LOCH GARTEN - July 2022

Glider said:

it may have been diving at the time.

I agree with you and VALERIE (and probably everyone else) - I had visions while struggling with the video of the poor creature innocently seeking out food under water and suddenly being swept into a hellish world

I meant to say earlier - altho there's no sun this morning the light keeps changing, making it labour-intensive trying to make it all visible.

Oh dear scylla and all. I really hope it was only rigour mortis I saw. She looked a bit befuddled when she got it to the nest... but then "Oh well, might as well eat it since I caught it." Very difficult and well edited video.... :-(

Many thanks for the tip for restoring a potential post, Scylla.  It worked for me just now! My laptop must be on the way out.  For ages if I leave it alone to get on with something and I'm away for more than ten minutes, I get a blank screen.  Touching the pad, or the mouse has no affect and I have to close it, and reboot.  It's a right pain.  

How interesting that Asha has decided to go fishing, and what an unusual, if accidental, catch!

It was a bit odd earlier, in an interesting way.  

10.16  Asha didn't look at ease.  She was looking around with those staring eyes quite a bit - in fact looking quite pretty. She then called and lifted off o the left.  The chicks stayed low, but peaked above the rim to follow her, then when intruder flat.

10.20  Flying around behind the nest an osprey flew up to the dead tree and landed.  The chicks food solicited, butt stayed down.

10.25 Asha landed on the nest with a clump and joined in the calling.  The osprey on the dead tree flew off and down to the right of the dead tree, and away.  The chicks called, Asha looking around.  It must have been Axel on the dead tree.  Asha called again with 1C1 standing near the front joining in.

10.29 She flew off calling and could be heard calling as she flew around, overhead - the chicks were watching her.

As has already been reported - thank you!

11.08  She returned carrying a live Little Grebe.  Asha looked somewhat confused.  The chicks looked on, calling and pecking at the feathers.  It's really quite cannibalistic.  It must have tasted really weird, and twisting her head to get a beakful wasn't doing the usual thing.  Now here's a question, do osprey have a sense of taste, I am sure they don't have a sense of smell.  I can only assume not.  It was quite gruesome.  The chicks were accepting morsels without question;  thee poor bird was still fluttering at 11.13.  This certainly put 1C1 off.  He backed off and watched.  1C2 wasn't even interested.

11.15 well, perhaps I could give it a try - 1C1.

11.21 Asha give up and 1C1 takes control.  1C2 prowls around his tail.  She shows interest, but not enough to push in, and walks away.  I think Asha must be picking up dropped pieces unless part of the grebe was left behind.

11.25 1C1 is having difficulty sorting out what is a meal and what are feathers I think.  Asha isn't bothering at the moment.

11.29  1C2 is having a go now that 1C1's attention has turned to re-arranging the twigs.

11.37  All three are preening.  1C1 gets excited, has a poo and spreads his wings

11.421C2 walks towards mum and keeps nipping her talons. before spreading her wings and bouncing a bit

meanwhile 1C1 has been calling for fish, ignoring the dead grebe.

1C1 has ago at the grebe's leg, but 1C2 get's in my way and I can't see what's going on.  I think it was unsuccessful.  Not exactly surprising, there's nothing like it on a fish, LOL

11.51 he give up.

11.55 Sasha spots something.  She watches

11.56 She crouches and half mantles, still watching.  

11.57 She intruder calls and goes into full intruder mode.  I can't see anything. It's flying behind and to the right of the nest.  Then above.  The chicks watch and call too.

11.58  She paused

11.59  She gave another brief call.  Danger moved on.

The body of the grebe is lying in the middle of the nest.

12.08 Sasha approaches the body, the chicks surround it, but no one appears to eat it.  Possibly she is pulling feathers.  Sasha is unsteady on her feet as she crouches.  The chicks are food soliciting.  Obviously the grebe isn't really want they want.  She is distracted.  Is the intruder still around?

12.10 Sasha takes off and flies to the dead tree.  

12.21 she took off and flew over the nest, watched by the chicks.

12.22  she returned with a stick and placed it on top of the near left.

12.23  she took off again

12.24 and returned with another sticky stick

12.26  The chicks get noisy and she leaves again - she is not in view

13.18 Axel arrived with a large stick.  The chicks were begging for food.  He looked somewhat non-plussed.  What do I do now!!  He left he stick where he landed and back away from the chicks!  He seemed to notice the grebe, but ignored it.  He looked around for Asha

13.19 He flew off, and no sign of Asha.  If she'd ben around she would have flown in to take the fish - there was none of course!

It's interesting that the chicks obviously recognise him and friend, and not foe, despite him rarely being on the nest.

14.07 the chicks settled and snoozed after Axel left, but now 1C1 is up, looking around, then flapping with little jumps.

1C2 has a go

1C2  m

14.21 At last Asha returns, with nothing.  The chicks are demanding.  She calls too.

14.33  They are still ignoring the grebe, but lovely to see Axel around.

15.32 Fish!!!

Fish #1 15.31/2

SheilaFE said:

Fish #1 15.31/2

I looked at my TV and it said 15:33 but I must have slow reactions cos JILL's time was right:

SheilaFE said:

Now here's a question, do osprey have a sense of taste, I am sure they don't have a sense of smell.

You've pointed to another thought that was in my head during editing - I reckon that if they can't smell they're unlikely to be able to taste much, if anything.  And the fact that they settle for such a monotonous diet all their lives supports that (but I know that fish varieties have a variety of flavours)

I'm away for a while.

FISH !!! !!! !!!

Good captures, Scylla  #2 FISH.  A nice brown trout.  I think Axel must like a lie-in!  He's making a habit of afternoon deliveries.  Dare I say, late afternoon!  Two within an hour and a half, so it is possible.  I was going to say the wind has dropped, but it's still breezy.  Having said that, they hardly look starving.  They may no have bulging crops but the look bonny!  Oh, I don't know, that crops looks huge!

That poor grebe is going to get trodden into the nest.

I should have shut down that laptop, they keep catching my eye - 1C2 got me worried for a moment when he got very close to the edge: