Osprey worries 2023

Hi Gordon - I've alerted LG HQ to your post and hope something will come of it.  Thank you for all you've done for our precious Ospreys.

Thank you Gordon and thank you Scylla, I actually didn't know what to do for the best ! So glad you had a clue. 

Every success to you Gordon  - what a great job you do and I appreciate it .

A wholehearted Thank You to you Gordon for the heads up and for everything you do to promote our precious Ospreys .. 

Unknown said:

Thank you Gordon and thank you Scylla, I actually didn't know what to do for the best ! So glad you had a clue. 

Every success to you Gordon  - what a great job you do and I appreciate it .

Second that! Hope somebody listens and alters the plans - surely they'lll see the benefits from eco-tourism if they accommodate 'their' Ospreys by leaving them a peaceful buffer zone? 

Look at the success of Horn Mill trout farm in Rutland, they took the enlightened decision to un-net their biggest pond to allow the Ospreys to fish, and built a photographer's hide. Now they make more money from hide fees than they lose in fish value to the Ospreys.

Oh Gordon, I can see why you are worried--best of luck with getting a happy outcome for you and the Ospreys. In addition to the RSPB, are there other nature-friendly organisations or groups locally who could write letters, campaign online on social media, hold demonstrations, and ask for a meeting, etc., with the project owners and the construction company in hopes of a compromise? Even a barrage of folks contacting the local council might help and lead to enough of a change of plans which would be better for the Ospreys and not hit the pockets of the owners and contractors badly enough to make them resist any change? I imagine the Roy Dennis Foundation people know about this and if not, I expect they would want to know--maybe they are doing something which you and others could join in with? Perhaps contact them via their website if you have not already done so? You or someone could start a petition online--change.org and 38degrees have sites online and lots of people sign their petitions. The construction process is also a worry--can be very noisy and a lot of people coming and going and shouting to be heard over the machinery--I recall all too well what happened at Llyn Brenig and the TV competition event which upset and disturbed the Ospreys (which I thought was still a crime!)... On a cheerier matter, along with the others posting here, thanks ever so much for feeding Ospreys for so long!

I know full well what a wonderful job you have done in creating an excellent business, for yourself, your clients and the local osprey population. To have a ready 'fish bar' for breeding males to source food for the nest and the young has clearly prevented lack of fish for the chicks. Many folk here have followed your FB reports over the years and been delighted to hear of sightings of known birds.
Have you actually voiced your concerns to the hotel? If they have been supportive of you so far, it may be they don't actually understand the potential consequences.
I wish you well in your campaign, and will let as many folk know as I can.

scylla said:

I've alerted LG HQ to your post and hope something will come of it.

I am aorry (but not too surprised?) to have to report that I had an automated reply on the 15th but nothing since.

It must be likely that interested & influential parties will have got to know of the planned development by other means - I do hope so.

Today - a response !!!  The matter has been referred to the local Conservation Officer - but we are warned that that person is extremely busy, as she is covering for another post which is currently being recruited for.  Sorry about the dangling preposition.

Hi All,
Thanks for the concerns regarding the Ospreys at my pond, i saw that the RSPB has resonded to the application to build lodges to close to the pond that i built may years ago, while the Macdonald Resort has ben brilliant to allow me to do what i have done for the last 12yrs, the lodges would be just to close to the water.
I met with the planning officer and a couple of other folk so we shall see what happens.
I am preparing the pond and stocking it before any Ospreys arrive, and i am sure it will all be fine for the next couple of years at least.
I watch the Ospreys in the early mornings even when not guiding customers somewhere around130 mornings a season,7 mornings a week for the last 11 or 12 years, before that i worked 22yrs ar Rothiemuchus trout fishery and helped built the pond and hides there.
Rothiemuchus is only guiding 2 days a week this season as they have had lots of issuses with the Ospreys feeding the last couple of seasons, so i feel its even more important that i keep going.
I know the Ospreys would survive without my little pond, but i never just wanted them to survive, i wanted them to thrive, especially when the river is running high in the Summer and the Lochs are high and dirty, or when there is a poor Sea-trout year
Anyway thank you all, i will report on my page daily during the season, i'm pretty good at getting up at 3am every morning..... pretty rubbish on the computer.
For me i await the return of Mr AU6, a menace to other male Ospreys and a real menace to my customers as he loves chasing all the other Ospreys away until HE fishes, but he is my favorite Ospreys, fastest, most powerful Osprey i have ever seen.
Lets hope they all make it back, and for a good season, the pond will be ready well in advance.
Thanks Gordon.

What a lovely positive post Gordon. So glad you met the planners. It's a wonderful thing you're doing for the ospreys