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
Back again.....and gone.
Birdie Num Num's brilliant DU summary 2017
Straight off again then back.
He has gone again
Edit: And EJ had flown the nest too
EggsA mature female osprey usually lays three eggs at two-day intervals so that it takes five days to complete the full clutch. Very rarely in Scotland we find four eggs laid, but this only happens when the female is in exceptionally good condition. Young females breeding for the first time at three years of age are more likely to produce two eggs in their first clutch, only laying three in later years. The female starts to incubate after laying her first egg. For the human watcher, the best proof that she has laid her first egg is when she is observed to be incubating through the night. The earliest date that we have recorded for the first egg is 10 April but eggs are mostly laid from the middle of April through to the first days of May. Late pairs with young females may lay their eggs later in May, the latest recorded being 23 May. Elsewhere, eggs are laid as early as mid March in the Mediterranean and as late as mid-June in Lapland.
Dennis, Roy (2012-11-06). A Life of Ospreys (Kindle Locations 1108-1115). Booksource. Kindle Edition.
Tiger Signature
Mike B said:Chloe the penultimate paragraph refers to the third egg.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
We are already nearing mid May with no bonding whatsoever so personally I would be happy with her bonding for this season and would hate to see eggs at the end of the month or start of June that would be another potential disaster for LG this year.
Unless oc has a frontal labotomy today and starts bringing fish this ain't going to work.
Thanks Tiger - very informative post. Interesting to see the late laying date for Lapland - maybe the extra daylight in June-July makes up for the northerly latitude.
It says destroyed for the third egg. Without going into gorey details which we all know I think Jen's statement is bang on the money
Empty nest now - wonder if EJ has gone fishing or is just perching nearby?
Far be it for me to moan, but several of the blogs have had omissions and their facts have been wrong. They are doing a hard job at a difficult time, but still, could do better.
This is so reminiscent of the Henry and EJ era