LOCH GARTEN OSPREY GABFEST

Aren't we all, June!! I am not worried, yet.... but come 4 April I definitely will, as that is her latest date.

Has there been any osprey activity at the nest at all? I'm not following nearly as closely as I once did, but so far a I know there has not.

None June, only the wee birdies, oh and the spider!

FROM FACEBOOK

Hi June Looking forward to EJs return. If she's hiding out on the West Coast then judging by the weather we had here yesterday she might be enjoying a bit of sun before flying east. 

We are hoping with fingers crossed that she is doing just that!!

The problem with pets (even wild natural ones that do not really belong to us at all) is that their lives are so much shorter than ours that we eventually lose them. Some people are lucky in that they can birdwatch without getting emotionally involved. I am not one of them.

The last two years have just been more than I can take plus this year. I still ache from grief and jealousy when I see activity at other nests. There has been high drama this season at Hellgate, a nest I used to watch and enjoy, but now watching is just painful. News does come through to me on my Facebook newsfeed, however. Also of course there are successful seasons as most of our favorite nests, but the same applies - I cannot bear to follow..
If only we had a new couple at Loch Garten. I just find it so hard to digest that there has been no interest in this great osprey property.

Hi June, The whole LG thing is very sad, isn't it? (Other than feeling sad, I hope you are otherwise well!) But it is difficult to accept that after so much tragedy that the LG nest no longer looks appealing to other Ospreys, some of whom were responsible for the events of the previous two seasons there and the loss of the much missed Odin and the tragedy of EJ's last two seasons, although she did live to a good age. Perhaps we should try to feel grateful that there are other successful nests, because it means that as a whole the Osprey population of the UK is increasing. Is North America's Osprey population also increasing? A couple of our favourites at LG are missing, but there are still others around the country, luckily. Think how truly awful it would be if Odin and EJ had been the very last Ospreys in the UK! In time it may become easier to accept that although life is tough for much of nature, the Osprey projects are doing their best to help the birds to thrive and to educate people about their lives as well as to educate people about the need to preserve what we have left of nature. These projects continue to deserve our support in my opinion.