LOCH GARTEN - August 2022 to end of season

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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  • The cam has the whirlygiggy thingy for me, and I have noticed that the time is now wrong. It says 12.54, but actual time is 13.10, and it's raining again, heavily.

    According to the one o'clock news it is foggy at Aberdeen, and it is pouring at Balmoral, which isn't that far away!

    Oh!  the time has caught up too!

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • News on the cause of death of 1C1 from rspb on facebook

    "It has been a wildly fantastic season, with so many high points. However, it was undoubtably a huge low to lose one of our osprey chicks, 1C1. Earlier evidence indicated that she was dealing with an infection. Today that infection was confirmed to be a case of salmonella. Thank you for all the support and we will keep you up to date with any further news. Until then, here is 1C1 enjoying her time on the nest earlier in the season."

    https://fb.watch/fn36s6Pbl8/
  • Thank you, BART.  I wonder if they have any idea what may have infected her - and not her sibling.

    SheilaFE said:
    The cam has the whirlygiggy thingy for me, and I have noticed that the time is now wrong

    Eek, you've alerted me to check my downloads - loads of 14-second failed attempts, both for this and the Goshawk.  Recovered about 20 minutes ago.

  • Could have been the grebe ofc, or a particular fish 1c1 ate and not 1c2.
    Fish can be contaminated too.
    Just found an article on that: www.researchgate.net/.../282356746_Occurrence_of_salmonella_in_freshwater_fishes_A_review

    And Jill mcKenzie led me to this article from 2018

    https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/osprey-news/a-sad-and-challenging-six-days-osprey-project-update/ 

  • Bart molenaar said:
    Could have been the grebe

    I have felt that it was too long between it being on the nest and 1C1's illness.

    As for the thiamine deficiency at Poole Harbour - mystifying (but the symptoms looked the same as 1C1's).  I don't know if they have since found out how/why?!  Thiamine-deficient fish? Upside down 

    I have nothing to add to your obs, SHEILA, up to 12:12 when the cam went down.

    EDIT - and including another batch up to 14:00-something.

  • Actually what triggered the article was "Other projects have faced similar challenges, including the first year of the Rutland Osprey translocation project when sadly four of their first eight birds died from Salmonella poisoning. Nonetheless, Rutland is now home to a well-established population following the first successful breeding attempt in 2001."

    And they didn’t find any salmonella infection at Poole harbour.. maybe someone remembers from that time at Rutland?
  • Thank you for the links, Bart.

    I do remember the incident at Poole, when five chicks died and it was suspected it was due to a lack of thiamine in their diet.  It was during a particularly hot period.  But why there should be a connection with Salmonella I have no idea.  The only common denominator is the unusually hot weather.

    Dyfi also referred to it on a blog of Thursday 21 May 2020.

    "...2018 was a particularly rough year for the Poole guys, as a number of their young ospreys died due to the record-breaking heat that year compounded by possible Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. I remember the very same thing happening to one of the Glaslyn chicks in 2006, low Thiamine levels were suspected then too, predicated by 30+C temperatures (in Wales!)."

    and they also mentioned  "Black 2J (Black 80's sister) succumbed to the intense heat-wave of early July 2006."   I assume Black 80 is a Glaslyn chick, and resident male at Threave.

     

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • I can't find anything on the old RW site for 2001, other than it was the first breeding year on the site, Mr Rutland and his unringed mate on Site B. It's such a pity that Mike isn't with us, but I will try to get him to read it...!

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • I don’t think they (or I) imply a connection. Just that they mention similar mishaps at other projects, like the one at Rutland where 4 o’s died of salmonella. Sorry, should have written that part only in the first post.

    I’m just curious how 1c1 (or any osprey for that matter) could have gotten infected with salmonella. Could be the grebe, or a fish, or maybe a passing bird that shat on the nest, etc..
    As I remember.. it was hot that period (well, it still is) and dry, so maybe a fish was caught near other water fowl.
    The other article, and other resources, suggest that the fish itself might not be have the bacteria inside them, but it might occur on their skin.

    So maybe they found some cause at Rutland they haven’t posted.

    On a side note: I’m not trying to guess or deliberate on the cause of the infection with 1c1.. we lack the data to make any assumption. Just seriously curious on how fish eating birds could get a salmonella infection, as it is rare, even for humans, to get that from really wild and fresh fish. (I really stopped eating tilapia, after I saw the lake in Kenya where they were cultivated for our markets)

    edit: this post crossed your second one Sheila. Would be nice if we had firsthand knowledge on what happened in Rutland by Mike 

  • 07 September

    Lots of little birds 11:30 for half an hour plus - mainly Chaffies, the only other bird I could distinguish was a Great Tit - anyway, not one of them came forward to be big enough for a snap.