The arrival of our couple, virtually together, was first snapped @ 19:12
©SANDRA !!!
©RICHARD G B
©SHEENA
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Yikes !!! I thought I must have missed it but it's all there waiting for attention :)))
Thank you, everyone, for the super captures and info :)
I can't believe they arrived together - but they did! ;-D
Three matings altogether, only the first successful, IMHO. They were on the nest nearly 13 minutes, this is cut down to 5 but no significant activity missing - you know how they like to stand and (males) mantle and (females) look a bit nonplussed ;)
UNCUT VERSION:
The first was the best ;)
He sat here for ages after his second nestcupping:
.
IMAGICAT
Aila landed @ 05:18, soon followed by Louis after his skydance. Several mating attempts (he was looking very positive!), then off he goes and returns with FISH before 06:00 !!! I should have said it was slender rather than small, and Aila had no trouble taking it.
A goody:
Not so good:
The slender fish:
30 minute Scroll Back shows Louis arriving with a huge, whole fish. Flies off quickly no doubt to start on the head!.
© THE WOODLAND TRUST, LOCH ARKAIG OSPREY PROJECT
Birdies LG DU update.
This is even further back, but not from rollback - it continues the early-morning saga.
10 minutes after flying off with her fish, Aila returned without it! Louis got her a fresh, shiny one but she didn't take it, he flew to far tree and there was a tiny sighting of 2 ospreys flying around it. Then the fish got passed over and Aila brought some back for Louis and she stayed on the nest for a long time - a bit of nestorisng and just standing... I had to finish somewhere!
There was such a panic when Louis brought the shiny new fish that I wondered if it wasn't Louis !!! The fish is the only clearish item here ;)
MIKE reported:
30 minute Scroll Back shows Louis arriving with a huge, whole fish.
Wow! It was huge but we couldn't get a really good view of it:
He flew off with it, of course.
Aila waited for more than an hour before giving up and we never saw the fish again.
17:37 Louis flew in with a curly stick which turned transparent from this point onwards :-/
17:43 he was back and got carried away in his enthusiasm:
Off he flew (I'm surprised his crop wasn't weighing him down, by the way):
He later flew back with Aila on his tail hoping for a fish but he'd only brought small footfuls of ? soil:
He flew around for a successful mating and flew away thereafter:
Aila also has a full crop - what did happen to that fish? Shared off-cam?
Surprise-surprise! They both returned, Aila marginally first, no fish involved:
Louis tended the nestcup and flew in and out 2-3 times insanely, endng up with a good mating:
He flew away, shortly followed by Aila.
That was it, phew !!!
Aila on the nest just after 7.00, Louis arrives with a headless fish. They are both on the nest. One takes a couple of nibbles at the fish then the other does the same & the fish is being handed back & forth, umpteen times. Aila finishes it off. Weird behaviour by both of them. Ian
EDIT - 07.12, successful mating & Louis flies.
Together after the fish sharing which Ian reports.
Wow, interesting footage, something I have never seen at any other nests that I have watched.
Viewed on rewind, counted, ( just on first cuppa so mabe not accurate) , fish was passed fifteen times
ending with Aila finishing it off. Unusual also to see one, never mind two, eating on nest before chicks?!
This was a short tug o fish for the tail end. I do love this pair who continue to surprise me
PS lol if this fish had been a whopper who knows how many cups to Tea I would have drank!!
Approx 08.55, Louis brings in a headless fish to Aila. No pass the parcel this time as Aila takes it & flies. For Louis doubters, that is two fish in two hours :) Ian
EDIT - and two successful mating attempts (09.35).
Louis has been using this tree as a perch and eating there as well. He is the dark blob on the left hand side on the branch
© The Woodland Trust
Richard B