LOCH GARTEN - July 2022

CRinger - I have PM'd you 

A brilliant start to the July 2022 thread, thank you Scylla.
But where is everyone? Watching Wimbledon? I will fire up the laptop and do a scoot thru the cam.  Chat doesn't help.  It's all about a new cam on a hobby nest in Dorset.

11.58 Mistle is alert.

INTRUDER 11.59  Axel lands to defend, mantling and intruder chipping.  The intruder flew over the nest and both mantle and call.

12.00 Intruder appears to have passed by.  Axel continues to mantle, and some more chips, but no flapping.

12.01 more chipping, but not mantling, looking to the left.  I can't see what Mistle is doing, but she's not calling - 12.02 Axel took off rapidly, Mistle watched. 

12.03  I can still hear Axel calling, from off the nest.  Mistle is low and watching.

12.04  Quiet now, as Mistle watches, now standing and not mantling.

SheilaFE said:

where is everyone?

I've been around, SHEILA - dealing with tech probs that are getting all too routine lately, and Clywedog and (norty me) the fascinating Goshawk chicks.

I was about to start trawling the morning but now I shall leave it to you and crash out - g'night! 

04.40  #1 FISH  hoarse sounding MISTLE stands up and calls.  The chicks get up as Axel delivers what looks like a large live fish - unless it was a chick moving instead!

04.42  AXEL flies off, as MISTLE makes those lovely sounds when she feeds the chicks.  I think I could get eye strain trying to peer through the murk!

05.01 I think the chicks have given up for now, and MISTLE is feeding herself.

05.06  MISTLE had a very quick fly-about, and resumes eating - I have no idea how much fish is left!

05.13  I think the chicks are up and receiving seconds, or she is trying to tempt them.

05.17  I have no idea what's going on now!  She has moved between the lying chicks and the near rim, sweeping her tail over the top of the rim, and revealing her petticoat. 

05.18  She is back near the fish and eating some more, offering the chicks some, but I don't think they are interested. Ah, I think it must be #1 which is accepting the offering - the darker head makes is difficult to see any movement.

05.24  #2 wriggles up and shoots a poo over the side - fortunately not aimed at the cam.

05.32  Her head is no longer going up and down.  I assume she has had her fill.  I wasn't aware of the tail fin being forced down, but there can't be much left for AXEL.  A dark cloud had obscured the view even more, but hopefully it is getting brighter.

05.40  It takes some time to get comfortable, and MISTLE broods the chicks.

06.14  Either she or they get fidgety and MISTLE gets up, takes a beautiful 'bow' stretch and flies off.

06.16  MISTLE returns with a chirrup, possibly with a stick, but she certainly moves one.

07.10  MISTLE fish calls....

07.11  #2 FISH  AXEL lands and MISTLE grabs whatever he brought in.  I think it's live again and looks silvery rather than brown, but who knows.  AXEL lingers which she natters, turns round sweeping her tail under his chin.  It's a good minute before she starts to take some, and feeds the chicks who are lined up and waiting.

07.31  AXEL flies off 07.31  Chicks are full again, MISTLE continues to feed.

07.32  AXEL lands on the campost and gives a chirrup in greeting!  Waiting for left overs.  MISTLE tells him to go fishing.

07.39  I didn't see the shudder of the cam nor the clatter suggesting AXELhad flown, but MISTLE became quieter - it's all relative.

08,45.40  a wee birdie landed on the perch, I think!  MISTLE ignored it

09.21  That's a bit better, the sun peaked thru the cloud, briefly.

11.00  I wonder whether the pale sun is hotter than it looks.  MISTLE is now standing on the south side of the nest, giving some shade for the chicks.

11.01  One chick, #1??, popped up on the 'elbows' and looks so big now.  It doesn't last.

11.20  MISTLE takes a short flight.

11.21  and returns to the far side of the nest.  She makes her way round to the south side, moving a couple of sticks, looking around her and starts to preen.

11.58  AXEL lands, mantles and intruder calls..... and that's up to date!

**************************

From my earlier post, after AXEL left to see off the INTRUDER...
12.10 MISTLE was looking in the skies above, neither mantling, nor calling.  Some blue sky appears thru the white cloud, and there is no wind.

12.20  MISTLE is preening - a plane passes in the distance, heard not seen - and the chicks are lying on the north side, occasionally peering beyond the confines of the nest.

12.55  It got darker, and the wind got up.

13.00  MISTLE tries to cover the chicks.  I'm not sure it is actually raining, but the temperature might have dropped with the wind getting up.

13.01  I can hear the rain beginning to fall now.  MISTLE is flat out over the chicks, with her head low.  LOL  as I typed that she is sitting up. 

Oh!!  The cam must have stopped  13.02 and it was suddenly 13.27.  A short blackout.  The sky is very dark now.

13.47  The cam is live.  MISTLE is standing up one chick is teetering as it wanders around the nest!

Thanks Sheila. I am watching in and promise to do some snaps once the lens is clearer. As chat says. it'll be cleaned at ringing, assuming they're ringing!

We might have to wait a long time for ringing!  Clywedog were ringed today, between 37 and 40 days old.

#1 hatched - 11 June @ 05:30

#2 hatched - 13 June @ 04.11 first seen  (thank you Scylla for the reminder at the beginning of the thread!)

Could be roughly week beginning 18 July (not August - thank you Valerie).  I have never prayed for rain more, particularly in Scotland!!

Which reminds me.  Do you remember the hedgehog clumps that MISTLE brought in, clumps of peat with thick long dead grass?  I said I had an idea of what it might have been and would take a photo.  Well here it is (frantic search of my holiday pics!)

Beginning to die back, as all grasses do

It was actually taken on the side of the road along Loch Arkaig.  The grass is very stiff and upright, just like the 'hedgehog'! 

We had parked at the entrance to the Achnacarry estate, the seat of the chiefs of Clan Cameron of Lochiel.  We walked passed the clan museum, passed the amazing house (the son of the Laird was in residence with a flag flying over the house!) until we reached the bridge at the Ford of Arkaig.  Here we talked to a gentleman who worked for the Achnacarry Sporting & Country Pursuits - he knew all about the wildlife in the glen, and pointed me in the direction of Louis' nest.  Sadly I had been suffering from a very painful back and the thought of adding another three miles or more to the walk wasn't on my priorities.  I just hoped we might see an osprey, or a golden eagle that also ness in the glen, was good enough for me.  However, none appeared, and the peace was broken by a school party enjoying the water!  But at least I had been there.

14.44 MISTLE has flown off the nest. I heard an alarm call, but could see nothing untoward
14.45 MISTTLE returned. She was looking around briefly but her attention soon turned to rearranging the furniture. Another scan of the skies. What that was about I can't say.

MISTLE is getting agitated!!
15.25 #3 FISH!! I don't know what size, but it wasn't a whopper
15.26 AXEL departed

Pleased to see someone on chat refer to MISTLE 13.45 today!

Mistle is complaining heartily. Seems as if Axel is flying about as she is following his progress with her complaints.