LOCH GARTEN - May/June 2024

Update on FB from RSPB Loch Garten Abernethy, this morning

Follow up on our Osprey drama...

Yesterday saw Asha defending her nest left, right and centre whilst Brodie, her mate, was nowhere to be seen.

Unfortunately, events turned from bad to worse for our mated pair when KL5 seized control of the nest. His determined actions resulted in devastating losses: one egg pushed overboard, another broken, and a third's fate uncertain... but without Asha's warmth, survival is unlikely.

We know you want answers, and we’re here to give them to you...

Did Brodie return? Brodie returned to the nest briefly at 11:47am yesterday morning. Sadly, he was quickly chased off by KL5 and didn’t manage to regain dominance. He has been back on the nest this morning, bringing Asha a fish before being chased away by KL5 again.

Who is KL5? A known Osprey at Loch Garten, KL5 forced Brodie to defend their chicks last year. His late arrivals stir up trouble, aiming to supplant Brodie and claim both the nest and Asha.

Why, oh why? It’s tough to watch, but Ospreys are fiercely loyal to their nesting sites, and it seems KL5 couldn’t let this one go - driven by the natural instinct to ensure his genes prevail over Brodie’s.

What now for Asha? With KL5 in control, Asha's window for a successful breeding season hinges on accepting KL5’s advances and laying new eggs by June.

But...Brodie? There's a chance Asha and Brodie build a 'frustration nest' together elsewhere. A response sometimes seen when Osprey pairs are disturbed or fail to breed.

What’s next? Love him or hate him, KL5 is one to watch: he might keep the nest for himself and mate with Asha or another female. Or, Brodie could fight for the nest. This power struggle could dramatically affect next year's season and pairings.

It's really hard for all of us to witness the destruction of the eggs and over the last few seasons we've become attached too Asha & Brodie. But we're also in the privileged position of watching a once extinct bird of prey fight their own species. This is a testament to the recovery of the population and seeing these natural interactions is exactly what we're trying to restore.

We know it’s hard not to pick sides, but remember, this is nature taking its course: heart-breaking but fascinating.

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I'm going to have to delete this if I've posted it already - signed, Confused of SW London.

02  May 2024

Afternoon destruction of eggs by KL5-Klive (just up to the point where we can see the job is done) and some aerial activity:

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Asha did her damnedest but it wasn't damned enough:

She slept in the nestcup:

03 May 2024

Nothing done apart from this morning's fish from Brodie already posted and a snap of Asha:

You can see Asha on her perch on the PTZ cam in the far left corner of the screen. She's still there eating at 21:00.

Am as confused as you are Scylla but many thanks for soldiering on

I too am. Confused.  The post from the LG FB said that Brodie was nowhere to be seen whilst Asha was defending  .... so who was the third Osprey if one was KL5? 

Freebird66 said:

who was the third Osprey

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There's been a comparatively unaggressive unringed male around for a couple of days at least - I snapped him on the 1st:

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Thank  you for "It's Klive with a blue trout", SHEILA - yer tiz.

I was saying over on LotL about males being unable, not necessarily unwilling, to let go of a fish - not sure about this example:

A fine fish!

When Asha returned she spent some time tolerating him.

EDIT - a quickie to show she's on the nest again tonight:

Bird onto nest. Skydiving heard and second osprey to nest - 04:02

Sky dancing not diving!