July 2022 thread
Our Osprey family
"Axel", Blue AX6(16) male (yes he does have strong chest markings), a single chick (possibly from 3 eggs) hatched Glen Affric, near Beauly, seen Lossiemouth 2020, then at LG in 2021
"Asha"- Female - Unringed - partnered Axel in 2021.
Axel & Asha (as "Mistle") fled the nest May 2021 due to unknown intruders.
HATCH #1 - 11 June @ 05:30
HATCH #2 - 13 June @ 04:11 (first sighting)
AT RINGING - Quote RSPB Abernethy Facebook "The male BLUE 1C2 is thought to be the older one at 1.5kgs with the female BLUE 1C1 being the younger one at 1.5kgs."
RSPB Video Channel - Osprey, Goshawk, Barn Owls: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl8QdQ9ZaBT65tF1yOmbMBQ
All pictures & videos ©RSPB LochGarten & WildlifeWindows
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IMAGICAT
Chicks' names - lack of
LG have always named the chicks in the past 10 or so years that I've been here.
Following the outcry over renaming Mistle, on the next blog Fergal said "Before anyone asks about the chicks, I think we have had enough of naming things for a while". I assumed he was angry - I suggested that local schoolchildren would love to be involved but there was almost no reaction or support from other members.
BTW, I hated the name Maya for Mrs5R, whom I had "met" when 5R failed to return and I so admired her lonely defence of the nest vs relentless corvids and other invaders. I thought it inappropriate to have a name associated with the extinct central American civilisation, and insisted on calling her Mrs5R/Maya until my resistance wore out
Over the past couple of days I've found something else to worry about, you'll not be surprised to hear.
Probably the best stick Axel has appeared with? But he didn't get to deliver it, he must have thrown it at 235
Well, I could have timings wrong and would be very grateful for corrections/reassurances.
BART - take everything I say with a pinch of salt!
Axel has been bringing sticks recently and that's something the males do when they are signalling the end of the season.
Axel and Asha were late finding each other and starting to breed - I do hope that Axel's end-of-season hormones haven't kicked in at the standard time and he's getting ready to leave before his late-laid/hatched offspring is ready to go it alone.
The same may go for Asha. (BTW, she flew away from the dead tree @ 21:56.)
(I might have to edit this, it's so garbled.)
12 August
Asha flew in @ 05:07:
Joined by 1C2 20 minutes later:
1C2 was lively:
A smallish bird was perched on the dead tree - it flew when Asha decided to perch there:
Off she flew:
1C2 is back on the nest. He seems to have found himself a scrap.
See y'all later :)))
Smiles, Jan.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
Wattle15 said:@Cirrus Axel IS still fishing. At 06.55 he delivered a very nice, live fish to the nest, closely followed by 1C2, the only remaining juvie. iC2 quickly claimed the fish, warning Asha off severely when she approached. Asha gathered up a few scraps from that fish, nothing more. 1C2 is bigger than Asha now.
Hello Wattle, your comment wasn't there when I started my response. I was interest that you said "1C2 is bigger than Asha" which goes against the osprey book! i couldn't understand how at ringing, two osprey chicks, weighing the same, were deemed to be of different gender. There must be more to it than just weight. Thickness of legs, perhaps
05.56 #1 FISH Axel brought in a fish, claimed by 1C2
06.55 Wattle Axel delivered a very nice, live fish to the nest, closely followed by 1C2, the only remaining juvie. 1C2 quickly claimed the fish, warning Asha off severely when she approached. Asha gathered up a few scraps from that fish, nothing more 1C2 is bigger than Asha now.
07.16 1C2 was still eating his fish when Asha landed. He was very possessive, mantling and calling over his fish, and stopped eating. Asha ignored him.
07.18 1C2 resumed eating. Asha waited patiently for him to finish and leave.
07.46 Almost down to the tail fin. There won't be any left for Asha
07.47 1C2 cleans his beak.
07.49 Asha calls. 1C2 joins in temporarily.
07.50 1C2 wanders to the far side of the nest, and 'talks', while Asha calls.
07.52 1C2 flew off and landed on the long perch from the old nest which shows behind the tower and level with the top of the stick/totem tree.
07.53 Asha wanders in search of dropped fish, and calls, then moved sticks.
07.54 She finds some bits and calls
08.10 Moving sticks and calling.
08.18 Asha flew, dropping over the nest toward the old nest, and may have landed low down, beneath the two upright support branches, or beyond it. 1C2 is still on the branch which sticks out to the right of the satellite dish on the tower.
08.20 Axel landed with a large stick and a chirrup! He looked around for the other two.
08.27 After a call, Axel flew to the perch.
08.38 He dropped back down to the nest, picking up bits, and calling - not sure to whom or why, he hasn't got a fish! I can't see Asha anywhere, but 1C2 is still on that long low perch near the stick tree.
08.45 Axel flew off, and I think landed on same perch as 1C2, but hidden by the satellite dish on the tower
10.01 1C2 left the perch dropping down towards the nest, but didn't reappear.
10.32 An osprey landed on the top of the dead tree. From the few contact calls I think it was Asha. 1C2 landed on the nest, calling, his very full crop showing well.
10.37 1C2 called and panted, then flew off, towards bottom right.
13.32 Asha flew from the dead tree, she didn't land anywhere obviously in sight.
13.34 Two osprey seen. One, Axel, Asha I think, landed back on the dead tree, and 1C2 landed on the nest, calling and looking around. Mantling. Was that second osprey an intruder, or 1C2?
13.35 He stops mantling but continues calling.
13.43 1C2 gives a final flurry of calls and returns to the lower perch of the nest, visible behind the tower, just level with the top of the stick tree. He can be heard calling.
13.51 Intruder. Axel flaps his wings on the top of the dead tree. Axel landed on the nest, mantling and intruder chipping. . The first time (?) we've seen him defend? I think 1C2 stayed put on the far perch.
13.51 Axel flew off to the top right, seen in the sky, and disappeared
14.35 1C2 flew from the perch left to right behind the nest, an arc showed in the sky and he disappeared.
15.05 Osprey landed on the top of the stick/totem tree.
15.07 And left, flying down behind the nest out of sight.
15.20 1C2 lands, calls and mantles, looking anxiously around. Two osprey are flying top left in the blue sky.
15.21 He walks, low, to the middle of the nest, lowered to his elbows, looking above him.
15.24 He is still low, watching the skies. No action seen or heard.
15.34 He half got up, gave a call, and sank down again
15.42 More intruder calls and mantling now. Some landed on a lower, left pointing perch on the dead tree.
Is it friend or foe. Fish or intruder! Neither of our adults usually sit on this perch, and I can now hear intruder chipping.
15.39 The osprey on that lower perch is intruder flapping
15.50 1C2 is still calling, still lying down, but I wonder if the bird I can see if either Axel or Asha. It could be eating. Head up and down....
15.52 FISH #2 Asha lands with a headless fish. 1C2 tries to grab it.
15.53 She won't let go! She is keeping an eye on the skies as well. She faux feeds him occasionally to hold him back.
15.54 She gives him a couple of bites, but still keeps an eye on the sky
15.55 And now she feeds him properly.
BBL