Good afternoon. Chris here...remember me?

Firstly, apologies for the long wait on this latest blog. The more cynical among you may say that you hadn’t noticed it was any longer than normal but I can assure you that I have had this blog “on ice” for at least ten days. The problem has been our internet connection – lost due to the lightning storms we experienced last week – so I am sorry it has been so long since I last updated you from the nest.

So yes, last week saw the onslaught of thunder and lightning, accompanied by bouts of torrential rain at Loch Garten. I must admit, I managed to sleep through the whole thing, however, arriving here the morning after I was greeted by the sight of four, very damp-looking Ospreys! We’ve also seen a number of intruding Ospreys around the nest recently, causing EJ to mantle and give a very high-pitched alarm call. The sound is usually enough to drive the unwanted bird away, and to force us to turn the microphone down! An unknown Osprey even had the cheek to land on the camera tree next to the nest. I’m all for the “right to roam” but this bird was really pushing it. Whereas I would have taken the softly, softly approach and engaged in polite conversation, explaining to the newcomer that, although they were welcome in the area, this nest was occupied and really warranted the presence of no more birds, EJ decided the best way to deal with the situation was to chase away the intruder while flapping madly and shrieking loudly. Each to their own I suppose. And, to be fair to EJ, she has much more experience than I in raising and protecting Osprey chicks. Where Rowan and Willow represent her 24th and 25th fledglings, I am yet to lay a single egg or, indeed, spend 6 weeks sitting on them while eating only raw fish. I don't have any plans for next summer though so never say never.

There was excitement one morning last week when Julie Q (Retail Manager to the stars) witnessed one of our youngsters, probably Rowan given his slight age advantage, practicing his fishing dive in Loch Garten! The chances are this was instinctive behaviour and a chance to hone the necessary skills rather than a genuine fishing attempt. The water in the loch is incredibly dark due to the peat from the surrounding bog so our birds struggle to pick out fish from the air and therefore never hunt there. It’s great to see the young going through this process, though, as the better they become at catching their own food, the more chance they’ll have of surviving the long migration south and the next couple of years in Africa (or possibly Southern Europe). Rowan and Willow have also started taking fish of the nest to eat on a nearby perch – another necessary skill to learn. This does, however, normally result in at least one or two fish being dropped to the ground, followed by desperate calls for another! Imagine going out to buy fish and chips, getting all the way home, giving it to your child and watching them throw it all over the floor before sitting on the sofa and shouting at you to go and get some more. Kids, eh?

All four of our birds are spending longer and longer away from the nest. For the most part they are probably just perched out of sight somewhere nearby but it does mean there are periods where we can see no Ospreys from the Osprey centre - we are considering changing our name to the Chaffinch Centre. This absence from the nest is yet another sign that the birds are soon to be Arica-bound. If you’re thinking of a visit to Loch Garten, I implore you to come sooner rather than later, while they’re still here. EJ might decide to head off any day now (although we are hopeful she’ll be around for at least another week or two). Don’t get me wrong, once they’re gone, the centre is still worth a visit – not only for all of the other incredible wildlife on show, but also for the chance to meet Nimrod.

                    

Some "other" reasons to visit Loch Garten (top-bottom):

Greenfinch, Red Squirrel, Creeping Lady's-Tresses, Nimrod.

On Sunday 17th July we had a Fun Day here at the Osprey Centre. Families were invited to participate in a host of activities including building an Osprey nest, hunting for minibeasts, meeting trees and creating masterpieces of “wild art”. Face painting was provided by the aforementioned Nimrod, our resident artist, who had a constant queue of at least four children (big and small) eager to have their favourite animal painted on their cheek. I even noticed a couple of staff members who had undergone the paintbrush! It was great to see so many people getting involved and the atmosphere throughout the day was one of fun and laughter. It was especially nice to see that some fairies have made their homes in the trees around the centre...