Re: Talks By Roy Dennis on Monday 7th May and Monday 28th May. Questions to Ask?

As you may know there are talking in Boat of Garten by Roy Dennis on Monday 7th May and Monday 28th May,

What are the questions you would like to put to him if you were present?

Hopefully if anyone is present some of the questions can be put?

I would like an update from Blue XD/Green J's nest

Like you and I suspect many others Tiger I would like to know if Rothiemurchus has completed another transit of the Bay of Biscay and where he is now. We may well have a web-site update from Roy by Monday, but if not it would be good to know.

On a wider point, I'd like to know Roy's view on whether the weather over the last couple of weeks is likely to have the same impact on hatchings this year as the  storms had last year.  

My question that I have is....."What evidence has Roy seen of parent osprey, trying to teach fledglings to fish, prior to their first migration?" Is this a myth, or does it happen? I do not know of any such evidence. I have looked at the LG satellite tracks, over the years, of the young birds, they seem to me to be making the business of flying their first priority, then the reduction in feeding phase, by the parents, causes their migration instinct to kick in, before they have sometimes, not even seen a body of water, let alone tried to fish. I don't think I am exaggerating, well, they have seen Loch Garten, but since it is no use for fishing, it would probably put them off the idea!!

I guess this poses a second part to the question. Has Roy ever seen a fledgling at the natal site or nearby, eating a fish, that could not have been supplied by one of the parents, or another osprey?

I have tagged this 'teaching osprey to fish', for future searches.

We are going to be there on 28th - so could ask questions which are left unanswered after the first one on 7th - but please not a huge list!

Good question jsb. I was also going to ask if Roy has any information about osprey egg pigmentation, but that is probably better answered by scientific research

original goldfinch,

If I were at the talk, my questions would be:-

1. Whether or not there are sufficient nesting sites in the UK for all the returning young Ospreys.

2. Do Scandinavian Ospreys overfly the UK and are therefore reported as sightings.

ClaireM

2. Do Scandinavian Ospreys overfly the UK and are therefore reported as sightings.

ClaireM, I think I can answer the last part as regretfully a Scandinavian bird was found shot in Sussex last year so clearly they do pass over at least the southern half of the Country.

in answer to one of ClaireM question, yes there are enough nest sites, if they do come back, the concern of a lot of members is some of the comments re the loch garten ospreys, which I e-mailed Roy about, but have yet not got a reply, is out of all the radio taged birds from loch garten, NONE had returned ?? Alan

ClaireM

1. Whether or not there are sufficient nesting sites in the UK for all the returning young Ospreys.

The most recent published figures I've seen were the Rare breeding bird panel's report for 2009, this gave the following numbers: A total of 171-191 for the whole of the UK, including 6 in England & 3 in Wales. From these there is obviously plenty of room for pairs in the UK although some areas in Scotland will be at capacity. 

Thanks, Mike and Vespa, for answering the questions. OG will probably be relieved!

Oh in looking for an answer to the question about nesting sites look at what I found.

 This is one I had not seen before.

See    this  The Osprey in Scotland

Back in 1996 Roy Dennis explained that there is a huge competition for nesting space in those areas of Scotland where the osprey have recolonised. This is why the various translocations were embarked upon.

That is interesting Tiger, thanks.

Thanks Tiger - good to read about the translocation again.

Anyone going to the talk tomorrow (Monday 7th May 2012)?