google earth streetwalk
IN THE HUMAN BREAST HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL
In February we said goodbye to Millicent, EJ's 100th chick to fledge from the famous nest. We continue to watch Breagha, our only remaining tagged osprey juvenile.
In March we await the arrival of EJ and Oden, to start another family of fascinating bobbleheads.
The Republic of Ireland is very much a Pharmaceutical Business and generally when I go over there work within this industry.
As for St Patricks Day it is both a religious celebration and a national holiday.
How do they celebrate - Generally leave Ireland and descend on The Cheltenham Festival as this normally co-incides around the same date.
Seriously very much celebrated in the same manner in Dublin as in Boston MA. However religious leaders have recently expressed concern about the secularisation of St Patrick's Day.
COUNTDOWN FOR LOCH GARTEN NEST
3 days till EJ'S RETURN on Wed March 25th @ 3;30 pm
9 days till ODIN'S RETURN on Wed March 31
This is my story and I'm sticking with it. :)
We all know that any countdown is just a guess. This countdown is my own "calculation" so it became my "official guess" on Tiger's prediction thread. On the final time count, my guess is #28 in a total of 57 -- which puts it pretty close to the exact center of the guessed times. The earliest has already come and gone. There are four gueses for today at various times.
Earliest guess was Pica, March 31 at 15:17. Latest guess was Susan D Tues March 31 14:50. No one guessed into April for a date.
At this point all I can say is "The sooner the better"!
Again, while we wait for EJ.
It seems the Alcoa ospreys are getting their cake pan nest built up somewhat.
I always thought the Alco nest was pretty much flat on the top of the dam. Not so!
Welcoming news on my arrival in Ireland - That the resident male at Loch of the Lowes returned to the loch yesterday and landed on the nest early this morning.
Also Thanks to TIGER who's Osprey News Bulletin with links to LOTL Blog confirming this alerted me on my I phone as I landed as it always does.
However - I will say I am not as excited just yet as some on these threads are.
You have to remember the pairing at this nest which have been together for three previous years have produced one chick in 2012 which we have no evidence of it getting past Spain or its first Novemeber.
Likewise in 2013 - Three "Dud" eggs and a chick that never reached a year old.
In 2014 this nest failed completely and this is not what we wish for in Scotland.
At present osprey pairs are fairly stable in Scotland some years are good with an increase then we have a dip year again keeping them fairly stable.
If we are to see this nest at LOTL then a pairing with this resident male and his previous partner the female resident is not going to work. I am not saying I do not wish her back I am just saying at present am not too excited as some are.
Likewise another reason I oppose the destruction of a nest at Strathallan Castle which was very successful last year.
With the chance of returning to breed as an adult osprey less than 20% we need as many successful nests and chicks as we can sustain not zero chicks or one chick. I do believe despite Scotland being stable it can sustain higher numbers and is short of what we expect.
BLUE XD some peoples favourite male osprey left his wintering grounds on 18th March and is making good progress through Mauritania.
Previous tracks for him in spring last year saw him leave on 16th march and never got to his nest until April 12th and by that time Odin and EJ were well settled in.
However he was grounded for some time by bad weather through France.
We do not have details of his journey in 2012 when he came in and settled on the LG nest on March 28th and kept EJ warm for four days until Odin returned. Now that was a fun year. Wonder when he started his migration in 2012.
Well off now for a walk around Bunratty and get a good pint of Guiness. Its a lovely evening.
Keith, I didn't help much with your search for a good place for a Guiness, as you suggested. However, I'm sure you will do fine with that on your own.
Here is a bit of what I did find. As I said it is VERY green.
Keith, are you SURE you want to say here???
However, after looking around a wee bit more, I decided you might survive a day or two'