OK - so it isn't quite Mark Twain, but I am sure something similar would have been going through EJ's head on Saturday evening after the whole osprey team had declared that she had started her migration South - alas, we were wrong as she turned up on the nest bright and early at 6.30 this morning. Why had we come to the conclusion that she had left? On Saturday Henry arrives at the nest with a fish, there is no sign of EJ - infact, there was no sign of EJ all day, add the fact that it was Friday afternoon when she was last positively identified and we all thought she had gone - fortunately not, as her presence was very much required today.
At just after 12.30pm this afternoon both Henry and EJ suddenly appear from nowhere and start mantling on the nest, above them, two further ospreys - intruders again; add the two buzzards a little higher above those and we had quite a crowded sky for a few minutes. Between them our resident couple did manage to see off the rogue ospreys, the buzzards simply drifted over the top oblivious of the commotion below them. Could Henry have seen these two birds off by himself? Possibly, but the presence of EJ did make it a lot more of an easy task.
That in mind it wont be long before our female does decide to leave; under normal circumstances (chicks etc) our female would be heading in the direction of Africa around the first or second week of August, the absence of chicks will mean an earlier exit so don't be surprised if she is gone in the next few days.
Other news from the centre....... loads of red squirrels as usual, the juvenile great spotted woodpecker is keeping our visitors entertained and it is officially Xmas as our shop has started to sell Christmas cards!!!! Roll on the snow.
If you want to specifically help the Loch Garten Osprey Team 2007, you might consider supporting the RSPB. You can do this online via the RSPB website: http://www.rspb.org.uk/join, if you add the code PR08, your membership will be credited to the Loch Garten team.