MANTON BAY - MARCH/APRIL 2023

Brief history of Manton Bay:

The nest was first occupied by White 08(97) and Green 5N(04) in 2007 who raised 2 chicks.  In 2008 they paired again but the nest failed and in 2009 it was unused.   In 2010 a new pair, Green 5R(04) and an unringed female nicknamed Mrs 5R, took up residence and over the next four years raised 11 chicks.   Green 5R(04) failed to return in 2014 and Mrs 5R paired with a new mate, Blue 28(10) and laid 3 eggs.  Blue 33(11) arrived determined to claim this nest and evicted Blue 28(10).  Blue 33(11) kicked out the eggs and spent the remainder of the season bonding with Mrs 5R who was then officially named “Maya”.   Since 2015, Maya and Blue 33(11) have returned reuniting their partnership and to date have successfully raised 23 chicks.

© Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust 

Here’s wishing Maya and Blue 33(11) a safe journey home and for another successful season.

  • Another 'Great Stuff'  Gardenbirder , Very many thanks indeed for all those memories recounted.

  • Unknown said:

    Thanks for the new thread, Karen, and all of the fabulous statistics. At least after being kicked out by Blue 33, Blue 28, aka Wonky Wing, (you probably know that he and Blue 33 are full brothers only a year apart in age) went on to have many chicks of his own with a female on another nest in the Rutland area) and he became the ruler of the fish pond nearby as well. I still miss the wonderful Green 5R, an older half brother of Blue 28 and 33. I remember back in the spring of 2014 I was anxiously waiting for 5R who was due to return any day at the time. Very sadly, 5R never appeared, as you know, and I was heart-broken, having seen him and Mrs 5R the previous year during Birdfair--they were my first ever sightings (in-person) of UK Ospreys. One of their 2013 chicks, 3J (now Telyn at Dyfi) was doing her famous shouting at Dad for fish when we were in the hide. At least Mrs 5R/Maya returned in 2014 (and two of the three 2013 chicks from the Manton Bay nest also returned after a couple of years away, 3J and her brother, 1J). Now, of course, another female from another Rutland nest, Blue CJ7 (another relative of 5R, 28 and 33) has carried on the tradition of some other Rutland females of spreading out across the country, having become the breeding female at Poole Harbour. Fingers crossed she and her partner return again this year, too.

    Wow - thanks Gardenbirder.  I always enjoy your posts as they're so informative.   Like you, I clearly remember 2014 waiting, with his Mrs5R as she was known back then, on 5R returning.  It was really sad as he was young.  

    Do you keep a family tree of Rutland as I am always amazed at how you remember who is related to who. 

  • Thank you Karen for your so informative start to the 2023 MB season, and Gardenbirder for you wonderful history lesson. It will all be kicking off again any day now!!

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

  • Amazing reading the posts from previous years. I began my interest last year and it wasn't long before I was hooked on checking in daily to see what was happening on the nest, eventually visiting and seeing some fledgling flights of the chick's around the bay and falling under rhe spell of the legendary Maya and her mate. May their journey and story continue.
  • Karen it is such a shame that Rutland deleted a lot of the historic information from their newer website, there was so much detail on it that was scrapped.  

    I was looking in my 2014 File and found copies of some pages which came from Worcestershire Wildlife Magazine, which you may have yourself, but thought I would post again anyway Grinning its mostly about the great 03(97).

     

    I too was very sad when Green 5R didn't return, but Maya found a fantastic partner in Blue 33(11) 

  • Fantastic Mary, Thank you. I wept buckets over Mr Rutland. Same again with 09

    I absolutely treasure my Rutland Water Ospreys book 

  • That is great info thank you Mary.
  • Thanks Karen, Gardenbirder and Mary GK for all the background info.

    Anticipating the imminent return of Maya and Blue 33, I posted a video a couple of days ago, from my trip there last March, and got this 'content review' message which I screenshot.

    I'll try to post the video again, see what happens. Anyone else had this?

  • Gosh, the EGs were very, very early this morning - they stayed about 15 minutes:

    Back at a more civilised hour for nearly 6 minutes:

    Later, a Jackdaw?  Do I get a medal?  Or not? Thinking

    EGs back again @ 08:50, then ENS up to 13:30-ish.

  • Re-posting 33's beautiful heli-dancing last year. This took place around midday on 31st March, and twelve hours later in the teeth of a vicious snowstorm, Maya laid her first egg.