... to get first-hand reports from LG, although Katie did a splendid job! You will have to re-write the osprey manual ... LG edition now :))
Welcome home. We have missed your blogs although Pony Tail girl was also very good. Do you think they;ll stay much longer ? but then there are no answers with this family are there.
Thank you for that interesting blog Richard. So it looks like Odin has gone and perhaps Garten too. No idea why EJ is still around but she probably knows something that we dont. Mallachie looks like she will still be here at Christmas.
Thanks Richard. Great report
Well, who knew EJ would be still around.
Living here in The US I hear the "boondocks" or "the boonies" a lot. It is a great word. LOL
So nice to have you back, even though Katie did a wonderful job in your absence!! Glad you had a nice break and at least you came home to some ospreys!!!
You made me sad to think that young Osprey intruder was maybe just looking for company and reassurance and Mallachie wasn't very hospitable, that's nature I suppose, it may have pinched her fish......
Is she really going to be able to cope, when she does set off...she seems to do a lot of sitting around on the nest, I'm sure that is why EJ is still here, she is worried about her. Hope Garten has a safe journey south like his big sister, don't suppose we will ever know until she comes back in 3 years time!!
Thanks again and welcome home!
Thank you for posting Richard. Hope you enjoyed the Bird Fair.
So my eyes did not deceive me yesterday afternoon, there has been an unringed juvenile hanging around the nest and the perching tree!
Thanks Richard. Hope you had a lovely break.
An unringed juvenile eh? Was pretty certain it was Garten. Is this the same osprey that participated in a chase around the nest site at around 14.13??
Now where is my dictionary...........?
the LG team did you proud when you were away Richard. Glad to hear you enjoyed the Bird Fair. Am sure Mallachie will go when she is good and ready - maybe she intends missing out the "stop over" en route south. EJ well what can you say, she has been such a devoted Mum but she obviously just wants to make sure Mallachie is good to go before she departs herself. Such devotion.
Greetings to you Hyperboreans( it is a good word, boondocks doesn't do you justice) and thanks for update, How strange to still have EJ? Glad all seems well and look forward to eventual progress,of those still with us
ALAN: Perhaps one of us had better start knitting a Christmas stocking for Mallachie to hang from the tree.Pity she only likes fish, will only be able to put a tin of pilchards in it, & no oranges.
Good to have you back, Richard though Katie did a sterling job! Don't you just wonder where Odin and Gartin are????????
Richard, as usual thank you for your comprehensive report.
Just a comment for fellow bloggers. If EJ brought a fish at 9am and Mallachie was being viewed on the still camera. What happened to that fish, as Pru reported Mallachie with fish at 10.51am. Did Mallachie have the fish in her talons when viewed earlier or was Garten still around and received first fish at 9pm.
Lindybird : I think I will leave the knitting to you. Not my forte. What do you think we should get Mallachie for Chrismas? A set of fish forks and knives?
This is getting silly. Better get back to my "sensible" IR mode.
FAB
Brenda H
Richard does say that Garten has not been seen since 8.30 pm yesterday so did not receive EJ's fish this morning. The live camera was down at the time the fish was delivered which is why there are no reports.