Are you getting worried about Mallachie? She does not seem as if she is going to go any time soon. She certainly has not passed her fishing exams.
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I do think Valc that you might have something. Yes, the chicks were sexed at their ringing and tagging but Roy (Dennis) would be the first to tell you that sexing them is not an exact science. It is quite possible that one of the osprey chicks will turn out to be a boy. I have wondered about Mallachie turning out to be male myself.
No!
I have been worried about Mallachie for some time. That fact she is the last to leave it not the concern. One of them had to be last. She has been slow in developing her skills and seems to have no interest in changing that. She didn't fledge sooner because she hung on to a branch on the nest and was afraid to let go. She was submissive at feeding time. How many times did we see Mallachie not get her share of food because she just laid in a submissive pose. I saw Garten challenge both Rothes and Mallachie, but I can't recall Mallachie challenging either of them. Garten did lose a round or two to Rothes, but that didn't stop her.
Other Osprey and other birds will challenge Mallachie in the future and I am afraid she will just be submissive.
Anyone who saw Garten defend her fish when White TF was dive bombing her has no doubt that Garten will be a fierce fighter for her turf.
When a fish was delivered and Garten got it, Mallachie would just stand at the edge of the nest calling for another fish.
When Mallachie got the fish, Garten would walk around her plotting how to steal it LOL
When the fish deliveries became less frequent, Garten went out in search of her own food. To my knowledge no one has seen Mallachie trying to fish.
I sure hope Mallachie picks up the pace and becomes less docile
Formerly known as Barbara Jean
I can't say I am over worried about Mallachie
As I mentioned before she is my favourite and I'm sure , although being a "slow starter" will soon catch up.
The area I think she may struggle will be how agressive she will be when needed.
As others have said , I think it will be very interesting to have a tag on her.
Gary: one thing all our girls have learnt this year is to eat! It looks like EJ has finally left, the penny will soon drop, hunger will take over and the innate ability to fish will kick in.
I was delighted when I came home from work this afternoon to find her still there. I spent over an hour watching the webcam and taking captures off the stills cam as it might be the last chance to see one of the girls this year. What I saw was an extraordinarily beautiful and extremely healthy osprey. She was even defending the nest from the attention of white TF.
These juveniles have been given the best possible start in life by their brilliant parents. I know you remember last year and the apparent "plight" of Nethy and Deshar at this stage. Within a couple of days both were ensconced in southern England for a month engaged in a fish eating competition!
None of us can predict the future but, with the satellite tracking, at least we'll know her fate.
No....I am not getting worried about Mallachie and there is no reason at the moment for anyone to be worried about her.
Ok....maybe she did lose out quite a bit to Rothes and Garten when the fish deliveries came in but when she was really hungry she was a fighter and my goodness she frightened Garten into submission more than once and Rothes too.
Also she was the first one to eat a fish on her own too.......so when instinct kicks in she will do very well indeed :)
The problem is that when the juveniles first begin to fish for themselves the father is normally still around to supplement their meals whilst they become adept at feeding themselves. Mallachie does not have that back-up now and so every day that she does not eat she becomes weaker making it more difficult for her. That is why I am worried and why I hope to goodness that she been off at least trying to fish today. Instinct should really be kicking in big time now. I await the tracking updates most eagerly.
Last year both Nethy and Deshar had not learned to fish when they started their migrations. Nethy left a couple of days after EJ and then flew almost non stop for a couple more days to get to her stop over spot. She stayed there for more than a week before she continued her journey.
This year Rothes flew almost non stop to France before she took a rest. So clearly then can go many days wthout food and be fine.