(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.
IMAGICAT
Oh dear you were a bit discombobulated Scylla. Hope all is sorted now? Large birds, were you on the happy juice?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
20 April
He did it again - landed stick on Asha's back:
Both preening on Odn's perch:
I've been catching up a week of barn owls, therefore ever so tired - SYAL.
Thank you everyone for the continued updates. I really appreciated it, while I enjoyed my time in Wharfedate, Yorkshire Dales. I missed Axel's attack. I wonder whether he does have a nest now. He will be eight years old now and ought to have settled down, but perhaps he had a rough migration and has only just returned.
I am so enjoying watching their relationship this year. No squabbling, lots of sharing and a beautiful nest with soft furnishings! Oh, and lots of fish. Interesting to see this afternoon she brought a fish back with her, and eventually Brodie found it and it was he who removed it with no aggression from Asha. Wonderful. She has spent a lot of time in cup today too. I guess it won't be long before she lays her first egg. I hope to be back on some sort of form tomorrow.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
April 20, 15:46:04 Nice fish from Brodie
April 20, 2024 - Day complete
Fish: 15:46:04
Mating: 5:22 F, 8:10 S, 13:16 S, 13:49 F, 14:12 S
The (S)uccess or (F)ailure indication is purely my untrained observation.
3 S, 2 F
SheilaFE wow! I also.missed this and I have been wondering about Axel as I remember he made a late appearance last year. What day did he appear ?
17:59:07 Asha practices her rhythmic gymnastics with a stick. I think it's a 10 out of 10!
Axel showed up April 17. The only day so far.
I wonder how usual it is for a pair to part and not because one of them has not returned?
I love Brodie and followed him on this nest last season but do feel for Axel and hope he does have a nest and a new mate.
@ Freebird I think there are 2 issues here. First if a new pair attempts to breed one year and fails it is quite common the following year for 1 or both to seek a divorce and go to a different nest. Second, if they are successful in year 1 both usually return to the same nest, but as the pair almost certainly winter apart they arrive back on different days and have no way of knowing if the other has survived migration. How long to wait before deciding to take a new partner? In ?2004? The resident male arrived late and he had to chase off an intruder. A few days later the female laid her first egg and Henry decided that the egg wasn’t his and kicked it out of the nest! Prior to this at another but confidential site again the male arrived late and had to deal with a new male, which he did, but his female was already sitting on 3 eggs! That male that year then helped raise 3 chicks that were genetically nothing to do with him! I would argue that Henry was the more intelligent bird!