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.
There will be no Odin's eggs if she keeps disappearing.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
ChloeB - It is cold up here - You would disappear in the cold - I am thinking that may be the problem but may be wrong.
The weather is a little better from tomorrow and will see if the patern is still the same or she stays on the nest as she was prior to his return.
Fingers crossed then Keith.
Ospreys know best!
Tiger Signature
True, we don't know the half of it!
Unknown said: CRinger, Thank you so much for starting this fascinating topic. It throws doubt on birds' parentage records and I have been educated about when an egg is possibly fertilized. Now waiting to see when EJ lays her first egg and Odin's reaction. I accept and understand that an osprey, like XD need their genes to carry on but what makes a female, like EJ, throw out XD when she sees her regular partner return. Is it just that she knows, from experience, that he will provide for her and her young. Thinking of EJ and OVS ( 2008) that can't have been true.
CRinger, Thank you so much for starting this fascinating topic. It throws doubt on birds' parentage records and I have been educated about when an egg is possibly fertilized. Now waiting to see when EJ lays her first egg and Odin's reaction. I accept and understand that an osprey, like XD need their genes to carry on but what makes a female, like EJ, throw out XD when she sees her regular partner return. Is it just that she knows, from experience, that he will provide for her and her young. Thinking of EJ and OVS ( 2008) that can't have been true.
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Unknown said: RACH - You have been reading my story to you about The Villain at Aberfoyle (Metal Ring). Do not forget in that case eggs were already in the nest as was the case with Henry in 2005.
RACH - You have been reading my story to you about The Villain at Aberfoyle (Metal Ring).
Do not forget in that case eggs were already in the nest as was the case with Henry in 2005.
Rach an interesting questiion and the saying is the eggs are not fertilised until maybe four days before laying.
An interesting question about DNA that would prove right or wrong and the question would be answered.
RACH - B & B
A few things here. DNA has been used at many nests and was used last year noteably at Rutland at Site O to establish if either Blue AU, AZ, AY was one of the orphaned chicks placed in this nest along with the three others. One had died but it was thought the orphaned chick survived.
Now LG chicks if they have any and assuming they are ringed. DNA who do we compare it to Odin and Blue DX.
Odin my understanding has never been handled so there will be no DNA records.
Blue DX was caught and ringed by Roy as a 3YO but I doubt he has DNA records but may be wrong.
So DNA samples here would unlikely support a paternity case or an application to the osprey chick support agency.
Second Issue - I put the case of Metal Ring and Henry-2005 booting out eggs that were already in the nest after they arrived.
Regarding other males eggs laid after a bond - I have no records but others may have of any booting out there and Henry-2006 is a good example of eggs laid 4 days after his arrival and likely to be Orange OVS eggs where he cared for them and they fledged as Yellow 8U, 8V and 8W. TIGER has discussed this case with you as indeed so did Blue XD himself in 2001.
Now this is a very good example of one birds reaction (Henry) to two differing cases in 2005 then 2006 so this probably is a good study.
Thankyou Keith for your reply.
It seems more than likely then that Odin will accept the eggs and help to rear them as his own.
In the second issue, paternity could be established if DNA had been taken from previous nestlings, whose paternity was not under question, then compared to this year's chicks, I assume. Maybe this doesn't happen on a regular basis, at Loch Garten, anyway. I realise that it would be extra expense that the RSPB might not want to fund.