Link to March/April 2023
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After a start/stoppy kinda season, we now have settled couple "URM" (until LG give him a name) and Asha, or Mistle as some would prefer.
Asha is the proud parent of 2 eggs, the father of which being dubious but probably URM, as we hardly saw NN2 (for whom we wish all the best elsewhere) be accepted by Asha.
URM and Asha are similarly marked but distinguishable by certain differences which I may slot in here but I've lost them for the time being.
Asha (R) is looking rather small in this snap because she's crestfallen due to no supper:
Because Asha did so much work on the nest before she had a partner, there hasn't been a lot for URM to do - but he has quite frequently brought in nest material - and his fish provisions have been regular and willingly handed over. He's a promising Osprey dad so far.
IMAGICAT
10 May
Misty morning, here's Brodie's fly-in for first changeover:
And here's Asha's return with stick, and Brodie on the receiving end of it:
I tried my best to make this a fish at a funny angle but the fact that Asha flew off without it was a big hint that it wasn't.
Asha returned eventually with a small stick, she took over:
She crowded him off the eggs:
Brodie came in twice to defend vs unseen intruder, Asha wasn't very exercised about it until the end - so that's what I'm showing you:
Thank you for the early morning mist and the intruder, Scylla. Interesting that Asha flapped him off to go and sort out the intruder!
10.31.29 Asha managed to get a piece of bark stuck between her bill.
11.59.28 Brodie landed and Asha gave him some sharp tweets “where’s the fish?” before settling again.
Brodie began intruder calling and looking above – sky dancing could be heard. Asha looked up but just stayed put. Brodie wasn’t compelled to go in chase, just to call. Asha checked the eggs and settled. They both kept an eye on the skies above.
12.01 Brodie continued to chip and watch above. Sky dancing could be heard again.
His chipping was pretty half hearted, until he looked up and flew at 12.04. Asha watched whatever was going on.
12.09 Brodie returned, calling and mantling this time. No sign of the intruder, but it must have been close. His calls got louder and more frantic. If the osprey rule book is to be believed the intruder was male, but it was off-cam.
12.11 Calls continued
12.12 and again Asha raised herself and told him to get off, flapping him off the nest!
13.51 Asha stood up, had a stretch and a scratch, looked around and took off to our right, for a brief comfort break.
13.52 She returned, and settled. Briefly the wind got up and was rocking the nest a bit. It was quite loud on the mic.
15.20 All of a sudden the wind drops, and it is briefly quiet.
15.44 It’s breezy again.
16.44.30 Asha gets up, flaps her wings and has a very short flight. She lands on the perch and returns to the nest.
16.37 A passing shower
17.03 The rain gets heavier
17.13 There has been some interesting skies this afternoon, along with a mix of sun and showers. It’s currently raining
17.45 It gets brighter, the rain stops.
18.14 And it starts to rain again. No sign of Brodie or the sky dancing intruder
As far as I can see/gather the last fish was 16:54 yesterday.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
SheilaFE said:Brodie began intruder calling and looking above – sky dancing could be heard
Oh tut! By only doing the beginning and end I missed that entirely! I've done the first 5-minute session and can reduce the wind and get crystal clear Brodie but the skydancing is so weedy I'm not going to bother editing.
I forgot this snap showing a littlish birdie on the tree beside the nest:
Fish at last!
Good size fish, as usual from Brodie:
11 May
04:54 - Asha's first flyabout, under a minute.
05:00 - Brodie flew in to take over:
Asha flew off with last evening's fish leftover:
Eventually she flew to the pole:
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well! I got that far early this morning when I had a change of heart and decided a video of the get-go was req'd, then I remember thinking "why are you doing this?" and suddenly felt unwell, and Bro had to cancel my Covid booster... now I feel better and here I am at gone 8 o'clock in the evening!
Here's the video up to Asha returning to the nest and Brodie leaving:
I'll post this so you know I'm alive, and add bits to it as I go along with the rest of the day.
EDIT - No I won't, cos I now see that SHEILA has posted one of her brilliant summaries, so I'll continue on my merry way after her post
I am so sorry you have not been feeling well, Scylla. Take care.
I have been thru the camera, but I'm not sure how accurate it is. Neither am I sure whether Asha has returned since she left with fish No 2, sorry.
12.47 Asha got up, flapped and intruder chipped, flapping her wings. Intruder not seen on screen She wasn’t a happy bunny at all.
12.49 An osprey could be seen in the sky.
12.56 Asha returned, looking intently all around, above the nest.
12.58 Intruder flew close and low over the nest. There was contact, but I am not sure with what. Asha stands watching
12.59 It seems the immediate danger is over. She preens, but still watches around her.
13.02 Asha settles to incubate.
14:54 Fish No 1 Small fish delivered, Asha grabbed it eagerly and was soon away to Odin’s top perch. Brodie incubates.
15.13 Asha returns, fishless. She get up close and personal, and encourages Brodie to go. It didn’t work the first time, so she tried again, moving sticks, swinging her tail over him.
15.15 Brodie doesn’t take the hint, and she flies off.
15.25 Asha returned, and Brodie left.
16:26 A ringed bird intruded and tried to land. Asha was having nothing of it. Chat said it was NN2 again. He flew off to the top perch of the dead tree to the left of the screen – but was it Brodie?
16.41 She had been quite relaxed about the osprey initially, and then appeared to fish solicit. Is that Brodie on the dead tree and not NN2?
16.49 She turns the volume up. The bird took off and flew over the nest and away to the left, out of sight. She continued to fish solicit.
16.50 Blue NN2/Brodie flew over Asha, and tried to land. She flapped him away. She continued to fish solicit, loudly. It must be Brodie. I don’t think she would ‘ask for a fish’ from NN2!
From Chat LG did an update on their FB page today, said there’s a pair of redstarts nesting under the nest
16.58 An osprey flew over the nest, attempted to land, and flew over to the top of the dead tree. Was Asha telling to go fishing?
17.34 Brodie? Left the dead tree. She continued to watch intently, but he wasn’t visible to us.
19:51 Fish No 2, a good sized one. Asha flew off and Brodie settled. Eventually
I am unsure whether Asha has returned.
SheilaFE said:From Chat LG did an update on their FB page today, said there’s a pair of redstarts nesting under the nest
I put a caption on this video 'Asha has occasionally been showing "special interest" over the right side of the nest', but then took it off because the picture wasn't demonstrating it, but I wanted to put it on the record somewhere. Maybe that's where the Redstart nest is? Anyway, it would explain and confirm the sweet early-morning song
A snap can't do justice to the unsuitable stick that Asha made a special trip to fetch !!!
Oh dear (I need an auto-type for that!)... glancing thru SHEILA's summary it looks as tho I'm going to have to be ultra-selective if this isn't going to take all night
***********************
10:28 - Asha flew off and Brodie flew in shortly after - well synced - but soon Asha was back with a tiny stick, almost landing on Brodie, who just flinched and held out:
10:32 - An almost repeat with something even tinier, this time Brodie got up to leave but had to change his mind when Asha flew off again!
10:35 - Again!
10:37:
At last Asha took over and Brodie flew off, but quite soon flew in with a contribution of his own.
10:47:
A minute after he left, Asha upped 'n offed on a little flyabout, couldn't see any purpose to it but she obviously had her reasons
10:55 she suddenly got up and moved this stick from behind her to the front of the nestcup:
12:29 - Brodie flew in and took over, then Asha was in 'n out THREE more times with "stuff", and she was still away when...
12:47 - Brodie reacted to unseen intruder with flapping, chipping & squeeing... 2 minutes later he flew in pursuit.
Empty nest !!!
12:57 - Asha landed and was descended upon by unringed Osprey.
SheilaFE said:12.58 Intruder flew close and low over the nest. There was contact, but I am not sure with what.
I wouldn't have expected Brodie to have approached like that, but we never know:
I forgot to caption this as quarter speed:
From what SHEILA says there was a natural break so I'm taking one too, back asap.