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.

  • bluesky2  I think you are remembering the excellent data that SueC made available.  I am sorry to say I haven't seen anything from her for years, and fear she may no longer be with us.  There was also another lady who had a similar database, but I don't think she comes here any more. I can't remember her user name, but her name is Barbara Crowther.

    Many of the various projects have data sets on their birds.  Kielder is excellent, as are Dyfi and Glaslyn, so I am afraid it is a matter of delving, and perhaps starting your own database for your own use.

    12.06            Asha gets up to rearrange a large stick

    12.08            and back down, no, she moves nesting material

    12.09             and is comfortable so settles.

    12.14.52       Asha has a comfort break.  Egg home alone.  Definitely a case of delayed incubation this year!

    12.16             Brodie returns with the fish   He looks around for Asha

    12.20            Asha returns with licheny bark, and Brodie flies off with the fish.

    Edit

    13.13.14     Asha gets up and flies off to the left.

    13.16         She returns with a chirrup

    13.17         An osprey is seen, top left in the sky.

                       Asha stands astride the egg, looking around her intently.

    13.19        Back down to incubate.  I can't see Brodie anywhere.  PTZ has just stayed on the nest with the dead tree behind and he's not there either.

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

  • UK Osprey Information has lots of data about those things.  Arrival dates, chicks hatched/fledged.  And I think I also saw on it a fantastic database that gives history of each ringed bird.  That last one I will find and put in link later.  Gotta go now for a bit.

  • Thank you very much, Sheila & Canuck for your replies. I have just had a quick look at the UK Osprey website & it looks great & will be very useful.

  • Yes, Scylla  how could I forget gorgeous Monty feeding his young. He did indeed. Thanks for the reminder

  • thank you for the link  EJFan I noticed I had already ''liked'' it and have so enjoyed it again

  • I see your comment about delayed incubation.  I had just posted on the YT chat that it didn't look like delayed incubation!!  lol  Oh-Oh.  

    This is what I posted: "Except for 5-6 comfort breaks or changeovers (for only 2-3 min) and 1 longer break for 14 min, that egg has been covered the entire time. No delayed incubation."  

    I am no expert in osprey ways so maybe those breaks do make it delayed incubation.  I thought it had to be longer periods off the egg.  I am following one nest in the US where the mom has been off the eggs for hours at a stretch.  That's what I was using as my benchmark.

  • Two nice long stretches where Brodie incubated the egg:  9:10 to 11:14 and 14:51 to 15:43.

    He's much better at it this year.

  • 16:56 Asha flies off to the dead tree (Odin's perch) by the tower. 16:56 Brodie in to incubate. That's teamwork!!!  That's an impressive changeover.  Didn't miss a beat.

  • April 22, 2024 - Day complete

    Fish:  9:10:09  (A whopper! )

    Mating:  5:22 F, 17:31 S

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

    1 S, 1 F

  • .

    Canuck said:
    Fish:  9:10:09  (A whopper! Still alive)

    I thought it had been well de-headed and was therefore well deaded Stuck out tongue winking eye

    Checking against the Kielder7 male>female feeding, that fish was definitely dead but flapped - I think their nerves deceive us...

    However, anyone can recheck this morning's fish vid and see if I can't tell what I'm looking at - it wouldn't be the first time.

    EDIT

    Hang on!  Sorry, I haven't even finished this morning's fish yet - and it's going to be a while, too.

    So here are a couple of snaps: