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 July.
According to the chat, the chick had its first self feed today.
18.24 Harry brought in a small fish.
Flora took it then the chick pulled it from her talons.
18.25
18.58 It managed to eat the whole fish.
19.10 Swallowing the tail.
The tail went down first time! Well done chick.
©️SSEN/Alyth
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Glider said:According to the chat, the chick had its first self feed today. 18.24 Harry brought in a small fish.
Extracts - as it took about three-quarters of an hour! Well done!
IMAGICAT
Thanks Scylla, great wee video. The chick was such a pro getting the tail down!
22 July The flying practice is coming along. The chick is beating its wings quickly and making little jumps up off the nest.
14.32
20.33
Getting higher. The chick was letting out little squeals of delight!
The consensus on the chat is that the chick is female.
23 July
12.50 Nice sized headless fish brought in by Harry.
Flora takes it.
She starts feeding the chick.
13.00
13.09
The chick walks away to feak its beak on some sticks.
13.14 Flora continues eating and tries offering more food
13.19 Flora has moved over beside the chick to strongly encourage it to eat more!
13.21 The chick walks away again.13.22 It does some wingercising resulting in little jumps.
Is it going to be tonight? .. tomorrow
ailie said:Is it going to be tonight? .. tomorrow
You just never know with ospreys Ailie!
Had another wee look at the nest.
19.17 Good height on helicoptering. It may well be tomorrow Ailie.
24 July
10.44 A flounder was brought in by Harry this morning.
Flora started the feed then the chick took the fish away from her.
10.58
10.59 and was self feeding.
11.12
12.41 The chick did some sustained helicoptering and was airborne for a few seconds.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
Glider said: The chick did some sustained helicoptering
I came here armed with a snap from after lunch - but there's nothing to surpass yours up to 17:00.
Might as well post it - its feet were not on the end of the perch, lol: