It looks like Odin has won the battle of the birds, but is the war over? After days of fighting off the advances of the rival male osprey, it looks like Odin has come out the victor.
It all started a week ago when a persistent male osprey ignored the warning calls of our resident pair, EJ and Odin, and instead relentlessly continued to fight Odin for the nest. It later became clear that he not only wanted Odin’s nest, but he wanted his mate too. As the intruder skydanced and brought fish in for EJ, Odin had to fight even harder to hold claim over his domain. Most of his energy was being spent on chasing away this determined adversary, and in turn prevented him from leaving the nest to fish. However, Odin upped his game and found a clever change of tactic to outwit the young usurper. Setting out at first light to go fishing allowed him to return to EJ with a fish, keeping her happy, and freed him up for a day of nest defending.
However, the contender for EJ’s affections soon picked up on this clever ploy and seized the opportunity to move in on the nest whilst Odin was absent, even bringing in a fish for EJ whilst Odin was away. In Odin’s absence, EJ has done her best to thwart the intruder’s attempts to land on the nest, although she hasn’t been fussy enough to turn down any fish he has dropped at the nest for her! It has been a stressful time for her too as she has tried her best to keep the intruder off the nest, whilst making sure her precious eggs are not broken in the chaos.
One morning saw Odin bring a fish in just before 7am and earning only a moments peace before his challenger was back to duel for the day. Odin was gone for most of the day, and we were starting to wonder if we were ever going to see him again. When he finally did return hours later, he dropped onto the nest, exhausted, and EJ stood up to let him take over incubation. As he sat on the eggs, his eyes soon closed, clearly worn out, whilst EJ softly chirped over him. It is hard not to romanticise and humanise these two when you watch them so closely day after day, but those chirps from EJ sounded like a gentle reassurance to Odin, telling him that it was going to be ok and that she was glad to see him again – or maybe that was my own thoughts? Either way, it was very touching to watch. The moment quickly passed as the intruder arrived at the nest again, and Odin took back to the sky to resume the battle.
Odin falls asleep, exhausted from defending his nest, whilst EJ softly chirps to him
Yesterday was a calmer day. After an initial intrusion in the morning, the pair were left in relative peace. There was an intruder in the early afternoon but this was a female and not the male we have been seeing over the past week. Odin brought a fish for EJ in the morning and he was sat close by for most of the day in his favourite perch on the Camera Tree. We hope we have seen the last of the intruder, but at least for now Odin has had a day off to recuperate and relax. Well done Odin!
Odin, looking victorious yesterday
Breagha
Breagha is still in the same general area of Senegal but has done two longish distance round trips of 12 km NW to close to the mouth of the Casamance River. Is his increased activity over the last week or so an indication of itchy talons to move N, improving fishing prospects, less meddlesome adult birds in the vicinity or just being an unpredictable Osprey? We will never know but long may his activities continue!