This thread continues from Osprey Chat Thread for January 2016
It seems almost impossible to believe that a year has passed since I last wrote that we were in the last osprey free month of the new year. Well the clocks have been relentlessly ticking away the hours and days and the great excitement will soon start again.
The Loch Garten clock tells us to expect EJ in a mere 61 days but last year she was late so she may well beat that.
See
Last year proved to be a very frustrating one at Loch Garten but the fans enjoyed it nevertheless.
Will it prove better this year? No one knows. It you want certainty then ospreys are not the hobby for you.
Last year Blue XD again failed to beat Odin back to Loch Garten. Worse still his breeding season was not a success and the wife may have left him.
Lots of question to be answered this year.
Of course the big news was that Lady and 11 (98) were two of the most high profile ospreys that failed to return in 2015
Two years ago we were asking if Blue YD would come home? Well he did but unfortunately his tracker failed and we did not know if he was alive or dead. Well he is very alive and he was spotted in Africa very recently.
White 14 from Bassenthwaite did come home and totally thrilled us with his antics.
This year we are looking for Blue UV from Kielder to come home and what a thrill that should be.
A lot of birds turned up late last year. Let us hope that they arrive earlier this year.
Here are the countdowns to the main nests.
But as always it is likely that Beatrice will lead the charge north but she is not the fastest of ospreys.
The excitement will build day by day.
Link to Tiger's RSPB Signature
Tiger Signature
Well done Tiger :)
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
Tiger -thanks for all the links etc which you are now providing! Don't have the time to follow them all, but hadn't realised before just how much there is!
Only about 7 weeks to earliest Osprey arrivals!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Here is the first version of my Loch Garten Navigation Group Tool
The idea is to keep up to date with the current threads.
I now realise that I already have a number of Index threads which Lynette highlighted last night.
Also I have a similar tool in the osprey bulletin.
There is also a much more comprehensive archive tool in preparation.
Tell us what you think.
Looking good, thanks Tiger.
They were all very late last year, which caused concern, and of course some old stages just didn't make it. I worry about EJ though. At nineteen this year she is an old lady, but she still produced a healthy brood in 2014. Fingers cross for the return of both EJ and Odin, and the patter of tiny talons :)
(Hmm. This box appears to be getting smaller and smaller as I type and a new line appears.)
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
I've got faith in EJ. She might be getting older but she amazed me with her strength and endurance last year.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
With Clare on this one - a very regular arrival time (not counting last year, when they were all irregular) and EJ has shown no signs of health issues. I reckon she will lay 3 healthy eggs if Odin beats his rival in the race home!
Very true, Clare and OG. She has continued to lay eggs, even if last year's were lost. I will be watching, come 24 March, assuming the weather is kind this year!!
Back in January I read an item on the BTO web site, when the word osprey caught my eye - as it would! The article was about BTO rings being found by metal detector(ists?) users, and it mentioned an osprey. Annoyingly, I am unable to access the link at the moment, but you may have better luck.
So intrigued was I, that I emailed the BTO and asked for further information - location, ring number, as you do! I got a response, and a link to the letter they sent to the person who reported the ring!! The vital information is fascinating.
It was a London ring number, ringed by RD in 1990 in the north of Scotland. The map coordinates suggest it is in mountainous area south east of Loch Broom (Ullapool area). We knew he was a fit man!! The ring was found in September 2001 near Lake of Menteith (the only lake in Scotland!), Stirlingshire. Only the ring was found, no body, or parts thereof. It was found 4080 days after it was put on the bird, 179km from the ringing site, which I assume was the natal nest. Of course there is no indication of when the bird may have died. The BTO gave no information of the Darvic number.
That is very fascinating Sheila. I have a great friend who once lived by Lake of Menteith.