Yesterday was a fairly normal sort of day the usual crop of news stories. Then at around 4pm the news broke that Millicent had perished. It is the bad news that I had been half expecting when there had been no news on Monday. News delayed often means it is bad.
The 2014 Loch Garten Osprey Season had started so promising. EJ arrived back on the 24th March and Odin arrived earlier than ever on 30 March. No need to worry about his rival Blue XD this year as he was still in Spain.
So the season got off to an unusually tranquil start.
After only 13 days the egg from which Millicent would hatch was laid. As is usual with EJ this egg hatched after dark on the night of Monday 19 May.
Then 56 days later on Sunday 12 July she took to the skies claiming her name as the osprey who was the 100th to fledge at Loch Garten.
42 days after her first flight Millicent began the first long journey. She reached the Senegal river and seemed settled there until 17 January 2015 when she suddenly flew south much to the dismay of many of her fans. She flew down to Sierra Leone but after a short exploration she headed north again.
She arrived at her last destination on 5 February 2015 and came to harm within days.
A sad end to a lovely young osprey.
I am sure that all of you will want to share your memories of her.
Tiger Signature
The memory I will always treasure was actually meeting her in "the feather".
After a coldish week on shift at LG the whole experience was topped off with ringing and tagging...
To be so close to her and Lttle Miss Sixty was a privelege .
Wendy I thought of you when we got this sad news as I knew you were there.
It is so very sad that Millicent has perished, it would have been so special for the 100th Loch Garten chick to return home and have a successful breeding life.
My first visit of the 2014 season to Loch Garten was on 23rd of May, but EJ was sitting tightly on her chicks the whole time I was there, so I was back the next day and saw her feeding her chicks, this photo was taken from the monitor @ 12.55 pm that day, which shows Millicent at the back, and little Druie was in there too at the front but we cannot see her in this photo.. I visited again for 10 days in July around fledging time, and was at LG nearly every day, Millicent was a beautiful young Osprey, it is heartbreaking that she was not one of the survivors. I have many fond memories of her from all those visits.
I am sure Scylla has some lovely videos of Millicent that she could add to this thread too. Please do Scylla!
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
Mary - what a lovely memorial picture you have made for Millicent. She was indeed a very special bird and will never be forgotten.
So very sad to lose her, she seemed to be doing so well, I had great hopes of her returning one day, especially as she was the 100th chick but it was not to be.
Rita - I think we all had high hopes for Millicent, it would have been so very special if she had returned, what joy that would have brought, but one of these days!
MaryGK - Thank you for posting your lovely tribute to Millicent, and also the picture of her as a tiny chick. She will not be forgotten.
I must learn how to post photos ad I have amazing shots of the 2 girls in their cardboard box...... Ahhh :-)