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

  • Unknown said:

    She's just shoogled the eggs. Still no fish....

    Pardon my ignorance - but how do you shoogle?

    Some people think Ospreys are a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that. 

  • What does Shoogle mean in Scotland?

    dialect, mainly Scottish. verb. 1. to shake, sway, or rock back and forth.
  • CRinger said:
    how do you shoogle?

    Watch (Mistle) and learn, CRINGER - watch and learn Laughing 

    That was lucky!  I'm buried in Glaslyn but glanced over at VLC and detected a differently patterned Osprey on the eggs:

    It doesn't look too bad in this frame, BILLY:

    IMAGICAT

  • Sorry I said "too back" for "too bad". Not even the same number of letters !!!

    IMAGICAT

  • Without doubt Salmo trutta not Oncorhynchus mykiss. Although I do prefer the rainbow's name!

    Some people think Ospreys are a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that. 

  • Unknown said:
    What does Shoogle mean in Scotland?

    dialect, mainly Scottish. verb. 1. to shake, sway, or rock back and forth.

    I shall certainly be shoogling tonight after my second G & T after a hard day at the office. Thanks AG!

    Some people think Ospreys are a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that. 

  • scylla said:

    CRinger said:
    how do you shoogle?

    Watch (Mistle) and learn, CRINGER - watch and learn  

    Believe me I watch and even at my age I try and learn Scylla.

    I really do have to  give a special mention to the oustanding capture above - crystal clear!!!

    Mission control strikes again!

    BTW I heard a newsflash that a postie down South has demanded a gas mask before he will deliver a package. My guess is your post from Sheila is on its way!   

    Some people think Ospreys are a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that. 

  • There has been quite a lot of posts regarding lack of fish over the last few days. What we need to remember is that 'energetically', foraging is the most demaning thing an Osprey does. Weather plays a HUGE part in this. Prof Rhys Green wrote a fantastic paper way back in 1976 which is still cited today - BREEDING BEHAVIOUR OF OSPREYS PANDION Ibis, Volume118, Issue 4 October 1976 Pages 475-490. Trying to summarise what he said - fishing in the rain for an Osprey is not fun - the success rate for dives falls rapidly because its more difficult to see the fish because of the 'plops' of rain on the surface of the water. Similarly fishing in high winds is not fun - the same thing happens with the wind creating ripples - BUT a combination of rain AND high winds is the worst scenario by far. Imagine you are an Osprey getting soaked every time you plunge into the water - the energy you have to expend to get rid of the water - they don't have water proof feathers like a duck - the reduction in body temperature due to the rain and on top of that having to battle against heavy winds - it all adds up to very challenging conditions that sap a bird of energy very quickly. I think we should try and remember this when we comment on the (not total) lack of fish over the past 2 wet and windy days!

    Some people think Ospreys are a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that. 

  • At last a fish for Mistle, well done Axel. I hope she enjoyed that one.

     Ah hope yur no shooglin, shufflin and shakin too much after that two G&T CRinger, gotta mind your age! Hugging

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.