Alyth Ospreys - 2023

This is a new thread following the Osprey nest at Alyth electricity sub station, located in the Perth and Kinross region.

The Ospreys have nested at the site  for many years, first year was around 1990.

They were nesting on a nearby electricity tower, but due to a planned expansion of the site a decision was taken to resite the old nest to a specially constructed 25-metre nesting tower and two nearby 8.5 metre resting perches, which were erected in 2014. Advice was sought from Roy Dennis.

Since that first breeding season in 2014, a total of 14 osprey chicks have been observed to have fledged from the new site.

The resident ospreys are called Harry and Flora, named by a local school in Alyth. All pupils were also given their own osprey soft toy as a thank you from the teams for getting involved and for showing such enthusiasm about the ospreys.

          

Richard B

  • Plastic sheeting seems to be the ongoing theme. Frowning2

    There was a fish delivery this afternoon, but it didn’t look like HK0 got any of it. 

    HK0 followed him onto the nest with a stick.


    He quickly took off again


    It was very blustery on the nest today. HK0 was sorting sticks. This one blew away.

    The male brings the piece of fish back



    He didn’t stay long and took off again.


    He came back, it’s looking a lot smaller! 


    Mantled with the fish then left again.


    The next time he returned, it was with a stick. Fish gone.

     

  • She’s still shouting for fish!


    At last, at 19.13, fish delivery arrives for HK0 and it’s a whole one. Thumbsup

  • I was Googling Scottish fish and wondered if this was a greyling?
  • Shortest-ever video:

    I would have put this on the end of that if I'd realised the wind had a hand in its departure.  Couldn't do slomo, it was disappeared.

    They do love their plastic sheeting.  No point trying to contact anyone to find the source, it could be miles away.

    (There's a mistake at the start but I'm not doing it again.)

  • I've had the RF open so long, you hadn't posted the fish.

    Glider said:
    I was Googling Scottish fish and wondered if this was a greyling?

    I call them fishes with them sorta scales but maybe slightly bigger "mullet", but on no authority Stuck out tongue winking eye

    EDIT

    On checking out Grayling - it could well be, someone will know.

    A Dyfi Mullet - does it have a whiter belly?

    .

    EDIT

    I sent off our photos to my friend - who is a self-professed fish expert Grin and he sent me this Mullet from a fishmonger, he says our Alyth fish is a Mullet.  He made some comments about Grayling, which went right over my head cos I was doing the Brenig fish.

  • The head shape is totally wrong for a mullet and the scale formation/pattern is wrong.
    It looks far more like a Grayling

    Richard B

  • Unknown said:
    The head shape is totally wrong for a mullet and the scale formation/pattern is wrong.
    It looks far more like a Grayling

    I shall tell him - after I've rebooted to fix network, which will take quite a while.

  • I have not followed this nest until now but presume that the pair this year has been the same pairing since 2014. As the female has a ring she can be readily identified as HKO, but the male being infringed has just been referred to as "he". Would it be possible, for the sake of clarity on this posting, to give him a name. If so I suggest Urma, which is a unisex name, and means appropriately enough among other things, Problem Avoider!
  • Thanks Scylla and Richard for your IDs on yesterday’s fish. It was the skin pattern and body shape that made me think it was a greyling, so it’s good to know. Thumbsup