Re: LG Osprey Gabfest - April, 2012

Nests, nests, nests and more nests! Nests here, nests there, nests everywhere! Barn owl nests; humming bird nest in California; eagle nest in Norfolk, Virginia; osprey nest in Dunedin, Florida; eagle nest in Decatur, Iowa; red-tailed hawk nest in New York City; Osprey nests in Wales, England and Scotland!  Oh, you say there’s one at Loch Garten?  Where is that??

With all these nests, each of them fascinating in its own way, it isn’t surprising that the number of threads on the Loch Garten forum has proliferated. And the number seems to be growing daily.

I am reminded of a true story from my childhood.  My younger sister, 4 or 5 years of age, had an imaginary playmate. This playmate had a name and a
personality and was well known to the entire family.  We discussed her activities along with other family activities.  This playmate acquired a friend, who also had a name. The first playmate got a mother, a father, siblings, more playmates.  Each new person was less distinctive than the preceding ones had been, until the original playmate herself started becoming less defined. Eventually the entire scheme dissipated into its own vagueness.  I can no longer remember the imaginary playmate's name or any of her daily activities. When I recently asked my sister,she had no memory of any imaginary playmate at all.

My point is, with the many threads and wide variety of interests now available  on the Loch Garten Osprey Forum, are we in danger of losing focus on our reason for being, the Osprey nest at Loch Garten.

March launched The Gabfest into an exciting, joyous beginning to the  roller coaster ride that is the 2012 Osprey season with the expected, but early, arrival of EJ back at her Loch Garten home. We then took a sharp emotional plunge as, not Odin, but a strange male joined EJ to begin mating and housekeeping.

Now as April  begins, we hold onto our seats as we wonder “What next?”  When will Odin arrive?  Or will he? When and if he does, what will
happen?  Most of us seem to think Blue XD  will not willingly leave the sweet set-up he so easily gained.  April should tell who will parent our LG
chicks this year.  And so the roller coaster continues.

EJ stands on the nest at attention.  Everything is so quiet, I think the cam is off. But no, there is movement: a ruffling of feathers, a slight shift of step, nothing more.

Good morning June...and everyone.

Thank you for your insightful opening statement..yes or reason for being is "our" Ospreys. However the reason I am posting here is that this is the fun thread, it brings me sunshine, fun and laughter.. The Gabfest is exactly that a celebration of gabbing.. As our own SUNSHINE posted a few days ago, almost anything goes here.. So long as it is fun, the topic especially at this time always comes back to the wonderful creatures that we all know and love .

June  Thanks for starting off a new month of the Gabfest. The Gabfest took 2547 posts last month the second biggest thread in the forum ever.

In my view the gabfest has brought a lot of fun to a lot of people and I hope I feel sure it will continue to do so.

 

 

June thank you for starting the April Gabfest and a brilliant opening as usual to what as started out to be a very exciting season.

Yes Tiger and Jag it is a fun thread and because of it I have learnt so much and without it I would not.

It is Jim's birthday, he is an April Fool.  

One of his presents is a new keyboard for my pc which he broke. It has a key missing and you have to poke your finger in the hole. Such an exciting present lol

JUNE - A Good Day to you and can only endorse what BJ and TIGER and B & B have posted already. This is my Number 1 Thread which I always look for and now in favourites thanks to TIGERS assistance.

The reason, The Friendships, The Fun and the reason we are here The Ospreys all mixed into one thread and as SUNSHINE says You are my type of people.

Reading your introductory can I quote some lines from Wildlife Village.

The main purpose of Ospreys northerly migration, is to reproduce, and so increase their population. So they cannot afford to speculate on whether their regular mates have survived migration in either direction, they must take the earliest opportunity to maximise their chances, and what we are seeing is just that. Seen through the imaginative eye, it is amusing to speculate on the impending potential rivalries, as and when more birds return to these shores.

We have seen this through March and as we move into April we must now think ahead to:-

Welcome, my good friends, to the OSPREY “SILLY SEASON!!”

The season is yet young, there is MUCH drama ahead, and many players waiting in the wings

Thank you JUNE

Keith I agree that what you say is soundly based but if it were the whole story then tardy ospreys would never get a look in. The fact that tardy ospreys exists must mean that the early one do not hold all the aces.

Now I have my own thoughts about tardy ospreys but I was wondering what your thoughts might be?

 

Good Morning All

Thank you June for another great opener, I can't believe how fast the months are flying by, as Keith says now it's Osprey "Silly season"  & it's kicked off to a very interesting start,  It's just a shame the cameras are playing up,

I'm looking forward to the drama to unfold,

Thanks to all on the Gabfest for making this such a friendly & informative place to be

TIGER - Yes Tardy ospreys exist and a good example last season was Nimrod - He is tardy and never returned to his nest until around 17/4/2011 last season and as a result failed to get a mate - they were all taken.

He did late in the season find a mate in August probably a first year return.

The early returns certainly do not hold all the aces but do have a good hand - They do play their Ace and very often win the Queen.

When is a bird Tardy - certainly not April 1st and certainly not for a male - The birds we have seen so far are early birds wanting to get back to their nests early.

Nimrod 17/4 - yes "Tardy for an established adult."

Keith  I think that one factor is the weather. I think that 2005 was a horrible year for returning ospreys. I think the reason was that a lot of them got swept out to sea. If you remember Henry came back in a horrible state on 25th April 2005. Now as far as I know EJ as she was early escaped that year. However you can imaginethat depending it could be an advantage to be in one group or the other.

I presume you remember Nethy getting "lost" in the desert. It was later thought to be because of a sand storm.

Since you have spent time in the desert you must have seen ospreys come and try to drink at oily puddles. I have had reports that this does happen. I cannot imagine it helps the ospreys.

Morning ALL. A beautifully sunny, though chilly, morning here despite the BBC having previously forecast cloud.

Thanks June for starting the April Gabfest. Your words are not lost on me and I do understand your concerns. Having said that I am sure that focus on the LG nest will never be diluted to any great extent despite all the other interests.

Agree with you all that the Gabfest is friendly, lighthearted (mostly) and fun.

TIGER (OILY PUDDLES) absolutely it happens regularly and the last plant I visited this thing happens all the time - I am not singling out just Opspreys here but many raptors and other migrating birds.

The plant I was at in September in the Sahara had a type of open reservoir for what we call Well Waste Water - Water is also used for injection to uplift the oil. This water remains just like a reservoir an oily water reservoir. The process engineer took me out to see the devastation and daily they uplift birds from this reservoir during migration periods.

I can not mention the operator here but is a famous one and I wrote to their environmental department regarding this and measures to prevent this happening but then this falls on deaf ears. The problem is this plant and many others are hundreds of miles into the Sahara and the birds see this reservoir as a source then disaster.

It is not a pleasant topic but will share this experience with my friends here rather than PM you on this subject as it is a reality and correctly raised by yourself..

Typical oil plant Waste Water Pond.

And the results.

Yes I remember well and was worried having spent many years in the sahara  - 10 -13 October 2008 Nethy lost her way in Algeria probably due to Sandstorms.

They will bring a bird to the ground very easily.

As I have said unfavourable weather conditions especially easterly winds at spring migration can be very hazardous as was both 2005 and 2007..

 

ChloeB

Agree with you all that the Gabfest is friendly, lighthearted (mostly) and fun.

Hello ChloeB - And as well as that TIGER and I and Others including Your Good Self  also like to talk business here and I like that because we share that with our Gabfest Friends who are interested in our topical talk even though they sometimes just want to read and digest.

By the way it is winter again in The Highlands.

Keith Rogers

Yes I remember well and was worried having spent many years in the sahara  - 10 -13 October 2008 Nethy lost her way in Algeria probably due to Sandstorms.

They will bring a bird to the ground very easily.

As I have said unfavourable weather conditions especially easterly winds at spring migration can be very hazardous as was both 2005 and 2007..

 

You probably saw this one before but I ejoyed finding the exact post. I remember that morning had a dull  dank feeling about it and the post referred to added to the surreal feeling.