Inspired by Janni, who cleverly noted the cam was up and running on 1 March, and filled with hope for this nest for 2021, here's the new thread!
Link to 2020 thread
In 2017, her first breeding season. Clarach (hatched Dyfi in 2013) mated with an unknown male, laying 3 eggs. The third chick hatched/died 15th June, the other two on 12th and 13th June. Male LHO took his first flight 4th August, Male LH1 9th August. Clarach departed 1st September, LHO 3rd, LH1 12th September.
Clarach came back in 2018 but sadly lost her eggs to ravens. In 2019, she returned on 10 April, and partnered first with White CL, a 2008 bird hatched at Loch Lomond. He disappeared and was replaced by an unringed male on 3 May, and Clarach was seen to be incubating by 6 May (who was the daddy...?!). But she'd abandoned the nest by the end of May and Dyfi posted that her eggs had been predated. It was difficult to keep up with the nest as the webcam failed but FLS posted updates on their Facebook page. Staff thought the male hadn't been providing her with fish on the nest, as he had another nest to provision! In 2020, hope was raised when a few ospreys dropped by in April and May, including White CL, at one point on the nest with an unringed female. The Lodge Facebook page posted a great photo by Sami in April which was thought to be Clarach. After that, lots of osprey-less photos were posted comparing the rise and fall of the webcam, the state of the sticks on the nest, the sinkage of the nest (great word Mary) and the weather.
Let's see what happens this year!
Unknown said:As a tester you could always start to identify them as male or female
I always knew you had a cruel streak, Richard
However, in the latest instance I shall claim that it's not possible to tell, and I'm not coming back here to see your retort for a very long time... at least until tomorrow!
IMAGICAT
Richard B
What a greeting
Just popped in to say that I only got fragments from Aberfoyle yesterday and saw no-one on the nest. Maybe some prolonged sunshine will revive it.
Thanks scylla! I do look in from time to time but never see anything
I got nearly the whole day with just one break early on.
(I'm dreading this.)
No ospreys, but several little birdies - of which I hope was Chaffie and Coal Tit but I don't know the pale one and have made a blind stab at Wheatear, and I've no idea why.
You'll need your specs on.
BTW, I've definitely seen cambumps, one at least today and one yesterday, so some larger bird has visited.
It's definitely a Coal Tit, and I think is may well be a Willow warbler. The "Chaffinch" in the clip has definite streaks on its sides and wing colourings seem different to Chaffinch. It appears to have a more rounded head and it looks to have a slightly different coloured cap.
It's back looks plainish though I keep coming back to it being a female Siskin, but I am probably totally wrong.
I think whatever they were, they were too small and unclear for me to learn from them - except maybe the Willow Warbler, that I'll check next time I see a "pale bird"
11 May - the whole day came down unbroken but it's fairly shaky.
Only little birds seen and I'm only saying there were Blue Tits and (I hope) Siskin... (roughly chopped, rather long).
The ghosts of ospreys past are back
(c) FLS Aberfoyle