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.

  • Thanks for the updates Karen and well done on finding the fish delivery. Blush
  • Maya chases a duck away.. then 33 stumbles into the nest from the cam pole

  • Bart molenaar said:
    Maya chases a duck away

    I love the way you got the "play line" totally separate from the video, so it doesn't interfere when pausing etc  AstonishedBlush

  • Many thanks, everyone.

    Scylla and Glider, Thanks for hunting for the fight.  I should have been more clear that Bart's post about a fight was posted at 07:19, not that the fight was at 07:19, or at least it seemed that way.  He may well have been referring to the earlier dive bombing of Maya by 25 (at least twice) following Maya's initial dramatic push of 25 off the nest after the two of them had been eyeing each other from opposite sides of the nest for a bit.  It is just that once I was able to get back to the LS, I saw I had missed almost exactly 10 minutes of the time leading up to 07:19.  I had hoped to view all of the relevant footage just in case there had been another clash between the 2 birds.

    Karen, Thanks, I, too, certainly have not heard of any previous fight of Maya's before this season.  She did look a bit puzzled about the situation when she arrived and found another female on her nest.  I was surprised that 25 put up a fight instead of scarpering off to her own nest straight away.  25 was probably truly impressed with the size of the fish 33 brought in--ruled by her stomach and thinking also of the resulting strapping chicks, perhaps--Lol!

    Bart, It is possible that 33 might now and then deliver a fish off the nest, but I have not yet seen that nor have I read that anyone else has.  I hope someone tells us if they know of any occasions when he did that.  Maya seems to expect 'proper service' and may have 'trained' him well to always bring fish to the nest--Lol!

    Kind regards, Ann

  • Unknown said:
     I should have been more clear that Bart's post about a fight was posted at 07:19, not that the fight was at 07:19, or at least it seemed that way.

    I knew what you meant, GB, and I carefully checked the run-up, having trimmed the remaining footage off.  YouTube's 6-hour downloads make it very easy for quick ons 'n offs to disappear between frames - in my editor 2 inches covers about an hour - very often I only know someone's been on a nest because a stick moves.

  • Blue 33(11) with a proper sized fish for maya..
    I guess she'll be carrying it all day again..

    btw.. funny moment when just after a duck approached the nest.. then ran away as it saw 33 on the nest

  • The wandering bit of Salmon?

    No you are not having it.

    Well maybe I will let you have it.

    OK you win...

     

  • Can't be salmon! RW is inland and not near any salmon rivers. Must be trout.
  • Lovely sequence, Kate--thanks.
    Jill, What other fish is pink? Sorry, my fish knowledge is tiny--does a Trout have pink flesh? Rutland Water is stocked with thousands of fish each year including Trout--probably a major factor in why it is so attractive to Ospreys.

    Kind regards, Ann