News from other nests 2013/2014

Both chicks are now fledged at Caerlaverock but no "official" announcement but ENS has been a common view for a couple of days evidently

Yes, from the comments on the website it appears they both fledged on Friday.

Estonia-Latvia Joint Eagle Project - RINGING/MEASURING/WEIGHING THE OSPREY CHICKS 17 JULY 2014

CAM 

The video of this was uploaded by "Mia A", I have snipped out highlights, reducing it from 15+ minutes to 4.  I was wondering what Roy and Richard would think of it, as well as your goodselves ;-)

This starts just as it recovers from a long freeze:

This is Mia's original for those who have time:

One of them just had a good dig at both its rings:

I shall record them to see how they're going.

There's just been a fish delivery for the kalakotkas chicks, they look well :-)

Waiting:

Here it is:

There is a great little TV news clop showing Nel from the Nelson nest at OWL. The whole film is worth watching as there's also a bald eagle and some owls, but Nel's bit starts about 7 minutes in...

Here it is

Nel's weight seems to be catching up quite well, but feather growth still seems very stunted at this point... 

Great to see that Choco, many thanks for posting!  Poor Nel looked very frightened &, as you say, feather growth slow especially head areas ... still, was very surprised to see how big she is!

Yes, s/he has grown quite well in terms of weight - head feathers seem actually more on schedule than the rest of body, can see the start of some growth on wings and back, but given s/he's about the same age as other chicks at ringing, can see a big difference.  Seems doubtful will catch up enough to fledge in time to meet this year's migration window, and I fear more likely to end up a captive bird used for public education. But let's see what happens...

I don't think s/he looked any more frightened than any other chick would be if surrounded by humans and cameras and lights etc - s/he didn't have a parent telling him or her to go into thanatosis of course, so posture looks a bit unusual to us I guess!

Chocoholix - Thank you for posting the video coming from OWL.  Nel is certainly a lot bigger than she was.  I do hope though that she can eventually be released, but time will tell.

Ah poor little Nel, she doesn't look very great but Ospreys don't do well in captivity.  I can't think that camera lights and lots of humans chatting together with an open day to look forward to will be helpful to her stress levels.  However, at least she is alive, with a chance to be be released, which she would not have had, had OWL not intervened.