Why? Why? Why? My curiosity wants to know WHY? Over the years scientists have answered many questions, with many still remaining. But we object to their methods!
My biggest question is Why do Dyfi chicks & other recorded chicks return, but none of EJ's have since I have been watching. I'm glad for Dyfi, but that doesn't negate the many tears I have shed for Loch Garten chicks.
It's an interesting question June. I wonder if there's anything genetically that makes some more likely to return than others. Choice of migration route/return, where they 'winter' etc etc? I've not read Tim Mackrill's PhD thesis but maybe that covers this, or some other research paper? I know cuckoo return success has some link to migration route. But I'm not sure whether we have enough information on returning ospreys/sat tag data to make any study statistically reliable?
There have been at least 22 EJ youngsters, so the law of averages says there should be at least half a dozen somewhere.
Richard B
And.....there may be. Not all of EJ's chicks had sat tags (and even if they did, these fail). I think most/all (?) were ringed however. The only way we'd definitely know whether they'd returned or not would be to see them or find their bodies. Both quite difficult!
Having just had a look at the data on Tiger and Choe's website, I see none of the 3 chicks in 2010 were ringed or tagged. They may be some of the unknown returnees. There may be hope June!
There are webcams on probably 20 -25 nests, maybe more, and probably close to 300 UK nests alone, not counting Europe. When you also allow for the amount of birds not nesting the chances of seeing 5 or 6 birds is quite low, especially if they are nesting in some remote Scottish valley.
When I snapped the nest at 8:06 something white was coming down at a sharp slant, rain I assume.
EJ is currently back to incubating the eggs. A hopeless task, surely?
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Poor EJ! Still sitting on those eggs, when I think it has been pretty generally decided hat they will never hatch.