LOCH GARTEN 2024 - May to end of season

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Thread for April 2024

All pictures and videos ©️RSPBLochGarten&WildlifeWindows

Please read Korky's comprehensive March 2024 intro

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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


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EDIT

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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.

  • 19:28:25  KL5 flies to the old nest branch. It looks like he has a fish because his head is bobbing up and down as if he were eating. He was last seen at 11:08 which means he would have had plenty of time to go fishing and finish most of the fish.  

    When he flies to the nest perch at 19:40 he doesn't have any fish.

  • 14:04  PTZ cam finds Asha on top of old nest pole. She is feaking her beak. Did she have something to eat? She was last seen at 9:21.

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    In the evening Klive flew to perch @ 19:40 and quite soon seemed to fly off and fetch Asha -  but she only stayed a few minutes:

    After a long preen, Klive pooped and flew off for the night @ 20:51:

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    11 June

    The mystery critter was very slightly clearer this morning - musta been a fox, I reckon, but strangely patterned?

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    04:57 Asha flew in with a stick: 

    She flew off at 05:03:

    06:56 Asha returned.  She waited and called and called until 08:06 when she flew to Odin's perch, but right back to the nest when "someone" appeared on a distant tree:

    The someone soon flew to this tree:

    08:53 Asha flew to Odin's perch, then back to the nest at 08:59 for a few seconds...

    09:02 PTZ the Someone flew off to our left and by 09:06 Asha was back on the nest...

    09:12 Asha was back on Odin's perch and Camperson had come on duty so we got a close-up of her back view...

    09:57 she flew:

    09:34 Asha to nest with another stick:

    09:44 she flew again to Odin's perch, where she was still preening when I decided enough was enough at 10:00.

    Maybe Klive's fishing, but will that do anyone any good besides him?!

    Angry

  • The mystery critter was very slightly clearer this morning - musta been a fox, I reckon, but strangely patterned?

    I think it does look like a fox too Scylla, it moves like one as well. 

  • June 11.  KL5 with a FISH.

    6:58:43  KL5 flies in the distance to the old nest branch. He has a fish. Asha yells at him from the nest but he bypassed the nest when he flew by.

    8:06. She flies to the old nest branch to perch beside KL5. She's really chirping at him and she edges closer to his fish.

    8:07:00 KL5 flies off.

    8:07:48 She returns to the nest

    8:09  He lands on a tree behind the nest (see ptz) until he flies off at 9:02.

    10:53  PTZ cam finds KL5 on the old nest branch with a partially eaten huge rainbow trout.

    16:14 He is still on the branch.  The fish is pretty much all gone.  Maybe just a morsel left.

    Asha last seen at 10:11 so perhaps she is eating her own fish somewhere.

  • June 11 2024 - Day complete

    Fish:  6:58:43 (KL5)

    Mating: 19:32 F. All with KL5.

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

    0 S, 1 F

  • 16:51:04  Asha lands on the nest.

    KL5 touches down for one second with his fish at 16:51:11.

    Asha dives for the remains of the fish but KL5 takes off immediately. No handover!!

    17:06 he's on the tree behind the nest eating his fish, while Asha looks on from the nest!!!  The nerve. 

    ​​17:12 he flies off from the tree (see ptz), Asha does her fish dance, he by-passes the nest and flies to the old nest branch (see left below). She is screeching.

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    scylla said:
    Maybe Klive's fishing, but will that do anyone any good besides him?!

    What did I tell ya?!

    Thanks anyway, CANUCK Grin