LOCH GARTEN - August 2022 to end of season

Hello bloggers,

We have had the initial results back from the tests run on the juvenile osprey 1C1. This osprey season has been one of great excitement and sadness. I believe the spectrum of emotions the birds inspire is why so many of us engage so passionately. Our ability to empathise and share in their successes and failures is what keeps me coming back each year.

I was away on leave when I received the news about the 1C1. It appeared from the webcam that they were generally lethargic and not feeding well for a few days leading up to when they collapsed.

This experience has tainted the remarkable season that we have had with the return of these birds but also shines a light on the struggles that ospreys face. It was difficult watching 1C1 struggle on the nest but being able to recover the body will give our team more closure than we experience from ospreys that never return from migration. Osprey’s need only to have one successful fledgling breed again to pass on their genes and we hope Asha and Axel will fledge many more chicks in the future.

After 1C1 died, we were able to retrieve the body to find the cause. Keeping in mind the current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) this was carried out with very strict safety measures and full hazmat suits. The chick was then sent down to Edinburgh for testing.

We have now received the initial results. 1C1 tested negative for HPAI but did appear to have an enlarged liver which would suggest she was fighting an infection when she died. There was concern that a pathogen had been passed to 1C1 from the little grebe that was brought onto the nest. The footage makes it difficult to say if this was a contributing factor. Asha ate most of the little grebe head with 1C1 attempting to feed on it. Furthermore, the aggressive behaviour exhibited from 1C2 was also a likely factor in that he was more abrasive when competing for food. He was witnessed snapping and pecking at 1C1 and this may have contributed to her exhaustion and inability to feed.

Whatever the reason, it looked like a combination of factors could have led to 1C1 dying on the nest on Monday 8^th. There are more tests being done so if we receive any more information, I will let you know. We are now going to wait and hope that 1C2 will not meet the same fate with both parents having already left.