And Sunset on the horizon at LG where a raised wing frames the two chicks.

Good evening all. Lovely pics of the LG chicks complete with their blue rings! Wont be long before they fledge and dreading it in away as then it won't be long before they depart :( Always a very hard time!

The sad part is, Willow, once they migrate, they are gone.  We will have no idea where they are, how they are, if they are dead or alive.  I knew that to be the case with Garten (2009),  but then one day several days before she left,  the reality really hit home.  At that point I put my head down on my computer and just bawled my eyes out.  To this day we have heard nothing of her and I frequently wonder if that first winter or later she met the same fate as her siblings Rothes and Mallachie.  But until someone tells us that Garten's ring has been found with the dead body I will believe that she is soaring wild and free over sand, sea, Scottish hills and African rivers and coastlines.  And even has a nest. mate and families of her own.

June: I firmly believe that Garten is alive and thriving. I had a dream about her once. :-)

By the way, did you see that Ralph Stanley passed away. Another bluegrass legend gone.

Diane I am so glad you remember Garten.  That feisty little osprey will always be my first and last love.

I have probably mentioned on here sometime in the past that my husband was a discjocky (host) of blue grass programs on the all volunteer station WOBO.  Ralph Stanley was one of the top musicians on his programs and with him as they supplied their own records, tapes, whatever.  No I had not heard of his death.  Thanks for this tip.

June: I remembered that about your husband. That's why I thought you might want to know. His funeral was today in Virginia and was open to the public. I will miss his haunting, high lonesome voice. I always loved "Rank Stranger."

Take care, June.

June, That capture you made of Manton Bay above at 4.28am UK time is 'dawn', not 'still light'--lol!

Unknown said:

Keith Did you ever get up to LG and LOTL and did you have good watching?  Or is that still coming up this week.  Still hoping for some pictures.  

Having a trip to LOTL and then on to Balgavies Loch tomorrow. They are both within an hour from me but can go direct from one to the other and then return home.

Although I knew of a nest of four chicks ringed in Aberdeenshire I never had the opportunity to view so am looking forward to seeing my first nest of four chicks at Balgavies and the three at LOTL. Two nests and could see 11 ospreys. 

I am then up in Aberdeenshire next week so will get to Lochter early in the week and going up to Aviemore at the end of the week so will see Loch Garten then.

Tomorrow the eldest chick at LG is 49 days taking the day it hatched as zero. So are the two eldest chicks at Rutland. We have known ospreys fledge at 49 days in Wales two at Glaslyn in 2008 (White YD and YC) and also at Dyfi - Gwyant.

At Loch Garten over the past twelve years fledge has ranged from 50 to 64 days. I normally go for around 53/54 days for male weather dependent.

I think the eldest Blue/White PP0 or ROWAN will be on wing when I get up at the end of the week.

JUNE - Now these are names I do approve of given to BLUE Z0 and BLUE Z1 yesterday at Dyfi ringing. CERI and TEGID named after a river and a lake in Wales.

The video of the chick naming on the Ringing Blog is fun.

RINGING AT DOP