NEWS FROM OTHER NESTS - 2011

SheilaFE said:

What an interesting turn of events Valmc.  I guess that's the problem with the right to roam in Scotland. Was he riding 'off piste' so to speak?  I do hope he isn't the sort of person who might think about getting his own back...

But good for the osprey, nevertheless.

SheilaFE

Not so much off piste as little used track & as you say thats the right to roam thing here! He was certainly a serious mountain biker - anybody who comes down this track would have to be! But that brings me back to how I got my first licence for this nest when a mountain biker was under the nest & when he saw me he fled..... down the ravine....on his bike - a death defying feat in itself but a cause for reporting to local WLO. Fortunately nest is now monitored 24/7 but cant be too careful!

I dont think he'll be back tho :)

Abbreviated copy of my post on the Chat thread -

I really enjoyed my first day “on duty” at Bassenthwaite last Saturday and looking forward to my next, this Friday and Saturday.  We “clicked” about 200 visitors I believe, and that would be just the arrivals at one viewpoint, so double that for both.  I started at the lower viewpoint.  Since the birds moved it is now possible to see the nest from there, which wasn’t possible with last year’s nest site.  It’s a long way away but the telescopes are powerful.  I found I was able to answer most of the questions I was asked and enjoyed listening to one of the other volunteers recount the Saga of Mr No-ring several times during the day.  We swapped to the upper viewpoint later on and the sun came out.  They think Mrs laid an egg on Thursday so she probably had two when I was there and maybe three by now, but with no camera it’s impossible to know numbers until you can count heads, and then only if they all come up at once.  Both birds were on the nest together more than EJ and Odin, and one was eating a fish in a next door tree (I assumed the female had been brought a fish and left the nest to eat it, but someone else said it was the male in the tree).  They are using a bare oak tree, some think it is dead but others say we won’t be able to see much when the leaves come out...have to wait and see.

1st egg at Caerlaverock:

http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/caerlaverock/osprey-diary/first-egg-laid-this-morning

Possibly 2 eggs at Bassenthwaite:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatch/

Alan  Thanks for the Bassenthwaite update. This is going to be a very interesting nest this year.

Thanks Terry and Alan, Great news of eggs at Bassenthwaite. We will miss having the nestcamo n the big screen at Whinlatter this year. Perhaps they will fix a long distance one up.
Lovely weather for volunteering there at the moment ..! 

Super pictures, Valmc, of your local nesting pair. Looking forward to seeing what happens there.

Thanks for news of All the other nests too...

ChrisyB said:

I was just thinking that it is interesting that the Bassenthwaite pair started to put sticks in the new place at the end of last year, so making a decision at that time and that people have remarked how particularly settled EJ and Odin look this year, and they were seen to be bonding and bringing sticks in to the nest in late season also.
A lot is learned from these close observations.

This is interesting ChrisyB perhaps that is staking out their claim for the nest year.  So much still to learn about these wonderful ospreys.

Thanks Terry and Alan  for the egg news.

Good afternoon all

Just a quick post on quick lunch break to say I am elated to report that today at Osprey HQ, XL & M have an egg! I am sorry but I have not shut up all morning & my colleages are now threatening to lock me up!!!

I had arrived early to confirm my suspicions but could only see XL eating her fish in the tree above me. She looked quite bedraggled but thought that was probably due to thick mist - a real pea souper!!. She soon flew to the nest & stood at the edge for a moment. Just then M gently stood up out of the bowl of the nest, had a quick shake & XL quickly took his place. This is only seen once there is an egg so as you can imagine I am over the moon. I will not know if there are any more eggs at a later stage so will have to wait to see how things develope.

Thanks for all your lovely comments & will keep updated.

An elated - & soon to be gagged & locked up - Val x

Valmc delighted to read your news and no wonder you are elated.  We will come and release you should you get locked up.