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
11 May cont'd
13:26 - Brodie flew in from the right, stood for a while, hop-flew over to Asha's left and ended up standing by her as if on guard for 5 minutes, then he flew off:
SheilaFE said:14:54 Fish No 1 Small fish delivered
But not a tiddler:
15:00 +/- ... Don't ask me why, but my instant Google for this was Willow Warbler, a bird I have very, very rarely seen - so it probably isn't. I did have a close crop for introduction but mysteriously lost it and am wasting too much time already!
Can't resist:
15:13 - I think Asha brought a scrap of fish back with her... It was either that or a tiny stick, either way she placed it at the back of the nest:
She had a potter and flew off, leaving Brodie on the eggs.
15:25 - She was back with a small item for the nest, took over, Brodie flew.
SheilaFE said: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?
BlueNN2 for sure:
This is a shocking cheat - I "pencilled in" the first N on top of the original broken letter - the second N and the 2 are as per original but sharpened:
SheilaFE said:19:51 Fish No 2, a good sized one. Asha flew off and Brodie settled. Eventually
Not a friendly delivery for an arty snap, Brodie and the fish slightly out of focus until it was too late to see the fish:
Asha flew up to the Totem (I see they're calling it that on Chat and it seems appropriate, so that's one down and several more to go...):
Brodie flew first, then Asha from the Totem, there was some flying around before Asha settled on the nest.
I had my doubts as to whether they really changed over, so did screenshots of both, the second being a "repeat the same area", so we know they're comparable. Honestly, sometimes we won't stand a chance!
No further activity noticed before dark.
12 May
Asha's first flyabout and the morning sounds of LG - with 2 Cuckoos, Wood Pigeons, how many little birds can you ID? Who's the quack/honker, who's the mooer?
05:07 Brodie arrived to take over, Asha flew to the top of the 3 horizontal branches behind the thingummyjig...
No fish yet this morning according to chat
(c) RSPB Loch Garten
As you said, Scylla, lovely early morning sounds. Apart from the cuckoo I am unable to say who else is singing.
There might even have been two cuckoo was there a goose?
We have blue sky and sunshine now! Brodie, standing on the rim. I have to give a rider, here, as I am still having difficulty being certain who is who! Usually I have to wait until one begins to contact call!
11.29 Asha returned to the nest, with gentle peeps. Brodie seemed reluctant to get up. Asha began moving some soft furnishing, enough to make him move to the rim and shake his wings. A shake and ruffle of feathers, he looks around as Asha peeps.
11.39.45 Brodie flew away to the left, out of sight.
12.25 Brodie must be within sight somewhere. She gives the occasional soft call, and looks around.
12.26 Still calling she rearranges herself over the eggs, and checked all around and above. Is there an intruder around somewhere which is making her edgy?
12.45 Blue sky can be seen and the sun came out.
13.01 Asha managed to get a piece of wood caught in her beak again as she tries to break it up. It could be bark.. The nest is taking on a beautiful hue of green from moss, and orange from possibly pine/conifer bark at the moment, and is looking quite attractive.
13.03 An odd sound on the mic, briefly.
13.33 Asha changes view, and as she settled I spotted a loose large feather on her right side.
13.40 The clouds are disappearing over the horizon, leaving a blue sky.
13.47 A gull calls?
13.53 The odd sound on the mic again. A bit like a ball bearing being moved around! I have no idea what that could be. A crackling sound perhaps.
13.59 With the noise continuing intermittently, Asha begins looking intently around. Can she hear it too or is there any intruder around?
14.01 She continues to look intently around. And above
14.02 An intruder chip, and again, and into full intruder mode. An osprey can be seen flying beyond the tower and perches, followed by a shadow passing over the nest.
14.03 Intruder still out of sight and she continues to call.
14.05.11 The mic noise starts again, but she has stopped calling. The intruder has taken the hint
14.09.45 More mic noises. What on earth is it? It’s not the same noise as a plucking bird might make.
14.40 Asha is checking the skies again. Nothing to be seen from our point of view, bus she is still checking.
14.55 She rarely relaxes, always looking around. I think I heard a chaffinch. The accents are different there!
15.03 More mic noises – perhaps a bit like very fast falling rain, rather than ball bearings rolling around, LOL.
15.36 Asha get up to turn the eggs and settles
15.44 She got up again, flew off, intruder chips as she flies out of sight.
15.46 An osprey, possibly Asha, landed on branch of the old dead tree, with a few calls. I guess it is Asha.
Perhaps she had been seeing off the intruder. She left the tree dipping down behind the nest, and landed on the cam perch – a large shadow on the nest!
15.47 And back down to the nest, incubating immediately.
16.27 All very quiet for the past 45 minutes. She keeps looking casually around. No sign of Brodie since 11.39. No fish today. That odd noise can be heard occasionally.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
Golly, that wasn't very nice for Asha and where is Brodie - fishing ?
Thank you for all the captures and videos Scylla
FISH !!! !!! !!!
EDIT
Difficult to snap but was bigger than it looked on entry:
Yes a middle-sized fish at 18:18. Here's Asha with her takeaway
SheilaFE said:19.54 Brodie left.