LOCH GARTEN UPDATES AND WEBCAM INFORMATION - 2021

Thank you JaneV for the alert.

The fish delivery to a waiting Mistle.   She had been waiting but flew off at 11.10 - cam started whirring briefly before she returned 11.11.17, and backed up to wait Axel's arrival 

At the moment I don't think that Mistle has chosen her favoured 'fish perch'.  She always takes a while, looking this way and that before taking off with it.  Or perhaps she is just cautious, in case an intruder is about ready to steal her fish!  LOL   It was a good sized one too

Axel then set about nestorising with lost of nestcupping!

He flew off at 11.16

Unusually (IMHO, from experience with these 2 so far) between 07:00 an 07:30 she was off 'n on the nest 3 times nestorising while he waited - due to fuzziness I couldn't see what, if any, nest materials were brought in.

I keep forgetting to mention how regal she often looks.

Mating is not going well, as far as I can see, and the problem is not Mistle's - here are 2 samples and an add-on of Mistle fetching a green fir sprig:

A very respectable headless FISH

Ian S said:

JaneV said:

I think they are both improving but whether any of them are successful I wouldn’t like to say. Are they getting close to running out of time to successfully raise young this year?

At Loch Arkaig in the first year of there being a camera (2017) Aila arrived on 28 April, she and Louis saw the successful fledge of Lachlan (blue JH4). Ian

I should also have said that Louis & Aila were reckoned to be first time parents in 2017 (comical mating attempts etc.) which appears to be a similarity with this pair. Ian

12.21 Mistle landed, followed by Axel who immediately mantled on the far side of the nest.  Did Mistle return with the fish, but leave it, as she then
 started having a go at various twigs, and Axel sort of joined in, but remained mantling. I think he had the tail end of the fish in the talon. He took off with it and returned 12.24. He left a few seconds later, still holding the fish. They must have exchanged it off the nest or did she leave it and he picked it up as in the earlier post? Mistle remained pottering, or perhaps flossing!

It's interesting that at five years old, Axel might be nesting for the first time. Mistle might be of a similar age, but perhaps with more experience. She knows what to do in mating - she needed wooing first!  Perhaps experience or otherwise might show itself if/when eggs appear, and then chicks.
Mistle wss nestorising moving sticks around, building up the sides, until Axel returned at 12.49.  I'm not sure whether he has the fish.

13.01- Yes, he still has the fish, and has flown off again 

By 13.06 Axel has returned, and flown again, just now!  LOL.  No time to eat his fish!!

Ian S said:

Louis & Aila were reckoned to be first time parents in 2017 (comical mating attempts etc.) which appears to be a similarity with this pair. Ian

What a fascinating and light-hearted experience that was, IAN - I think because it was a totally new nest and obviously first-time would-be breeders, there was no anxiety attached to them, unlike with this nest, with its burden of heartbreak followed by disappointments - I have to admit to be very on edge, so hoping they will "succeed", for everyone's sake.

Sorting out the difficult-to-see fish exchanges:

This was definitely Mistle returning with fish @ 12:21:

She extricated her talon from it and AX6 picked it up (last sighting before her tail got in the way):

He flew off with it:

.

Adding to the confusion, he flew back onto the nest with it and away again !!!

.

scylla said:

Adding to the confusion, he flew back onto the nest with it and away again !!!

And back to the nest with it @ 12:49 !!!

And away again with it @ 13:01 !!!

I'm wondering if the intruder is in the area, hence the need to be on the nest.  But no active defence seen.

scylla said:

ailie said:

How will they get “officially “ named and when ?Will it be LG centre or a vote for names or any other way?

The LG centre decides, Ailie.

From memory, apart from Ollie and Olive, the next Osprey to be named was EJ. RSPB decided to invite readers of what was then the Osprey Warden's diary and viewers of the webcam to vote on a name for the new female, ringed White EJ. They set up a new dedicated email account just to receive the votes. ?Sadly? at that time the OW's diary had the 3rd largest hits of any page on the entire RSPB website. The result? Within an hour of people being invited to vote - the entire RSPB website  crashed as it was unable to cope with over 2,500 email votes being received into 1 email box in the first hour after posting the invitation to vote. Until then I don't think many people appreciated the world-wide audience the diary and webcam enjoyed. Votes were received from all over the world from USA to Australia. For me, the most astonishing revelation was that in St.Kitts in the Carribbean there was an 'official' EJ 'fan club' that met weekly to review the weeks webcam footage of 'their' bird.

The origin of Henry's name I talked about in an earlier post.

The youngest chick of EJ and Henry, who was bullied by his 2 older sisters when food was scarce, was nicknamed 'Baldrick' by webcam viewers. This seemed highly appropriate and staff at the centre referred to him by that name when talking to visitors. 

scylla said:

(I hope I'm not being annoying, analysing this 'n that.)

Analysis prompts discussion and debate. Never annoying Scylla!