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.
Thanks for that Tiger - The Blind Watchmaker by the same author is also highly recommended.
Some people think Ospreys are a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.
I think that is very convincingly put CRinger. I too have to agree with that theory.
So four days is long enough for the first egg at least, and maybe the second, to have been fertilised. Now that raises another question as to what percentage of offspring whose histories are known to us, having been ringed, have actually been sired by the resident male.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
I am making a list as I type Chloe - I should be in touch by Xmas.
Of course this behaviour might be rather good for ospreys genetically. It ensures a mixing of the genes.
This reminds me of my fav Carl Sagan story but too long to quote here! :(
Tiger Signature
A nightmare for building osprey family trees :)
Thanks for that, CRinger, and I agree with your hypothesis regarding XD's modus operandi in trying to get his genes into the LG nest. My question is: was he successful? I'm no expert on the fertilisation of osprey eggs (to say the least!) but I'm sure I've read that the fertilisation of the eggs takes place close to laying. If anyone could shed some light on the situation I'd be most grateful (as would many others I guess).
Well poor old Henry may have bee duped by EJ in 2006. After all Henry tirned up on 10th April 2006 and EJ laid the first egg suspiciously early on 14th April.
Now EJ had been fooling around with that olf rogue Orange VS for 14 days before that.
That makes me feel so much better that XD put one over on EJ sorry thats a human trait.
Not much help to your disscusion but Im no expert :-)
A very old Shropshire Lad.
Fascinating CRinger and Tiger but what I have read is that the eggs are not fertilised until about 4 days before laying and I maybe should not post as have learnt a lot but no expert.
I am not convinced and will Odin be bringing up Blue XD's chicks? I have asked this question before as at Aberfoyle this went on until Metal ring arrived last year and all the Ospreys ran.
He is a character.
I am out of my depth here and admit I am frightened to post what I have learnt as no expert but is the theory right or wrong. If right it will be Odin's young if not it will be Blue Xd's.
I have had an answer to this question before and I still am not convinced. Probably any reply unless different, I will stick with what I have learnt but not convinced.
I am interested very much in this subject.
ChrisS I think it is more likely that EJ put one over on Odin. After all who expected that EJ would start getting violent with herlove? It must have been one of the sharpest dumpings in history.