Recap:-
LJ2 returned 31 March 2023
LM6 returned 4 April 2023
Egg No. 1 laid 20 April
Egg No. 2 laid 23 April
Egg No. 3 laid 26 April
First hatch date due around 27 May
Link to March/April 2023
20.35 LM6 returned to the nest. What a lovely sky tonight.
She was settled on the eggs within a couple of minutes for her night session. Or so I thought…….
21.21 LJ2 flew onto the nest and the birds swapped over
21.28 night cam came on. LJ2 was still on the eggs and LM6 had flown onto the nest perch a minute before.
LM6 then flew onto the nest
and this was her settled down for the night this time!
Saturday 6 May, 2023
Good morning A nice dry night for LM6’s incubation. During the night she stood up off the eggs for a couple of stretches and then at 03.30 took a fly off for a quick comfort break.
04.52 LJ2 came to visit
and took over incubation.
05.21 LM6 returned
and resumed incubation
after her first morning preen on the perch.
07.09 LJ2 came back to change again
LM6 flew back to the preening perch.
07.35 LM6 returned and so did the rain. At least it’s not windy……. yet!
LJ2 takes his place on the perch. He’s been there already this morning too.
Each feather is meticulously cleaned. Little white downy feathers fly off.
LM6 continues to preen whilst on the eggs. Her little white downy feathers lie around the nest. The rain is drying up.
08.56 LJ2 flies onto the nest.
LM6 gets up, flies off and with a shake of the tail, LJ2 resumes incubation.
That was a very short incubation. Within a few minutes, LM6 flew back. LJ2 didn’t want to get up. LM6 stood and waited then decided to shuffle in.
LJ2 wasn’t for giving up though, he stood up then settled back down again but LM6 insisted and took over incubation.
09.54 LM6 looked around, stood up then flew off the nest towards the water. The sun has broken through.
LJ2 must’ve been close by and flew onto the nest within half a minute.
He incubated until LM6 returned at just after 11.00. Her undercarriage feathers look wet?
It’s the merry-go-round on the nest today! LJ2 glides in on his piece of bark skateboard at 11.34.
He thinks about where to place it. He taps LM6’s body a few times with it in his talons.
He then picks it up with his beak and places it across LM6’s tail.
LM6 makes soft contact calls.LJ2 lifts another piece of bark up from in front of LM6, she then gets up and flies off.
11.57 LM6 on the perch. It’s so itchy being a moulting Osprey.
The birds continued to share incubation into the afternoon.
By 16.30 the skies darkened and the rain came on. LM6 lay down deep into the nest until it passed.
17.35 LM2 flew onto the nest. LM6 asked him for fish.
They exchanged places.