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.
19 April
Flora got a fish late on yesterday. The cam was down when it arrived. There are still ongoing streaming issues.
21.11 This is Flora returning with the tail end of the fish.
She walked the fish to the nest cup and shook it off.©️SSEN Alyth
This morning, Harry was doing some brooding. He sensed there was something below him.
05.21
He got up and plunged his head into the soft grasses
Where he emerged, he was wearing a new head adornment! 05.22 He then stood up and pulled another clump of grasses over to the side
Dug his head in again and caught himself a fish tail, presumably the one Flora had dropped into the cup last night.
05.23 He made a contact chip and flew off with his prize, along with half the soft nesting materials!
05.24 A minute later, Flora returned and normal service resumed.
©️SSEN Alyth
20 AprilFlora got an evening fish from Harry last night.
19.36
Harry let go of the fish but Flora held onto his talonAfter a few seconds, she releases and picks up the fish
and leaves with it still in her beak, as she often does!©️SSEN Alyth
There was an early morning intruder at the nest today.
08.26 Harry arrived to defend and Flora lay low.
No rings seen
It landed on the perch.
Harry let it stay for 22 seconds then chased it off.
An interesting one.
Flora was returning to the nest from a break. Gulls were heard in full voice above. As she landed, she let out a “gull yell” Harry joined in yelling too. They did it several times and sounded just like the gulls. 18.34
They only opened their beaks slightly to do this.
21 April
According to chat on YT, Flora laid her third egg this morning. I’ve been out all day so missed when it happened.
12.35 No wonder Flora and Harry have learned how to talk to the gulls! The sky was full of them.
12.36 However, Harry was determined to get his turn of sitting on the eggs.
He pulled up a piece of plastic sheeting that was beside Flora
and dropped it on her back.
12.37 He then grabbed her wing feathers and tugged
and tugged
She was forced into getting up. Harry was straight into the nest cup.
Happy Harry!©️SSEN Alyth
Great news about the third egg
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
It is indeed Wendy and we now have a photo to evidence it! 22/04/24 08.37 Flora with her 3 eggs. The live stream has been down for long spells today. ©️SSEN Alyth
And another one, well done
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.