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.
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I've discontinued this nest for now, as am getting weighed down and, fingers crossed, it should be trouble-free here with no more landmarks to occur before migration
IMAGICAT
Quite right Scylla. This nest is ticking along nicely. We don’t have juvies tearing lumps out of each other this year! This was my post for yesterday but my iPad kept freezing and I couldn’t get it on.
28 July
Harry brought 3 fish to the nest today.
12.00 Flora has got the youngster well trained in shouting for a fish delivery!
12.01 What a good sized headless fish this was.
Flora took control of the fish
13.01 and the feed.
14.13 A second fish arrived, a small one this time.
This time the chick fed itself.
Flora ate more of the earlier fish whilst the youngster ate the fresh one.
15.10 The 3rd fish.
Flora took this fish, the chick didn’t even get up!
©️SSEN/Alyth
29 July
09.59 A large headless fish from Harry this morning.
Flora and the chick both want the fish
Flora releases and the chick gets it.
Mantling over the fish.
31 July
All going well here. Harry brought a nice headless fish for lunch.
12.49
Flora took the fish
12.50 then fed the youngster.
Later, the juvie paid a visit to the camera.13.27 Arriving
Tiny Flora on the nest!
13.30 Back down to the nest.
5 August
What a size the youngster looks after not seeing her for a few days. The consensus on the chat is that she is a female and I would definitely agree with that. She’s the spitting image of her mum!17.51 Flora came to the nest fish calling, the youngster joined her.
17.56 They both called and called. Harry must’ve been nearby but preparing the fish before delivery!18.00 The wee one had a lie down. Flora was still hopeful for a delivery.
18.37 They had to wait over half an hour before Harry brought in their evening meal.
Flora took the fish and mantled.
18.38 She then flew off with it.
The youngster just looked at the empty nest then started fish calling.
19.00 Flora brought the fish back just over 20 minutes later.
It’s quickly taken.
Flora is then flapped at as the youngster felt she got too close.
Time to eat.
20.04 She did well, finishing off the fish an hour later.
9 August
12.44 Harry brought in a fine headless fish at lunchtime. Flora was on her own to receive it.
12.45 Flora collects it in her beak
then flies off with it.
13.15 Harry has made himself comfy. He has some visitors, juvenile starlings.
They land on the nest and perch.
When Harry turns his head, they scarper! All except the one underneath the nest. (Bottom right)
The little starling probably can’t see Harry and hangs about for a few seconds longer before departing.
13.36 Flora then returns empty taloned. She can’t have eaten that big fish so quickly.
She must’ve dropped it.
Flora fish calls.
14.01 She leaves and a short while later the youngster arrives fish calling.
14.40 She lies down for a bit.
19.44 She left and returned many times until mid evening but no more fish arrived.©️SSEN/Alyth
12 August
07.46 Both Flora and the youngster have been shouting for fish this morning.
Harry must be nearby.
07.58 Flora flew up to the cam pole still shouting.
08.13 The youngster tried shouting from the perch.
08.16 They both returned to the nest.
08.23 Harry flew in with a headless fish.
Flora took it and immediately flew off with it.
The youngster continued calling.
She turned to Harry but he flew off.
No fish. All quiet.
08.55 Flora was back around half an hour later.There was some fish left.
The youngster grabbed at the fish straight away.
08.57 tucking in.
09.01 Still eating.
09.07 The youngster pulling at the fish but the screen suddenly goes black then mostly green.
Seemingly there have been thunder and lightning storms in the area this morning.
The stream is still offline.
14 August
The cam is still offline since the storm 2 days ago.
19 August
Cam is still offline. On the chat it was said it could be the 22nd of August before possibly something can be done,
Hopefully going to visit nest on Wednesday, so will report back if we do