LOCH GARTEN - April 2024

(I am starting a new thread for April because, for sad personal reasons, Korky cannot be with us until further notice so the March title cannot be edited.)

Please read Korky's comprehensive March 2024 intro.

Asha and Brodie

Last year they arrived on 04 and 14 April respectively.

The end of the 2023 season was marred by the aggressive intrusion of BlueKL5 "Klive" (thank you, Fergus).  We have no idea if the 2 youngsters were fit to migrate.

We haven't heard anything from HQ but it appears that the cams are not quite ready, despite snaps being posted to Facebook 10 days ago together with a query about the lack of IR for the third year in a row - and the streaming is unsteady and unreliable.  When LG issued a warning about a delay to the opening of the season, it seemed to refer only to the Visitor Centre.

  

The PTZ now

Quote RSPB YT Channel: When the Loch Garten Nature Centre opens on April 15th, this camera is controlled by the centre staff during work hours, so please be gracious if you find it staring at an empty tree! The birds react quicker than the staff are sometimes able.

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    15 April

    Early morning matings.

    I haven't done the precentage S/F for CANUCK - maybe is was 50/50, more likely 30/70 ;)))

    Oh dear, I can't post the video, no no-how.

    EDIT - but it did post, even tho it wasn't showing in the RF, go figure :-/  However, it's not as big as it should be.

    So I edited it and now it won't post again.  I'll do a separate post.

     

  • .

    Early morning matings - as per above post.

  • Arrived on Friday night and staying 8 km from the nest. Went to the fish farm and spent 2 hours osprey scanning today but with no success…. But I now know why he is bringing back so many RT … there were only 3 fishermen at the pools and they left after half an hour.. didn’t see 1 fellow birdwatcher! So he isn’t going to be disturbed by the crowds at the f farm during opening hours!

    more to come later this week when I visit the centre.

  • April 15, 2024 - Day complete

    Fish:  14:33:57

    Mating:  5:25 S, 5:43 F, 5:52 F, 6:03 F, 6:15 S, 8:59 S, 9:27 F, 17:26 F

    The (S)uccess or (F)ailure indication is purely my untrained observation.  

    3 S, 5 F

  • Thanks, again for your stats, Canuck. I'm  not surprised Brodie hasc9only brought one fish so far. It's  very windy yet again bu5 possibly less than it has been. Rain is in the air. The nest is empty but I guess it is Asha who is on Odin's perch, the branch which comes from the lower part of the old nest and sticks out towards the old?/current? PTZ. Odin would sit there to avoid ab ear bashing, and occasionally his head could be seen just below the nest on the nest cam.

    EJFan such a shame you didn't see any osprey at Rothiemurchus. I hope you have more luck elsewhere as you revisit old sites/sights.

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • I watched an Osprey fish at the fish farm / Fishery in Aviemore.. in my mind it was Odin fishing for EJ … was at LG centre the day Odin brought in his last fish Disappointed relieved

  •  Not at all envious of your trip to LG EJFan!!! Rage Would love another visit sometime. I look forward to reading your stories, have a great time.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • That must have been something to see Allie, and a forever memory to have.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

  • .

    Allie - how sad but what a landmark to have been present for.

    According to the PTZ, yet another too-deep nestcup, but it doesn't look as bad on the Nest cam.

    Brodie thought there should be something in the nestcup by now:

    He waited 10 minutes, then flew off after a successful mating:

    I noticed a number of "togetherness" periods on the nest.

    Late lunch, as reported by CANUCK:

    If this was Asha on Odin's perch, that fish didn't take long to polish off - or she dropped it!

    Next clip it was a better head shot - Brodie with his dots?

    Nearly midnight and Asha was on the nest, she'd been there a while:

  • 16 April

    Hastily - after all night on the nest, Asha was party to a good mating to start the day at 05:07:

    There may have been an intruder but I've run out of time.