.
Thread for April 2024
All pictures and videos ©️RSPBLochGarten&WildlifeWindows
Please read Korky's comprehensive March 2024 intro
Asha & Brodie
The partnership has matured this season, with Asha continuing her good female role (and she loves nest-building) and Brodie being more reliable, both fishing and incubating.
The pair have fought their way thru all kinds of nasty weather - snow, wind and rain - and intruders, including the dreaded KL5 Klive, have been a nuisance but not dangerous...
so far.
21 April @ 10:47
24 April @ 14:06
27 April @ 13:27
EDIT
********
Sadly, the month of May heralded irresistible aggression from BlueKL5 "Klive", who had ruined the end of last season for the 2 juvies.
Within the first 2 days Klive had driven Brodie from the area (tho Brodie did return a couple of times to dive-bomb Klive, to no effect) and destroyed the eggs. He commenced to woo Asha clumsily, selfishly and inappropriately, as can be seen from the following pages.
IMAGICAT
11 May 04:38 KL5 to nest
He really is different. I observed him pooping across the nest possibly Thursday which I didn't think was very polite. Manners he don't have.
10 May
Very sorry, folks, but I can only work when I can work nowadays and it's always extremely tardy!
SheilaFE said:HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!! It's all been kicking off on the PTZ! Before the unringed female, above, landed on the nest, and was seen off by KLive, the PTZ showed Asha with a HUGE fish which she was eating on the tree beyond the nest, but doesn't show in nest cam.
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!! It's all been kicking off on the PTZ!
Before the unringed female, above, landed on the nest, and was seen off by KLive, the PTZ showed Asha with a HUGE fish which she was eating on the tree beyond the nest, but doesn't show in nest cam.
This is the first time this season I've tried to take the "broken off" feathers out of the sky - need more practice!
Saturday 11 May 2024
04.38 KLive landed on the nest, then up to the perch, looking for Asha, or ANOther.
05.20 KLive drops one wing elegantly, and not so elegantly poops before leaving, floating (PTZ) down to the right and gliding round beyond the nest to the left, passing the perches recently used by Asha for her huge fish.
05.21 An osprey comes from the left, and lands on the middle branck of the dead tree, beyond the nest. Was it KLive returning? Difficult to tell at this distance.
05.36 It was KLive, who returns to the nest.
05.37 Up to the nest perch
06.21 KLive flies, dipping to the right.
07.50 Asha lands flying in from the left, and immediately mantles. She doesn't intruder chip, by lies low. Sky dancing
07.51 KLive lands, half-heartedly mantling and intruder chipping occasionally.
07.52 They both mantle. KLive chips again.. Intruder unseen.
07.55 KLive took off. It was only then I noticed he had a FISH!!! The rainbow shards from the sun rather distracted my view.
08.01 Asha fish calls, I assume she can see him, but the cam can't.
08.44 Asha prowls the nest, calling intermittently.
09.22 Still calling.
09.34 Staff log on, and the PTZ cam finds KLive with a fish, on Odin's perch.
09.49 KLive leaves Odin's perch
10.28 Cam finds KLive on a flat branch.
He spends most of the time just sitting on the brach. Perhaps he is full, but not ready to bing the fish back
10.54 Calls are getting louder and more persistent
11.00 KLive leaves the perch
11.01 The FISH is brought back by KLive, who either resists or can't let go of the fish.
There is a real tussle. He doesn't let go.
11.02 She holds on to the tail end, but she doesn't have control of it. She takes a bite of two and flies off, taking KLive, who is still holding it, with her.
11.04 Asha is found on a new tree.
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
May 11, 2024 - Day complete
Fish: 7:51:46 (KL5)
Mating: 11:39 S, 12:32 F, 15:05 S, 16:15 F, 16:28 F, 16:31 F, 18:53 F, 21:34 F. All with KL5.
The (S)uccess or (F)ailure indication is purely my untrained observation.
2 S, 6 F
13:50 Asha back with nesting material !
11.37 Appears to be cleaning her beak
11.39 Asha returns t the nest, where KLive drops from the nest perch to mate. He gets a thank your providing a fish at last, and mating was successful. As reported by Canuck.
Asha immediately starts fish soliciting!! Come on KLive, have you not realised yet that fish means nookie! Means successful chicks.
11.46 Asha stops calling, and they both look around. Intruder in the sky?
11.47 She calls again.
11.49 KLive flies off, down to the right PTZ, and can be seen flying on the left.
11.50 Asha calls to the sky above.
12.00 Asha leaves.
12.02 Cam in search. Can just see the Forward Hide, top left.
12.04 No sign of either of them, back to the nest.
12.32 Asha returned followed by KLive, who attempted and failed to mate. She shtugged him off.
12.35 Asha is/has been fish calling.
12.52 Insect walk across the screen
Asha gives up and flies off. Cam searches in the usual perches, and some new ones, but finds nothing.
12.55 KLive hasn't taken the hint, and waits patiently.
13.03 Not so patiently. KLive has flown. ENS
13.50 A calling Asha returns with a large clump of soft furnishings. Could she be anticipating a new clutch!!
As Canuk reported above
13.51 Calling all the time, she moves twigs and furnishings around, and the odd stick.
13.52 She tries to move the front stick which is buried into the nest. The whole area moves, so she left it! She is still calling. Could KLive have been on a speedy fishing trip?
15.04 No, he hasn't. Coming to a crescendo KLive returns, landing on her shoulders, shuffles down and they mate successfully before she tips him off. He mantles on the edge of the nest.
15.05 Asha raises the volume again. He looks with distain, and checks the forest around.
15.13 He turns and poops over the nest – I have only seen the chicks to that. Odin and Brodie didn't to it. And he flew off.
15.53 Asha has been quiet, keeping an eye on the sky and about her.
15.54 Asha flew. ENS
I looked on the cam earlier, and just caught the 23.15 aurora. There may well have been better captures, but this is what I saw. Just a hint of colour on top right
23.17
I left out the PTZ 'light' a few minutes later
I saw a broad band of red light, as tho looking thru a misty or smokey morning here south of Cambridge. Near it were vertical bands of indistinct colours. Really quite mysterious. I expect there must have been better sightings before this, but I was at the beginning of the cam.
Thank you for everything SHEILA & CANUCK :)))
SheilaFE said: He turns and poops over the nest
Such bad form, and he's old enough to know better What with his fish-gifting reluctance, he's got a long way to go to being a good potential dad.
I shan't be around until much later, I just caught up on nearly a week of Barn Owl with 6 eggs, oounting and snapping the prey drops, it takes ages.
I'm afraid I really don't think KLive is up to it. He caused havoc last year, and has done it again, just when Brodie was really stepping up to the mark.
On Chat. Did Klive have another fish, which he didn't pass over
18.32 mccann Asha spotted him flying in about 45 mins ago. He’s then came back to the nest wiping his beak.