Alyth is located in Perth and Kinross on the east coast of Scotland. The Osprey nest is at the Alyth SSEN Transmission sub station and is the tallest of all the nests on camera in the UK.
Background information:-
The Ospreys have nested at the site for many years since around 1990.
They were nesting on a nearby electricity tower, but due to a planned expansion of the site a decision was taken to resite the old nest to a specially constructed 25-metre nesting tower and two nearby 8.5 metre resting perches, which were erected in 2014. Advice was sought from Roy Dennis.Since that first breeding season in 2014, a total of 17 osprey chicks have been observed to have fledged from the new site.
Due to the height of the tower, no ringing can take place.
The resident ospreys are called Harry and Flora (blue HK0), named by a local school in Alyth. All pupils were also given their own osprey soft toy as a thank you from the teams for getting involved and for showing such enthusiasm about the ospreys.
In 2023 Flora HK0 arrived on 30th March and Harry on 4th April. Together, they successfully raised three chicks to fledging.
Flora was last seen on 10th August and Harry 7th September. (The camera stream was offline from 13- 23 August)
Thank you Richard for initial information which I’ve edited to include last year’s figures.
Links
August 2023 to February 2024
Live stream - SSEN Transmission as provided by Wildlife Windows
RETURN DATES 2024
Flora (Blue HK0) 28 March 19.19
Harry 29 March 14.40
EGGS LAID
15/04/24 at 11.01 ———————-Hatched 21 or 22/05/24
18/04/23 at 09.04 (I think!) ————--Hatched 23/05/24
21/04/23 sometime in the morning. ————Hatched 26/05/24
SADLY, ONE CHICK DIED ON THE NEST ON 30/05/24
LIVE STREAM WAS DOWN FOR OVER TWO WEEKS FROM MAY 31. WHEN IT RETURNED, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THERE WAS ONLY ONE CHICK REMAINING ON THE NEST.
The CHICK FLEDGED on 26/07/24
MIGRATION
Flora and the juvenile left at some point before the end of August when the live stream was down. (12-22 August)
However, I suspect it may have been the 21st August that the last one (or both) left as Harry was seen on the nest on the 22nd with a fish.
Harry was around for a few days after, seen on the 26th August and probably it was him on the 30th as well, which would have been his last sighting.
All photos and videos copyright SSEN Transmission Alyth and Wildlife Windows
Harry (left) and Flora HK0 at the beginning of season 2023.
July 2024 - (from left) Flora, chick, Harry.
July 2024 - The chick and Flora.
17 April
05,32 Harry came to the nest looking for yesterday’s left over piece of fish.
He found it and flew off with it
05.56 He returned still holding what was left of the fish
05.56 Flora left for a comfort break with Harry on the nest.
05.57 Harry then left too
He returned about half a minute later, still holding the fish
05.58 Harry left again with the fish.
05.59 Flora returned about a minute later
She rolled her egg. Photo heavily cropped to show a partial view of the egg. It’s white!She settled down to resume incubation.
©️SSEN Alyth
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Glider said:a partial view of the egg. It’s white!
I think we can see some slight marking in one of the partial views here - but look what then happened at 1 o'clock, we have to hope they'll shift those blockages !!!
IMAGICAT
Flora got a headless fish delivery at 18.36. Harry initially landed on the perch with it.
Flora encouraged him to come down to the nest where she took the fish.
As Flora flew off with the fish, the Corvid behind her followed suit.
Great effort Scylla thanks for the video. Yes, it does look like the egg has some brown? markings. I remember last year we couldn’t see the eggs because of plastic that had been brought to the nest!
It looks like Flora has laid her 2nd egg although, we have no picture evidence!
09.02 It looks like she was pushing here
09.03 She was making her little grunting noises
She lifts her tail slightly
09.04 she does another grunt and a whistle then adjusts her body a little
09.05 Harry arrives with a stick
and places it on Flora’s back!She grabs the other end as he lifts it to drop on her back again
Harry gets the message and puts it on her tail then the nest edge.
Flora stands up and looks below into the nest cup
Harry takes a quick peek. Flora moves around but never leaves the cup.
She settles back down again.
and Harry leaves.
09.36 Flora looks sleepy now.
09.46 She gets up to move her eggs.
Can just see a glimpse of one egg. They’ve done a good job building the high nest edge!
Brilliant Glider .. thx for all the updates
You’re very welcome Ailie
Glider said:Can just see a glimpse of one egg.
I'll believe you... thousands wouldn't
Seriously, tho - well done, GLIDER x
Hahaha Scylla! It was debatable on the live chat with no clear evidence at any time but I was pretty sure, as were others, that this was the moment.