LOCH GARTEN - May 2022

AX6 Axel and his lovely unringed partner Mistle are bonding well, and Mistle has been threatening to lay an egg - we await developments.

It seems that Mistle has been on the perch & nest all night:

IMAGICAT

  • I know I haven't done anything besides nitpick, but nevertheless am letting you know that I'm off for a nap.

    IMAGICAT

  • Unknown said:

    Are you doubting my honesty scylla? See you in court ;-)

    Could make the Wagatha Christie court case look very tame! Ian

  • I haven't gone back yet, but since 10.24 it's been busy!  And it is now raining heavily

    10.24             Mistle backs off the eggs and starts calling.

     10.24.47       #  2 fish  A LARGE headless fish.

                          Mistle flew, Axel watched, cleaned his beak on the hay and settled to incubate.

    10.43.42       Axel intruder called and looked above the nest.

    10.45.00      Intruder still around, Axel continues to intruder call

     10.45.51    Intruder landed on the perch.  Unringed?  Poss female by size, but not very dark, so poss a male!  Axel mantle, with his back to the intruder.

     10.46.20    Mistle lands to help defend:  she had the fish.  Intruder flies off.  Axel intruder calls.  Axel was mantling.  Mistle crept up behind him, and he flapped possibly thinking she was the intruder.  She called and flapped him off the nest!  A case of double mis-identification perhaps!

     

    Mistle has a go at Axel - look at his surprise!

    10.47         Mistle started to eat the fish on the edge of the cup just above the eggs.  She kept an eye on all around.

     10.49.50    Mistle spots an intruder which landed on the perch.  She intruder calls – but it was Axel.  The intruder appeared in the sky and Axel went after it.

     10.50.50    Intruder flying overhead.  Mistle eats fish in the cup!  What's happened to the eggs?

                        Mistle resumes eating the fish, but watches all the time.

     10.51.39    She calls loudly, and someone landed or touched down on the cam.  Presumably Axel, keeping close but out of harms way.  Mistle calls.

     10.53          She releases the fish and incubates the eggs – and possibly the fish too!

     11.02           It starts to rain.

     11.22         A cuckoo calls

     11.33          Heavy rain

     I haven't been aware of Axel leaving the cam post, but skipping thru I might have missed the bit with the wobble of him leaving!

    11.46 Mistle is looking very wet now.

    © RSPB - Loch Garten & WildlifeWindows

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • Impressively detailed reporting Sheila! Must watch the misidentifications on catch up.
  • Thank you Korky.

    The  "10.24.47   #  FISH    A LARGE headless fish".   was the second fish today.  The first was the 06.33 Minnow!

    Next update:

    11.51             Mistle looking very wet but the rain isn't as heavy.  She calls for fish, forgetting there is one under her!

    11.54.00       Mistle calls for fish, looking around for Axel.

    11.54.40        Mistle gets up, and spots the fish!!  She stops calling and drags it up thee cup side and flies off.

    11.56             Axel landed on the perch, chirruped and preened.  The rain is in the air.

    11.57              Axel drops to the nest and finds left over fish which h eats before chatting to the eggs and settling down on them.

    12.02            Mistle returned, empty taloned.  Using her usual ploy she moved nesting material, touching Axel as she did so.  He ignores her, so she triees getting up close around the tail end.  She moves a large stick on top of the ruddy stick, and backs into Axel who finally gets up.Mistle heads of the eggs

    12.05              Axel flies.

    12.33              Mistle starts calling, gets up and flies away.  ENS

    12.36             Axel lands with a chirrup and settles on the eggs.

    12.52             Axel calls as Mistle lands, carrying a short stick.  Axel gets up, and continues calling while Mistle gets under his tail and pushes him away.

    12.53             Axel flies.  It starts to rain again, and Mistle calls for fish.  She is looking up to the campost.  Is Axel there?

    12.55             Mistle stops calling and checks the eggs.  A wobble on the cam, suggesting Axel leaves.

    12.56             Mistle settles again

    13.00             It's raining again – the wind must have changed direction.  Instead of blowing from the right, the south, the clouds are moving from the left, query north east.

    13.16            Mistle starts calling and looking around. 

    13.17.56       Mistle doesn't wait for Axel to come.  She takes flight.  ENS

    13.19.26        Axel returns and settles on the eggs..  Mistle follows him back, carrying a stick.  She starts moving the furniture, and gets serious with a larger stick

    13.21             Continues to move sticks until Axel gets up

                          He stands beside the cup as Mistle settles

    13.24             Axel opened his wings and dropped down the back of the nest, landing on the sticky tree to the right of the old Cam Tower.

    © RSPB - Loch Garten & WildlifeWindows

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  • 14.02 Axel is still on the sticky tree.

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • 15.54 Axel took off from the sticky tree, heading to the the left

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • 16.32 Tiddler FOTD #3

    Imagicat || Tiger's links || 2022 LG Obs

  • Thank you CC. Not a head-off large one, but the minnow size! I can hear her talking to her fish!! Axel is incubating.

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  • Ian S said:

    Korky said:

    Are you doubting my honesty scylla? See you in court ;-)

    Could make the Wagatha Christie court case look very tame! Ian

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Trouble is, we're not WAGs so we can't afford it... but if Korky qualifies for legal aid I'll be very frightened Confounded

    SHEILA, I'm so under the cosh I can't even read your wonderful reports yet.  I'm doing other nests and have been assailed by appalling tech probs.

    But look what just happened!  Mistle flew off with the latest minnow:

    And you'll have to take my word for the time Stuck out tongue

    IMAGICAT