This thread is a total experiment! I thought of it because a few nights ago, a lot of of useful information about ospreys was being posted in the LG Diary comments, but because of the blog format, it will be out of sight once a new blog is posted, and easily forgotten.
The idea for this thread:
· To provide a place for people to ask questions about ospreys at Loch Garten, or ospreys in general, which members of the Forum will answer to the best of their ability. NB Questions directed to the team at Loch Garten, should still be posted in the Comments area of the Loch Garten Osprey Diary.
· To preserve the answers for future reference
Asking Questions
For clarity, please only ask one question at a time.
Replying to Questions
Try to be specific, giving links to the relevant information where possible, or quote your sources. If you are giving your own opinions, recollections or theories, please make that clear.
If the question you are answering is not the last post in the thread, please use the Quote facility to include the question in your answer.
General
To make it easier to search for the topic in the future, use the Tags field. For example, if your question is “Is Odin really Scandinavian?” enter “Odin” in Tags.
OK, let’s try an example:
Q – What is the history of the Loch Garten Nest?
Unknown said: Q – What is the history of the Loch Garten Nest?
A – From Caroline Rance of LG Team - Posted on Thursday, 15 July 2010
Ospreys first returned to Loch Garten in 1954, and the first successful breeding in Scotland was at the current nest site in 1959. The nest was originally built by the ospreys, and they used it for many years, then moved across to a new tree (just feet from the old one) in 1980.
Sadly, this tree was vandalised in 1986 when someone climbed up the tree and felled the top section with a chainsaw so that the nest fell down. Following this, the RSPB stepped in to reconstruct the nest so that the ospreys would still have their nest to come back to that year. So the current nest is man made but this was only to repair human damage, and the site itself was chosen by the birds.
Good idea Sue -we have a lot of very knowledgable people on these threads.
Anyone wanting to know about the history of ospreys in Scotland would be well advised to try and get a copy of Philip Brown's book "The Scottish Ospreys from extinction to survival". It is a thoroughly good read and copies of it can be picked up relatively cheaply just now. I have just checked and Abebooks have 34 copies.
I bought my copy in a discount bookshop around 1982 and it has proved to possibly the most influential book of my life.
The ISBN is: 9780434089109
Tiger Signature
I can only endorse what you say, Tiger, about Philip Brown's book. I tnink it was you who mentioned it a few months ago on one of the threads, and I bought a copy online for a couple of pounds .... it is brilliant!
Joan - avid bird and nature watcher in Northumberland!
Index Thread
Thanks. Have made a note of that...
Another wonderful account of the early days of Loch Garten is given in "The Bird Boys" which was broadcasted by Radio 4 in 2004. It is highly enjoyable and very informative.
Listen at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/birdboys.shtml
Tiger: My copy of 'The Scottish Ospreys' arrived this morning. I have had a quick browse and am looking forward to reading it. Thanks. jsb.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data Site
Sat track schedule Spring 2014
LG 7 days; RW & SWT nil; LDOP varies
jsb said: Tiger: My copy of 'The Scottish Ospreys' arrived this morning. I have had a quick browse and am looking forward to reading it. Thanks. jsb.
Ah Abebooks then? I had noticed the number available go down from 34 to 33 and I thought someone here had bought one. I thought they would announce themselves sooner or later.
Perhaps we could have a separate thread to discuss it later. I particularly like the chapter on the 19th century ospreys although they are horribly sad.
The other highlight which stands out is when an "osprey nest" was found in the Sluggan Pass in 1955. It turned out to be the beginning of an amazing adventure.
DjoanS said: I can only endorse what you say, Tiger, about Philip Brown's book. I tnink it was you who mentioned it a few months ago on one of the threads, and I bought a copy online for a couple of pounds .... it is brilliant!
OK Djoan, please give me the link to buy this book myself. Thank you.