Daily Update ~Loch Garten Nest~ Sunday 22 April 2018

Yesterday's Daily Update saw some some gripping action, including the return of sound, a couple of fish deliveries  and much much more. Here's to today being a great day for EJ the Phenomenal and her mate. Here's to that young Osprey continuing to improve. I personally believe in him and think that he will get better and better. I suppose it’s hard for a young male Osprey not to be a bit starstruck by EJ.

Warning!  This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar.  Approach with extreme edginess.

  • She stood up and shouted

    took a comfort flight

    came back shouting.

  • Awww bless her.  I really don't like her plaintiff calls for fish.  Come on Junior, time to go a-fishing me-thinks.

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • SheilaFE said:
    Are your pics of the fish delivery that which happened earlier,

    Yes Sheila. What LG posted on FB 2 hours ago

  • I've just seen him fly off in to the distance, our right side view. Silence!

  • Thanks to all for the captures - I've just finished catching up after being out until late yesterday and recovering this morning.

    Wonderful to hear EJ's dulcet tones again. So encouraging to see that first go at incubating by the male and two fish deliveries (despite being tail ends) - at least it shows the right instincts are there (plus his defending). Fingers crossed that he learns quickly so CAN provide for chicks and EJ.

    I'm away next week so will only be able to check in occasionally - happy watching and reporting to all DUers!

  • I think he's back in EJ's sights. She's fish calling

  • Not sure whether or not this is the correct place to post this - please tell me off if needed - but someone was asking the other day about how long it would take an Osprey to fly from the nest to the fish farm and I suddenly realised that there is some data that can be used with certainty - when in 1995 'Ollie' was fitted with a radio transmitter, he was observed leaving the nest and later observed arriving at the fish farm (and then observed catching a fish, his departure from Rothiermurchus noted and arrival time back at the nest recorded by the volunteers)...... the shortest time to elapse between leaving the nest and arriving at Rothiermurchus was 21 minutes. There was another occasion when he made the journey in 23 minutes. The average (median) length of time was 37 minutes, when he was obviously fishing the Spey on the way to the fish farm. On the return journey with a fish, the quickest times recorded were 20, 21 and 23 minutes with the average (median) being 39 minutes.

    Interestingly, having arrived at the fish farm, the fastest time for catching a fish was 1 minute, with other quick times recorded as 4, 8 and 9 minutes. The longest time spent (presumably on a windy / rainy day) before he was successful was 1 hour 22 minutes. The average (median) forage time was 14 minutes. However, firstly we need to remember that this was 1995 when competition at the fish farm was undoubtedly far less than it is now and therefore forage time at Rothiemurchus is almost certainly greater now than then, and secondly I have heard an opinion based on personal observations, which I would not argue with, that back in 1995 there was a 'hierarchy' of Ospreys hunting at the fish farm and the LG male Ollie was at the top of this, and therefore other males foraging there used to 'make way for him'. If such a hierarchy still exists I doubt whether the new incumbent of the prestigious title of 'male of LG' is very high up the 'pecking order'. So, if he does go fishing there, and I have no doubt he has and will continue to do so, his 'forage time' from leaving the nest to returning with a fish, is highly unlikely to be as impressive as Ollie.

    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. 

  • thanks, CRinger:  that's all food for thought.

  • Look at that cloud formation while EJ called for fish not long ago

  • Very interesting CRinger. I remember in 2016, mid evening in May, Odin went to Aviemore pond and brought EJ a good size fish, straight off again and 14 minutes later was observed eating his own fish on one of the lower branches of the cam tree.