ALYTH AUGUST 2023 to end of FEBRUARY 2024

RECAP

FLORA HK0 arrived 30 March 2023

HARRY (unringed) arrived 4 April 2023

EGG No.1 laid 15 April - Hatched 21 May (37 days)  Fledged 9 July aged 49 days

EGG No. 2 laid 18 April - Hatched 23 May (36 days)  Fledged 14 July aged 52 days

EGG No. 3 laid 21 April - Hatched 25 May (35 days)  Fledged 20 July aged 56 days

Due to the height of this nest, no ringing of the chicks takes place.

This has been a dramatic month with chick #1 getting a thin piece of plastic wrapped around its ankle for a few days, (Flora has a love of bringing plastic to the nest) chick #2 turning out to be quite aggressive, especially to chick #3 and chick #3 not getting much to eat on a lot of days. However, the three chicks are still here and seem to be doing okay. The fish brought to the nest can be sporadic and mostly small but each juvenile usually manages to get something to eat. #3 is getting more confident in snatching the fish as they arrive. We’ve had a couple of scares with Flora twice tumbling off the side of the nest with a juvenile but luckily no harm done. Flora wasn’t seen for 3 days (24-26 July) but is thankfully back and providing for the nest. 

#1 has been taking fish off the nest to eat since 17 July (58 days old) so I am expecting this juvenile to be the first to begin migration but who knows! It’s still a few weeks away so hopefully the fish supply will include a few big ones to fatten these young ospreys up for their long journeys ahead. 

Today, 1 August,  the juveniles are 72, 70 and 68 days old. 

The family at the beginning of the month

and now the three juveniles

Flora and Harry delivering fish

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