Daily Update Wednesday, August 5, 2009

4:32 p.m. in California. 00:42 in UK.

Hi folks. I missed all the excitement on the nest yesterday, But Robert, a Loch Garten Facebook regular, posted two videos on YouTube. Here's his summation of the events and the links to the videos - amazing if you didn't get to see the action:

FROM ROBERT: 17:05 - a rogue female osprey flew around whilst Garten was feeding. The intruder alighted on the webcam tree and stayed for a good while watching, and waiting whilst Garten mantled and cried a call of distress. The female on the webcam tree just sat and sat, occasionally preening, but mainly watching. Close up of the intruder revealed little.

17:43 - after constant 'observation' of Garten by the rogue female, she swooped from the camera onto the nest! Garten defends admirably!

18:35 - rogue female is back! After a battle royal on the nest, with Garten defending admirably, she flies off with the fish... pursued by the rogue!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a8_3hqFG_c - amalgamation of all the above.

20:14 - fish arrives (by EJ?), and what looks like a juvenile pounces on it and flies off with it? A third osprey arrives and pecks at EJ's talons. The worry for me is, I couldn't see an aerial on any of the ospreys...? So, was it Garten who landed first and took the fish away? If it WAS, then who is the third osprey? If it WASN'T Garten on the nest, then who was it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhI0HqVOtUs