It is hard to believe it is the last month of ospreys for most nests. Yes the big flight south is about to begin. Indeed the female at Threave is reported as having left on 24 July. My view is that she probably went on sabbatical and will look in again just to check that Black 80 is looking after the bairns.
In 2004 EJ left the nest on 31 July before chick #3 had fledged. She did come back transiently and was last seen on August 10 2004. The big question in everyone's mind is when will the Loch Garten family leave. Well we have good data for EJ and Odin They both tend to leave in the third week in August.Ok the graph that none of you want to see is the migration chart Millicent is 76 days old today and enters the migration window on Monday. Fortunately we can follow her all the way to Africa as she carries a satellite tag.
Then there is Loch of the Lowes. Lady still there but will probably be gone within the week. Will we see her again? I guess we should find out at the end of March 2015.
Glaslyn has been routine in bringing up three healthy chicks that are now ready to head south.
Dyfi has had its excitement with Gwynant fledging at 49 days. Surely one of the most handsome ospreys ever?
Kielder has provided huge excitement too. If anyone ever asks you if you have ever seen all three chicks in the nest fledge in one day? Then the answer is Kielder 1 in 2014. Three very big chicks thunder skywards on the same day.
Three of the Kielder juveniles are tracked and we get to follow them south. This will be the first time ospreys carrying 11 (98) genes are tracked that we know of.
The Nelson nest in British Columbia provided more drama. Nellie (the female) stopped taking fish from the platform and the final chick Nel was rescued to be placed in rehab where it still is.
Then there was mumzilla the female at Woods Hole who gained the reputation of being the baddest mum in Ospreyland. Well the good news is that her three chicks did fledge.
Rob Bierregaard did a question and answer session on osprey where he answered questions on many aspects of ospreys including that old chestnut of juveniles and fishing. See Q&A video on ospreys by Rob Bierregaard
So a last hurrah and then the long wait begins for their return in 2015.
Tiger Signature
Great opening for the August Osprey Chat thread. Thanks Tiger :)
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
ChloeB said: Great opening for the August Osprey Chat thread. Thanks Tiger :)
Thank you. It is becoming a monthly ritual.
BTW. Index to Important Thread has now changed.
Agree with Chloe, a great opening to a month which heralds the departure of many ospreys. A mixed emotion time.
Thank you Tiger, great start to the month. Can't believe we will be saying bye to them all soon.
© Scottish Wildlife Trust - Loch of the Lowes
A great opening summary Tiger.... has this been the quickest season ever? just seems to fly by!
Wonder who the first juvenile will be to migrate, possibly one of the Glaslyn three but then who knows!
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
Succinct as always Tiger! And now the worry begins for the young ones!
Thank you Tiger. Great summary.
Birdies LG DU update.
Morning MIKE
Many thanks Tiger. A useful aide memoire! And we can add that Deri fledged on Friday, 1 August 2014 at 13:24.
I was looking at Garry Ridsdale's wonderful web page of fantastic osprey photos, many of which are from the Loire. It was the photo of Odin which I went to find, and I came across one of Blue XE.
According to to Sue's data, he did not return in 2010, but had been nesting in Rothiemurchus. Is he any relation to Blue XD? The photo carries a 2014 copyright stamp: does that mean the photo was taken this year, I wonder, and he is another who has returned from the grave.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
ShielaFE - Blue XE used to nest in Rothiemurchus but Red 8T took over his nest (A10) when he failed to return in 2010 - never heard of him since.
Assume he also took Blue XE missus as he had two chicks with the female in that nest in 2010.