Yesterday afternoon (according to those on the scene - it was among a lot of detail that we missed due to severe cam problems), the orange-chested male intruder "OC" dropped a fish onto the nest, and after a starving EJ took it away to eat it the carnage began.
In brief!
Anyone looking?
The orange-eyed destroyer. (I have to say, unfairly I know, that he has none of the "gorgeousness" of Odin the Magnificent.)
EJ returned with the tail-end of the fish, which she continued to eat despite the scene that greeted her:
EJ cleared the ground and proceeded to incubate the one egg that appears to be left intact:
The threat to the surviving egg is great:
OC won't have it easy, he may not even prevail in the longer term - the other intruders are still on the case:
To cap it all after a long and harrowing day, it seemed that EJ was disturbed, probably by the pine marten, just before midnight:
IMAGICAT
scylla said:Much earlier in this thread I mentioned you and CHLOE in the context of being personally invested in this couple - I mean EJ and Odin - and finding this more difficult than dire times in the past. I thought that you two, among others I can't name, would know, having been thru so much more than some of us, including me.
Well there was Deshar. The Wee Yin getting beaten to death in 2008 and chick 3 in 2012...the list goes on.
Tiger Signature
Dear all,
I was following the hole story with holded breath for the last two weeks and have benefited from your input without giving anything in return, because when I had caught up in the end of a day, reading the daily updates, I had the feeling that everything is said.
Without this threads I had been lost, so its time for me to say:
MANY THANKS to all the dedicated record keepers, espacially SCYLLA! I can't praise you enough!
It is also good, not to be alone with the sad feelings.
I still cannot believe what happened with our high hopes in the beginning of a seemingly harmonic season.
I think, we all know, that OC is not a criminal but just a very determined Osprey with normal behaviour, though perhaps unexperienced. If EJ is willing to give him a chance at last, I will do too (what does not minimize my sorrow and grief for Odin!).
Perhaps it is good that it is not our decision but EJs.
But the last word is not written in this sad story, we can only wait...
Thanks, Tiger - I should probably put this on the technical test thread, but I would quite like to look at photos of Alba again, and I don't know how to do it (newbie on the forum, still in reception class).
Just what we all feared would happen but hoped against hope that the remaining egg would survive. I hope now that EJ gets a good feed and some exercise and goes on to choose a better partner than OC! Thoughts are with you all.
Oldshoremore said: Thanks, Tiger - I should probably put this on the technical test thread, but I would quite like to look at photos of Alba again, and I don't know how to do it (newbie on the forum, still in reception class).
I will find the pictures of Alba and link to the chat thread.
Whether this male succeeds in holding this nest and EJ remains to be seen. There are (as Scylla said) sporadic intrusions.
I personally don't think that EJ is in good enough condition to lay eggs now. She has been food and excersize deprived for the last few days. A second clutch I feel would not be viable anyway.
Birdie Num Num's brilliant DU summary 2017
Are we to infer that maybe Caledonia and Alba could have been from Blue XD and not Odin? OC then being a relation.
Hazel b said:I will find the pictures of Alba and link to the chat thread
Hazel b said:Well there was Deshar. The Wee Yin getting beaten to death in 2008 and chick 3 in 2012...the list goes on.
I think that people are really upset, not only because of the loss of eggs. They were Odin's eggs, and it's like loosing the last link with Odin the Magnificent.
scylla said:The Monster Among Us!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr