LOCH GARTEN - MARCH / APRIL 2022

SheilaFE said:

he is immediately to the right of the old cam fixing, to the left of the sticky tree.

Flew off and good mating on the nest. She's still de rigeur soliciting. No more faux mantling. :-)

Smiley face!! Thank you CC! That's is precisely what I meant!  I did post a capture some days ago with just a red blob from a distance, but that's great.
There have been two successful mating attempts. Possibly Axel spotted the ghastly tail fin, but decided not to try to retrieve it. Meanwhile Mistle continues to call - and she certainly isn't hungry now!

I think we can all relax now, and let nature take its course. They look so comfortable in each other's company, sharing fish brilliantly, and like all male osprey chose to ignore a lot of the calls until it become necessary to act!
How long will we have to wait for eggs!

Here are some eggs stats  https://www.imagicat.com/matingtolaying.html

and here  www.imagicat.com/eggstatsindex.html

Many thanks Tiger. I think I was being rhetorical. I had guessed 10 to 12 days from first mating, forgetting that perhaps the first attempts failed. So I suggested Tues/Wed, may be Wed/Thurs, but I clearing failed in my guesstimate! I feel they are much more settled now, despite the never-ending calling!

Thank you, SHEILA & CC, for the detailed commentairies and snaps!  It's such a relief and joy to see that Mistle has had a happier day

I know there's work in here but am off to report on the other nests, if nec/poss.

Shared with permission from Alison at Loch Garten - The LOCH GARTEN intruder on Wednesday 27/04/22 was Blue NN2. It tried to land on the nest around 11:15 and there was a lot of debate about what the ring said. Luckily Loch Garten got a better view than the viewers at home and it was in fact Blue NN2. The details were submitted to Roy Dennis/Tim Mackrill and today we received the details at Loch Garten from Tim. It is a three year old male, ringed by Roy and Tim on 11/07/19 at a nest near Fochabers in Morayshire. It was the largest of a brood of three chicks - BTO ring number 1489899. This was the first sighting of him back in Scotland.

Thank you Valerie and Alison. It's always great to get details of ringed birds. As a three year old he is still doing the rounds checking potential nests and females. I guess 40 to 45 miles is still within his natal area.

SheilaFE said:

09.53                      Intruder about?  Silence as they watch

                09.55-6                  Mantling silently

SheilaFE said:

No sign of the possible intruder.

Just checking back to see if anyone had spotted the intruder.  Surely it couldn't have been an Osprey, they'd never be so quiet - would they?!  Mistle almost pancaked!  Maybe it was a wandering WTE, only EJ would dare challenge it