Breagha was one of those chicks that definitely did not have a great start in life. He was hatched from an egg #4 so under normal circumstances he would not have existed and if he did his chances would have been very poor.
However 2013 was not a normal year and EJ was caught cheating with Blue XD yet again. As a result Odin cut up rough and smashed the first two eggs that EJ produced. Then EJ laid another two eggs and Odin accepted them the second one being the one that Breagha hatched from.
Breagha was hatched early in the morning of Tuesday 28 May 2013.
Breagha and his brother Oighrig had a relatively peaceful upbringing and they both fledged at 52 days which is the long term average for Loch Garten.
Breagha was last seen at Loch Garten on Friday 23 August 2013. However since he was tracked we could follow him by satellite. He flew down to the Loire in France and had a long stopover before flying on to west Africa.
He then spent a seemingly uneventful 18 months or so before on 26th May 2015 heading north. He made good progress and arrived at his stopover site in Loire on 16th June 2015.
He decided that this was the limit of his travels and stayed there until late August when he moved south to an area much liked by Rothes the 2009 Loch Garten chick.
That really was it until the sad news of his demise came through yesterday.
We will miss you Breagha and it is sad that you are gone.
Timeline for the 2013 season
Tiger Signature
People might like to add your captures, videos and other memories.
Thank you for starting this thread, Tiger: Breagha will not be forgotten, especially as you say, he should never have existed in the first place, really! I hoped that perhaps he would lead a charmed life but it was not to be.
For me, this latest sad news really underlines the reason why every chick and every Osprey nest is so precious: so few of the juveniles seem to survive their perilous travels.
Good summary Tiger of his so so short life. I hope the search is successful for him. They are indeed precious - every one of them.
Thank You Tiger for starting the thread and for the summary. It is not one that we ever wanted to see.
Breagh was last seen on 23rd August 2013. Here is the LINK to the Daily Update that day.
Here is Scylla's video of his last sighting on 23.8.13. (I hope you don't mind me posting it Scylla) :-)
My very last capture of him hiding behind the poo cloud.
Capture of the two brothers 18th July 2013, Breagh was always easily identified by his yellow eyes.
Breagh fledged on 19th July, videos again the courtesy of Scylla.
and his elegant landing!
Like all the others he will never be forgotten by those of us who watch him grow day by day from a hatchling to a beautiful young Osprey, we thought he was going to be "the one" as Tiger said but alas it was not to be.
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
Thanks for starting this thread Tiger. Here's my memory of Breagha's first day ...
By the time he hatched on 28 May 2013, this RSPB Forum had already jokingly dubbed his big brother Wotadin - it was a name invented because this first 2013 'son of Odin' was making quite a racket the first night after hatching! Breagha hatched on the same day as Moffer's birthday.... so the forum got creative again, as this poem by Lindybird shows! And that was that - the names stuck until they were both named by Loch Garten - Wotadin and Moffalot, the two young osprey knights of King Odin's Round Nest! Happy Days :)
Chocoholix shiny new 2018 Interactive Osprey & Chick Chart! (with clickable links!)