Everyone here is obviously an osprey enthusiast. How did you first discover the magic of ospreys and what have they done for you?
For me my love affair with ospreys began in the early eighties. I went into a bargain basement bookshop in central London and bought a discounted osprey book called "The Scottish Ospreys from extinction to survival" by Philip Brown. It was a book I very much enjoyed reading but there it remained. After that I did not hear much more about ospreys until the mid to late nineties. There was some footage of the Loch Garten ospreys shown in the late nineties but although I may have it on video somewhere I cannot locate it.
In July 1999 I found that Rutland Water had launched a new website to cover their translocation project which had begun in 1996. I became an immediate fan.
1999 also marked the start of osprey tracking. I found that facinating as I still do.
The first osprey cam I remember was most likely at Blackwater, Maryland. It was one new picture about every 15 minutes. It did not really change life that much.
The great saga of Henry and EJ and OVS began in 2003 and that ran for five years.
Then on around 1st June 2004 I discovered what was the original streaming osprey webcam. It was DPOF and it was so exciting. From there on life was forever different.
From there it has just grown and grown. It means that five or six months of the year just flash past. It has meant meeting a wonderful group of people. Also being at a loose end is a thing of the past.
Thanks to the wonder of the osprey.
Tiger Signature
It just seems to get better and better. I thought that excitement might wane with time but that is not the case. The level of information is now awesome and the days of citing "Poole" are a bit in the past.
Thanks to Brenda for the great pics of 1976 - they are very atmospheric.
- (I typed 1076 at first, but I think that perhaps that's going back rather too far! - and dont think they took very good photos, then!)
Any new additions to this thread?
I'm here Tiger. When my mum visited us in 2005 she made us take her to Bassenthwaite to look for the ospreys there, but we didn't see anything. We tried again in 2006 but no joy. She died in 2007 so never saw them. Sometime about then I discovered the LG blog just in time to read about Henry and Orange VS and eggs being kicked of the nest etc, so upsetting, but I've been glued ever since. I took on my mum's membership of the RSPB, got a computer and joined this forum and found all these wonderful people. I'm not all that good in social situations and can never get a word in (or by the time I can, the conversation's moved on), so having time to speak on here must be good for me! This year I have been brave enough to meet total strangers and talk to the public in my volunteering duties at Bassenthwaite and it's great!
Terry in Cumbria
Ah TerryM you could bear to watch again. See Henry makes scrambled eggs. Henry featured on the national news of three countries on this day.
and Henry's Cracking return
Look at where that egg is. Also this one in 2005 and this one
This is Henry
Ok, I watched it again! Since that mystery bird of yours at the bottom of page 1 is headed "visitcumbria" might it be one of ours? The other thing for me is that I have now read several books on osps, and have another couple on my wishlist.
TerryM It is certainly used in Bassenthwaite literature but I am pretty certain it is a Scottish bird. If you notice they use it on the Loch Garten Group too (top of this page). Didn't they give it as a gift print as an enticement to join the RSPB two years ago? Yet no one seems to know its identity.
What are the osps books you have read and which are on the wish list?
Have to go now, will check titles and come back later, goodnight.
Ok, I have read Roy Dennis - A Life of Ospreys, Philip Brown - The Scottish Ospreys from extinction to survival and David Gessner - Return of the Osprey, a season of flight and wonder. I intend to read Alan Poole - Ospreys: A Natural and Unnatural History and Philip Brown and George Waterston - The Return of the Osprey.
PS I thought that pic we were talking about looked familiar!