Thought I'd start a separate thread for the posting of news, updates, pictures etc. from the nest at the Loch of the Lowes. Now that the first chick has hatched at Loch Garten the Daily Update page is going to get too unwieldy if it is used for news from LotL as well as LG, and the "News From Other Nests" is getting pretty full as well.
Margo.
I missed the fish delivery, I was having my tea. Here they are again, full and contented! :-)
If nothing goes right, go left! :-)
Sandy that is just a gorgeious pic of 2 well fed little chicks, or not so little now. They have not long had another feed as well so I am feeling much happier about things now.
Margobird
Sandy, Thank you for your brilliant pictures.
Lady eating but it might be the remains of the very large fish that was delivered by the Laird. Chicks obviously full up as they are not looking to be fed.
Small piece of fish that the Laird brought in at 21:16.
Lynette D said: Hi everyone, Marge/Lady is on the edge of the nest having a preen. Chicks are sleeping, it looks to me as though their down is receding and feathers are beginning to show - can anyone verify this?
Hi everyone, Marge/Lady is on the edge of the nest having a preen. Chicks are sleeping, it looks to me as though their down is receding and feathers are beginning to show - can anyone verify this?
Hi Lynette. You're right, the chick's soft down is now being replaced by the pin feathers. This typically starts to happen in the second week and sees a darkening to a steel grey colour. The chicks now appear to start preening, but are in fact removing the keratin sheath that houses the feather, allowing it to unfurl.
The same process also happens to adult birds when their feathers are replaced during moulting. That is why both Lady and EJ are preening so much at the moment. It seems that ospreys have evolved to ensure that the female moults at the one time of year when 1) they hardly need to fly at all, and 2) when they have plenty of time to spend on removing the old feathers and teasing the new ones out.
The Laird brought a fish at 14:40. Marge nor the chicks want it.
Lady is talking to her chicks. Bless!! :-)
She is doing little chirping noises to them :-)
Sandy great pics and what a joy to watch and listen to. Hope you caught the delivery of the huge fish that the Laird came in with. Took them all over an hour to eat. No wonder the little ones are flat out now.