LOCH GARTEN - JULY 2023

Thank you for the fish reports, Korky and Trevor.  Edit:  thank you for your super fish data, Canuk.

09.38 Trevor #1 fish  

11.26 Chat #2 fish  I went back to check it out.  There was a fight for the fish.  The tide has turned.  Harry won!  Brodie flew away.

Asha checked it and tried to retrieve it, but Harry tried to peck her, and mantled over it.  She had another go, but thought better of it.  

Harry didn't really manage to make much headway with it, so when Sid had a go it was a smooth handover.  Sid has more luck and was soon taking large pieces from the fish.

Harry claims the 11.26 fish

11.35 Sid finds an opportunity to take the fish.  It was more that Harry gave up.

Brodie was in the tree beyond the nest

11.49 Sid made better inroads into the fish that Harry had

12.00 Sid enjoys the fish, while Harry waits

12.06 Chat #3 fish  arrived before Fish #2 had been devoured.  Asha went for it, but Harry went for her again.  

12.08 was an intruder around?  Is that why Brodie flew off without letting the fish go?  Asha looked perplexed

Asha gave an intruder call.  The chicks went down. 

12.15  Harry went to fish #3, while Asha watched off nest.  I think Sid continued eating fish #2

12.26 The nest tree. 

And the sticky pine marten deterrent at the foot of the nest

The barbed wire deterrent below the old nest

12.53  LOL  Asha dropped down from the perch, and found a sizeable piece of fish.  She fed Harry! 

12.57  Meanwhile, Sid found another piece of fish, a tail end!!  But he didn't eat much of it.  It was easier to join Harry and be fed by Mum.  So between them the chicks had feed quite well from the two earlier fish.

13.09 Korky #4 fish

Edit:  This was a much smoother delivery.  Asha got the fish, Sid seemed unsure whether it was friend or foe who was about to land, so Asha had not problems grabbing the fish.  Another brown trout

The fish had gone by 13.25

14.00 Intruder over the nest.  Asha calls and mantles.  Sid calls in indignation too!  Harry stays down low.

14.23 Asha brings in one of her large awkward sticks

As far as I can tell (there aren't enough hours in the day to watch all  the action again!) Asha didn't actually get any of #2 and #3 fish.  Although she may well have found half eaten fish at some point!  Is this the first time our chicks have tried to feed themselves - with varying success!

I was typing this, but had a visitor, so have a lot more catching up to do!

Edits:

14.38 Asha found on the dead tree over near the old nest and PTZ

14.41.47             Asha leaves the dead tree by the old nest/PTZ

14.42                  She landed on the nest perch

15.32                  Asha flies from the nest perch

15.34                  Asha returns to the nest with a spindly stick

16.15                  Asha starts calling 

16.19     Chat      #5 fish  a nice big brown trout.  Asha is in control of it, and feeds herself and Sid/2C5.  Harry is lined up, but waiting his turn.

16.29                   Harry sneaks in, and Sid picks up the droppings.

16.31                   Sid leaves the line-up, after a poop he has a wander and lies down

16.56                   Harry loses interest, and Asha feeds

17.19                  The current scene