DAILY UPDATE ~ Loch Garten nest ~ Monday, 24 August 2015

Morning Birdsong and Nannascott. The rain is just as bad here in Bristol. Pouring for most of the day yesterday and again this morning.

Good morning Moffer, Scylla and all. Sorry you didn't get our weekend weather, it was the best we've had all summer! Withdrawal symptoms are having their effect, roll on March.

Just spoke with the VC. They will try to sort the sound out.

There is a new blog coming out today. No sign of Odin since Friday afternoon :( So that really is it :'(( The end of another season. I'll be quite lost.

Thank you VC. Sound is back, I can hear the rain.

Mini intruders have taken over the nest. The most I could count at one time were 6!! Mostly Great Tits, but there was at least 1 Coal Tit and a female/juv Chaffinch too.

As the season is now, apparently, drawing to a close I would like, as an observer rather than a participant, say a very big thank you to all of you who have kept me (and others) up-to-date over the season.

I won’t name any names because I would be bound to omit one and I would hate anyone to fail to get the credit due to them.

As we all know, it has been a most unusual season going from normalcy through sadness to a great opportunity to observe EJ and Odin in other circumstances and to note their favourite places on the reserve.  A most enjoyable opportunity I would say.

Finally a big thank you to all the staff at LG for all their blogs and updates and, of course, a very special THANK YOU to the camera operator(s) for their tracking and finding of EJ and Odin in their various perches.

Look forward to seeing you all again next season.

Blog now with us, sorry I can't post a link - technophobe!

NEW BLOG Farewell Odin :(

Gone Gone and Gone

Good morning to you ALL.   I have spent the last hour and a half watching an ENS.   It is with a very heavy heart that I join you one more time to watch the lives and loves of our favourite nest, currently empty.  Even the wee birds have deserted us at the moment.  And what a season it has been. 

Oh, how happy we were to welcome EJ and then Odin back from their winter holiday, and to see the first eggs laid.  Then the lows of the incessant round of intruders who broke our dreams for chicks in 2015.  Add to that the disappearance of Odin for five days. Little did we know how much enjoyment, entertainment and education we would have over the next few months as we followed EJ and Odin around the reserve, and got to see and recognise their perches, and even more fun to have names for the perches.  The roaming cam has been wonderful. We had so many superb close-up of them both (thank you cam person/people!) I think we saw them as they would be as individuals out in Africa, or Spain, or Portugal or even Morocco, wherever they may go, just chilling, preening, eating, stretching, watching, seeing off those who dare to get too close.  I think the sad thing is that they won't be together until (hopefully) they return in March/April next year.

And of course, there is YOU.  You, who have shared with me all the rollercoaster emotions: the laughter and tears; the hours of pouring over wonderful vids analysing who, what, why and when; and the countless pics by Scylla, Moffer, birdie, Mary, birdsong, Limpy & Clare.  We welcomed CRinger back following his op Grannysmith, Brenda, Lmac, Mike, Patily, Wendyb, Cirrus and Rusty2 all had a major part to play. Thank you to Valerie, birdie; Mary and Wendyb for on-the-spot reports from the VC & FH. I apologise if I have missed anyone out, but wasn't done on purpose, but my poor memory!

I don't know you personally, we probably haven't met, but having spent the last five, nearly six months with you, I feel you are my osprey friends,  and I will miss your company during the dark winter months.  This all feels terribly over the top, but you know what I mean!!  I'm just getting a wee bit emotional.

Edit:  thank you Nannascot for letting us know there is a confirming blog that Odin has gone :(