The news that Blue 33 has now has two chicks home (well nearly) from the first two eggs that he fertilised puts him in the super osprey class.
Now 33 has always been a bit special since 1st August 2011 when he decided to visit the Manton Bay nest in Four's a crowd In 2014 he evicted his older brother (Blue 28) from the Manton Bay nest and moved in with Maya
Nothing really prepared us for his extraordinary feat in his first year of breeding. An osprey can strive for a lifetime to have two returning chicks. Blue 33 has done it in just over 2 days the time between eggs #1 and egg #2 in 2015
The legendary 3 (97) took four years to sire a chick that returned, the wonderful 5R (04)
Here is a resume on Blue 33 also known as 33 (11)
and Manton Bay stats
Tiger Signature
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
And of course our super osprey is also a record breaker for, as far as I am aware, Blue 33 holds the record for the earliest known date, at a public nest, for a male osprey to return.
His father, 03(97) was usually first back around the 17th but Blue 33 beat this returning 14 March pairing up with Maya who arrived two days before him and below is a capture when he first touched down on the nest. Further info about his return can be found here.
(c) Rutland Osprey Project
Of course Blue 33 and Maya went on to break every record - earliest egg laid, hatching etc.
Some more captures of Blue 33(11), the osprey superstar from 2015, his first year breeding
April 2015 - 33 with the first egg Maya laid, fertilised by him
And when it hatched, 33 looks upon his first chick later to be ringed and known as Blue S1(15)
May 2015 - 33 stays close to Maya and their chicks
Maya along side Blue 33(11) having a sit down with his 2015 chicks (S1, S2 and S3)
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
When 33 arrived at Manton Bay in 2014, he was quite the villain ousting 28(10) and kicking out the eggs but all that was forgiven for 33 has proved himself to be the perfect mate winning Maya over and us
Just so in sync this pair
Richard B
Thanks everyone for kind comments.
Blue 33's father 03(97) was a great builder building his own nest at Site B, something we don't hear ospreys doing much these days, and like father, like son - 33(11) proved also to be a great builder bringing in stick after stick
image credit: JaneV
33's most memorable stick delivery was on 8 April 2015 went he appeared to be skiing - pole vaulting whatever but one never to be forgotten :-D
Images credit Scylla