ALYTH AUGUST 2023 to end of FEBRUARY 2024

  • Link to season’s opening post here

Link to July 2023 - here

RECAP

FLORA HK0 arrived 30 March 2023

HARRY (unringed) arrived 4 April 2023

 

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

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

EGG No. 3 laid 21 AprilHatched 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




All captures and videos ©️ SSEN Transmission

  • Evening Glider,

    No need to apologise for possibly getting the juvies ID's mixed up, you are doing an absolutely fantastic job of reporting on this nest! Hugging

    Glider said:

    I’m not going to name the second bird until I am sure who it is! 

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I don't blame you! lol Grin

  • The fish was finished around 19.20


    Then the fun n games resumed with #3 getting dive bombed! 

    18.23

    18.24 After the second swoop, #3 flew off.


    The other juvie returned to the nest at 18.38


    It stayed there for some time but there were no more fish deliveries.


    19.45

    20.27

  • Sunday 6 August

    05.42 One juvenile on the nest early this morning. Looks like #3 with the wee goatee!

    Another bird can be heard calling in the distance.

    10.51 Later, with the other juvie on the nest, Harry delivers a fish.


    It’s quickly taken


    Harry starts flapping and chipping, looking upwards



    He leaves the nest and #3 arrives


    An Osprey flies overhead. Is it an intruder or Harry?

    10.53 #3 (left)

    11.30 juvie (right) still eating

    The long straggly skin being attempted by the juvie at the rear.

    12.35 Finally the tail is swallowed


    12.36 Once the juvie has finished eating, #3 chases it off to claim the nest for the next fish



    The juvie returns, flying over the nest


    #3 gives chase.




    I think a lot of chasing goes on off camera.

  • 13.17 Another fish delivery from Harry




    The fish is secured

    Then #3 arrives, too late again.


    #3 waits as the fish is being eaten



    14.05 #3 sidles up close and spots a piece that was dropped on the nest



    14.06 Having enjoyed that wee morsel, #3 tried to take the fish but was unsuccessful 




    #3 flew at its sibling


    As the juvie tried to fly off the nest it got pinned for a few seconds

    Breaking free

    #3 followed it off

  • 14.08 #3 quickly returned to the nest and his efforts to be there paid off.


    14.14 waiting


    14.33 Harry arrives with another flatfish

    #3 quickly takes the fish


    14.35 He vocalises excitedly 

    15.03 Eating the fish 

    15.17 there goes the tail

    He announces he’s finished. 

    A response is heard in the background from the other juvenile.

  • I didn’t see any more fish deliveries. #3 stayed on or close to the nest until after 20.00.

    I wish I knew where our other juvenile is and has Flora started an early migration?

    I know last year, one of the juveniles went missing on 28 July.  According to the live chat back then, it was #3 (who didn’t get much to eat.) I’ve always had that in my mind about this year’s number #3. There were days I didn’t see him eat but he’s just managed to get enough to get by and he’s standing up for himself now.

    20.12 #3 just before he left for the night.

  • Hi Glider,
    I had a very quick peak of the cam at around midday. On chat, it was said that #2 received the first fish of the day at 10:51 and that Harry had possibly been followed by an intruder. So it appears that your ID of both juveniles was correct!

    Hoping that Flora and #1 are ok...

  • Aw thanks Sandra Hugging I go by the underwing markings to ID the ospreys and then use the heads and chests to back it up. #2 has a single strip of brown hearts and sometimes a brown line above on her wing but in some of my photos, the wing didn’t show these marks and got me wondering when someone said it was #1 if I was wrong. #1 had a very white underwing with no rows of hearts. #3 has 3-4 rows of hearts showing and a wee dark goatee under his beak!

    If only they had blue darvic rings!!

    I hope Flora and #1 are okay too. Two hearts

  • Monday 7 August

    Today the juveniles are:-  #1 78 days old, #2 76 days old and #3 74 days old. 

    Flora hasn’t been seen since Tuesday 1 August

    #1 hasn’t been seen since Friday 4 August (75 days old)  

    #1 was always more advanced than the other two, fledging at 49 days and soon taking fish off the nest to eat. Has it perhaps found it could catch fish too and become self sufficient elsewhere?

    Going by last year’s records, Flora was last seen on 3 August (although we didn’t keep a daily check on this nest) but it could be that she’s an early migrator and has left on her journey?