Guest blog by Dr. Innes Sim Conservation Scientist at the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science
Mixed success for first nesting attempts
While most of the first nesting attempts of the season have hatched successfully, we have also recorded more complete nest failures than normal. At most of these failed sites the nests are simply empty, with no clues as to what has happened to the eggs and/or chicks. However, we suspect that the majority of these failed nests have been predated by mustelids (stoats and weasels), since there are no foxes or crows on this sporting estate. Sometimes, we find evidence that the female ouzel has also been predated, with piles of adult feathers close to the nest.
Photo of the remains of a probable predated female ouzel near nest site by Innes Sim
Sadly, the female at this nest was a great-great-grand-daughter of the super-ouzel. So, it looks like she may have been predated - but then again she may have escaped. Time will tell...So, this shows the peril of nesting on the ground for species such as ring ouzel, and why most of them try to make at least 2 breeding attempts every year in order to rear enough young to sustain their populations. Having said that, the majority of nesting attempts in Glen Clunie are successful, and we expect to be ringing most of these during the last week of May
Photo of a brood of 5-day old ouzel nestlings by Innes Sim.
Super-ouzel hatches another brood!
Well he’s done it again - our star male, who is paired to a first-year female hatched in Glen Clunie in 2015, has hatched his 13th brood out of 13 breeding attempts since 2008. Hopefully they will go on to successfully raise these chicks to fledging. One of his great-grand-daughters, hatched in 2011, is now 5 years old and has reared around 24 young herself
Photo of the great-grand-daughter of super-ouzel by Innes Sim.
Unfortunately, her first breeding attempt this year was unsuccessful, but the chances are that she will have a second attempt somewhere close by in the coming weeks.
Other species doing well
Glen Clunie is rich in upland bird populations of several species, such as curlew, lapwing and of course red grouse. The first red grouse chicks were seen on 23 May, most of the lapwings now have chicks, and we expect the first curlews to hatch very soon. There is also a healthy population of kestrels in the glen, plus a few pairs of buzzards
Photo of a buzzard nest with 3 eggs on a small crag in Glen Clunie by Innes Sim.
And last week I watched 2 otters playing in the river, only 150m from the main road running through the glen. These are the first ones that I’ve seen in the glen since I started working there in 1998, so you just never know what you’re going to see next...
For more information about our Ring ouzel field work take a look at our blogs 'Unravelling what is needed to save the Ring ouzel' and 'Searching for the super Ring ouzel'.