Balgavies Loch Ospreys

Lovely photos KaiTai & thank you for keeping us up to date with the happenings from this nest!

I admit I'm mainly a lurker at this forum, but I'm happy to contribute when I can. The second chick fledged yesterday and made it back safely to the nest. The elder one is already practicing fishing skills with small dives in the loch.

Thank You very much for this information Roberto, much appreciated.   It is nice to know that both chicks have fledged successfully.    It is a wonderful location to visit, a small hide but very special.  

Unknown said:

I admit I'm mainly a lurker at this forum, but I'm happy to contribute when I can. The second chick fledged yesterday and made it back safely to the nest. The elder one is already practicing fishing skills with small dives in the loch.

Welcome to the forum. 

Do you think that ospreys that live surrounded by water have an advantage in that they get an opportunity to hone their fishing skills? 

As far as I know a Loch Garten chick has not been reported as having caught a fish before migration since 2006. 

HilaryJ said:

Tiger

'As far as I know a Loch Garten chick has not been reported as having caught a fish before migration since 2006. '

Would we know if they did?  Why bring a fish back where it might be grabbed by a hungry sibling?

Well since 2008 they have been tracked so we know if they could have caught fish or not. 

A tracker will not tell us definately if an osprey has caught a fish or not.

I have watched many juvenile ospreys skim the surface of the loch picking up twigs - the tracker would give us maybe the location and height but not tell us if they actually caught a fish or not.

Young ospreys at lochter have caught fish before they have migrated and am sure some in other locations where the nest overlooks the fishing loch such as Balgavies they may have done so.

Trouble with Loch Garten is the fishing grounds is well away from the nest area so we do not know (They do not fish in L Mallachie or L Garten). I do understand some of the tracked birds from LG since 2008 have visited nearby lochs where ospreys fish but we have no evidence of them catching or not before starting their migration - maybe or maybe not.

Well - finished work and off to see what these new flying juveniles are doing at lochter.

Thanks for the update Roberto!  Glad to know the other chick has fledged successfully too!  Will have to see what they are up to when I get the chance :D

I did not mean that the elder juvenile caught any fish, I didn't even see the typical posture of an osprey scanning the water before taking a plunge - and definitely saw no fish caught. It fully entered the water talons first and managed to take off again "rowing" in the water with its wings many times though. I believe it was something between practicing and having some fun as young of many species deserve :-)

The second chick seems not fully confident yet and I only saw a single circle made today. Confidence is actually the only way we can tell them apart now, they will likely be not easily distinguished shortly - they are not ringed.

I'm leaving the area tomorrow and will be unable to provide further news on the nest, but I'm looking forward to hear from you all. Many thanks for what you teach with your posts.

Few pictures taken today showing one of dives seen. No doubt our little friend could not aim at any target possibly swimming below aquatic plants :-)