Link to season’s opening post here
Link to May 2023 here
RECAP
Flora HK0 arrived 30 March 2023
Harry (unringed) arrived 4 April 2023
EGG No. 1 laid 15 April - Hatched 21 May (37 days)
EGG No. 2 laid 18 April - Hatched 23 May (36 days)
EGG No. 3 laid 21 April - Hatched 25 May (35 days)
All going well so far. Harry is a prolific fisher and is averaging about 7-8 fish a day.
Hello from my holidays!! Had a quick look at the live stream before bed and thought the intruder at 19.17 might be KP1 Loch of the Lowes (F) 2016?
Thought I'd do a quick check in on how things are here - wow, the chicks are huge! One with its head resting between its siblings
Found the fish delivery timings, so far today, on chat: Fish roundup 06:15, 08:20, 08:49, 09:32, 14:36, 17:22, 17:45 was a whopper
Thanks for looking in Sandra. The chicks are even bigger today (29 June) - I’m late in getting to the nest tonight. Some snaps from earlier -
The chicks look about the same size as Flora now! There has been some practising of wing flapping
The nest is so crowded, Flora rests on the perch
Small fish from Harry. What a racket from Flora and the chicks as they all try to get the fish.
Flora manages to grab the fish and feed the chicks
More wing flapping
Fish delivery
The fish ended up being dropped and flapping on the nest. One of the chicks grabbed it first.
Flora tried her best to get the fish
The fish travelled all over the nest with the chicks pulling at it and trying to take it from each other
Wing flapping during the chaos
Finally Flora retrieves the fish and feeds the chicks.
Flora and Harry have their work cut out now with these 3 large chicks at an age where they are developing their independence skills.
As of Thursday 29 June, the chicks are 40, 38 and 36 days old. If this nest had been accessible, they would’ve been ringed by now.
Friday 30 June
I just can’t get over how much these chicks have grown and developed and look like “real” ospreys now!
Flora slept standing beside the chicks overnight.
Early morning live fish delivery at 05.15. There is nowhere for Flora to do her “fish dance” and she backs into one of the chicks.
Flora has to race across the nest to get to the fish first and mantles over it.
The chicks are lined up for feeding time.
06.30 Second fish of the morning arrives. Flora had been on lookout on the perch when she spotted Harry in the distance.
A wee bit bigger than the first fish
Again, Flora takes the fish as quickly as she can and mantles.
The feed begins
A chick grabs at the fish (it hadn’t received any pieces yet) but Flora holds on. She takes the fish to the other side of the nest to continue the feed.
All 3 chicks get some of the fish.
They’re coming fast and furious. Another small fish at 06.59
Flora swallowing the tail
She then calls for more.
07.43 Fish #4 from Harry, the largest so far of these small live fish.
Flora dives on the fish
The chick on the right hadn’t been getting any fish
As Flora readjusts her grip on the fish, the chick on the right seizes the opportunity to grab it and takes it from Flora.
Flora calls to the chick and follows it over the nest
She waits for her opportunity then retakes the fish.
The feed from Flora is resumed.