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LOCH GARTEN - March/April 2023

scylla
12/03/2023 01:29

Last season it was decided to restrict live streaming to one cam only (no PTZ) and with no IR for nightcam - this was because the pair who'd been so promising in 2021 had apparently been scared off while they were still bonding, so advice was taken from Roy Dennis on how to avoid unnecessarily alarming the birds and that was the result.

We trust that "normal service will be resumed" this season.

On the 10th of April 2022 our female from 2021, whom Mike had named Mistle, returned - and two days later her partner AX6 Axel duly arrived.  Both were spotted by Ailie and CRinger, and both of those talents we have lost - the latter due to the unwelcome renaming of Mistle to Asha, which the rest of us have accepted... because we had no choice Relieved 

Breeding commenced late, and Axel wasn't the best provider nor the best nest-builder we'd ever seen - nevertheless the pair went on to fledge two beautiful chicks, one of whom tragically died thru, a necropsy determined, salmonella infection.

Asha left very early and we thought Axel had gone early too - but he made surprise appearances until quite late (dates anyone?).

I'll have to do it myself then - Axel was last seen on 10 September @ 11:09, when he flew off after first a visit to the nest and campost, and then a 5-minute preen on the perch.

"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.

Chicks:

Blue 1C2 Male

Blue 1C1 Female (died)

Sometimes Asha had to be quite assertive to get Axel off the eggs - always a good sign Hugging

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

RSPB Video Channel - Osprey, Goshawk, etc: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl8QdQ9ZaBT65tF1yOmbMBQ

All pictures & videos ©RSPB LochGarten & WildlifeWindows 

~~~~~~~

Purple heartDedicated...Purple heart 

IMAGICAT

  • 12/03/2023 01:40

    You may well wonder what happened to the much-vaunted "snaps" - but I'm not going there Persevere

    Here some brief extracts of the two Crossbills, they were on the nest about 4 times during the afternoon up till something past 4:

    His beak is stuffed with nesting material:

    IMAGICAT

  • 12/03/2023 03:07
    Thanks for the new thread, Scylla. I somehow missed that CRinger had left due to the name change Mistle to Asha---I was distracted by several other nests last year. Hope CRinger is ok and perhaps he will return this year. And Allie? What happened there? About the female Osprey's name--do you know why the name was changed? Mistle seemed a perfect name to me and she is such a pretty bird.

    Kind regards, Ann

  • 12/03/2023 03:54 in reply to Gardenbirder
    Unknown said:
    About the female Osprey's name--do you know why the name was changed? Mistle seemed a perfect name to me and she is such a pretty bird.

    LG HQ decided to keep the name Axel - after all, it was easy to associate it with the AX ring number.  However, they didn't want Mistle - for reasons unknown except maybe they didn't want to relinquish control totally... so they chose half a dozen names not including Mistle and put them out to the general RSPB membership (I think) for a vote and Asha won.

    CRinger wasn't the only one of us with very, very strong and vocal objections.

    IMAGICAT

  • 12/03/2023 06:37
    Thank you Scylla, let’s hope that this is a successful year for this nest.
  • 12/03/2023 08:53
    Thanks for starting the new 2023 thread Scylla. Also hope you are fully recovered soon so we can look forward to your usual amazing input. Really do hope, like all of us on this thread, for a very successful season for whatever ospreys claim the nest this year. Will look forward to reading every bodies comments, videos & pictures. A breakfast time treat.
  • 12/03/2023 10:00 in reply to scylla
    scylla said:
    Gardenbirder said:
    About the female Osprey's name--do you know why the name was changed? Mistle seemed a perfect name to me and she is such a pretty bird.

    LG HQ decided to keep the name Axel - after all, it was easy to associate it with the AX ring number.  However, they didn't want Mistle - for reasons unknown except maybe they didn't want to relinquish control totally... so they chose half a dozen names not including Mistle and put them out to the general RSPB membership (I think) for a vote and Asha won.

    CRinger wasn't the only one of us with very, very strong and vocal objections.

             -------------oooooooooooOOOoooooooooo------------------

    Thank you for starting the detailed opening thread SCYLLA.   

    Regarding the females name, I remember that the Unringed Female at Loch of the Lowes, normally known as Lady, also had several names depending on what forum or Group you were a member of, one that I can remember was Madge!   So if people feel so strongly about the name, why not just call her Mistle on this Forum, I see no harm in that at all. Grinning

     EJ's Memorial  Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023

  • 12/03/2023 11:56
    Great opening summary Scylla thanks and that’s with you feeling poorly, can’t wait to see your posts when you’re better!! Stuck out tongue winking eye (Which I hope is very soon )

    Am I right in thinking LG didn’t like the name Mistle as it sounded like Missile?
  • 12/03/2023 13:16
    I remember now you’ve said that Glider, that it they did say it sounds like missile. It sounds a very strange excuse for not putting Mistle on the voting list.
  • 12/03/2023 14:50
    Many thanks everyone for the posts. It seems there is not only drama with the Ospreys but always in the human community, too. I hope I magically turn into twins for the summer so that I can more closely follow this nest and a growing number of other Osprey nests this season! As my sister is fond of saying, "So many birds, so little time!"

    Scylla, Hope you are feeling better. One of my relatives (a grandmother's first cousin) always resorted to raw garlic (and almonds, but not at the same time as the garlic!) It seemed to work for her--she was rarely ill and lived to age 92. Since you spend so much of your time alone, posting snaps and videos here, on YouTube and I don't know where all else, at least the enormous banks of your computers would not be put off by the after effects of eating raw garlic--Lol! But you probably need to slather it with something oily to dampen the sting...In Barcelona, Spain, they rub raw garlic cloves on hard toast and add olive oil and fresh tomato; it is a very yummy appetiser, but I suspect the garlic is fresh, probably not the older, drier garlic in the UK--doesn't taste exactly the same here. The sunny climate and local wine probably help, too...(By the way, my relatives are not Spanish!)

    Kind regards, Ann

  • 12/03/2023 21:37

    Many thanks for the OP at LG 2023. It is the one close to my heart, as it is the first nest I followed 11 years ago now, with our beloved EJ and Odin and the only place I have been to, have visited twice. Loch Arkaig and Lowes will be the other two that would be suitable for me to visit (4ish hours from home, fitted in with a holiday) but the others sadly, are too far away. I hope Axel and Mistle (Asha) return safely and have another successful year. I also hope that our fellow contributors, who have left us, return to be with us again and we can all enjoy following our beloved birds together.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.