Writing this post has now become a monthly ritual. Last month I wrote about how by now all the various ospreys would be back back and they would all be starting to produce a new lot of little humbugs. Well I was very wrong as that is not how this season has progressed at all.
The year 2005 was a horror year in that an awful lot of ospreys did not come back. The thing was that there was no social media in 2005 and we were not so aware of what was happening as we are now. Nowadays the power social media makes us more aware of what is happening on a almost minute to minute basis.
Anyway from the 15 March the great osprey watch was on. Then first two days did not yield any ospreys. However late on 17th March we heard that the great patriarch of Rutland viz 3 (97) was back. There was a great sigh of relief as he was injured last year and people wondered if he would be back.
The feeling was that the birds would start rolling in at an ever increasing rate. Well nothing could be further from the truth. Day after day has passed and the only thing remarkable is the paucity of the ospreys.
There have been the odd good day but they been few and far between. On 19th March the Glaslyn female arrived and most people thought that 11 (98) would not be far behind. Well not so, there is no sign of him and he is now roughly 12 days late and getting later by the minute.
Neither EJ or Odin have appeared either. Lots of the countdown clocks are turning red and look like screens in the stock market on the infamous Black Monday.
There is the odd crumb of comfort. The tracked birds like Blue XD, Beatrice, 30 (05) are all on their way but making heavy weather of it in their various ways.
We hope that weather is the explanation for this strange situation and that the ospreys will all begin to arrive soon. Otherwise 2015 will long be remembered as a calamity year.
There is the odd ray of hope. The partner of 3 (97) did turn up on the 24 March. Also the Loch of the Lowes male turned up on time on 21 March. Yesterday he was joined by a new female. So at least we have two pairs of ospreys.
We await developments with great interest.
Tiger Signature
Thanks for that, Tiger. I must confess that those tracked birds are giving me hope that all the late birds - including our EJ - are only late. I can't tell you how much I'm hoping that the next week or two sees a huge rush of held-up ospreys.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Clare Bailey said: Thanks for that, Tiger. I must confess that those tracked birds are giving me hope that all the late birds - including our EJ - are only late. I can't tell you how much I'm hoping that the next week or two sees a huge rush of held-up ospreys.
Yes if we did not have any tracking then this situation would seem even worse.
Hazel b said: There is the odd ray of hope. The partner of 3 (97) did turn up on the 24 March. Also the Loch of the Lowes male turned up on time on 21 March. Yesterday he was joined by a new female. So at least we have two pairs of ospreys.
Actually three pairs, Rutland Site L were both back by the end of March.
Thanks for the interesting intro Tiger. I am not too familiar with 2005 as I did not follow back then but from what you post, I certainly hope it is not repeated.
With the lack of ospreys around and me being the optimist I am, I am not really thinking of them as being overdue as yet. I am now trying to find out and looking at the latest dates they have arrived back and it doesn't look so bad :-)
I see that in 2012, Maya arrived back on the 1 April so hopefully we'll see her today.
An excellent introduction to the new month Tiger, as always.
Hopefully there will soon be a tsunami of ospreys :)
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
Now a look back to the only April arrival of EJ at Loch Garten
Some things were a bit different then. Some the same :)
I enjoyed your preface to the new month, thank you TIGER. I don't really understand where XD is . I've sent you a PM
Unknown said: I enjoyed your preface to the new month, thank you TIGER. I don't really understand where XD is . I've sent you a PM
Yes I was thinking the same myself. It is very hard to know where Blue XD was until you looked at the wider view.I hope this view helps
I think that he is near Zaragoza.
New blog from Jen - Osprey Team 2015
Thank you TIGER - now I need to spot Zaragoza :) Got it !! up north
my first edit didn't '''take'' for some reason