This new forum is intended to help us look at the world though the eyes of the ospreys. I was moved, as I am sure many others were too, by the BBC Autumnwatch programme last week to consider what Simon King said about the lessons we could learn from the fact that these birds have to be protected in Europe, having been rescued and re-introduced, for example in the UK, where they have to be guarded or kept secret, compared to Senegal, where they happily co-exist with the village fishermen and their families. We protect the birds because of our desire to preserve their natural beauty and to maintain and foster our love of nature and the countryside, wheras in West Africa the birds are part of the landscape, community and even part of the fishing economy.
Simon said, how we marvel at the migration journey that they make, which is of course true. But he felt that from an osprey's perspective, fishing off the coast of Senegal, or flying across an English town or meadow, is just part of their world. Our theory of 'magnetic mapping' that we think they may have, is just an enhanced add-on, probably to their vision, that in us humans has not been as well developed. (That's my theory, not his.)
The following website which I take no credit for, is new to me and will be the same for most others I suspect, is truly fantastic and one of the best I have seen, if not the best. There are pictures, a slideshow and even videos which are all of the highest quality, in both content and technically. It is called ARKive and I have given the link to the osprey page.
I once asked if ospreys build nests in Africa, because they do not need them to raise a family? Find out if they do.
How do they roost in the desert, in what, on what?
About raising a family - wrong - what about these nice mangroves, as a nursery? With fish swimming about in the water below.
I won't tease you any more, just enjoy........
http://www.arkive.org/osprey/pandion-haliaetus/
N.B. The above website is covered by copyright.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data Site
Sat track schedule Spring 2014
LG 7 days; RW & SWT nil; LDOP varies
Margobird, hope you're feeling less battered!
The process of translocation - taking chicks from the nest and bringing them up at the site where you want them to breed - is also what was done at Rutland Water - it's described on the RW site here: http://www.ospreys.org.uk/translocation.html
The chicks aren't hand reared though - they are moved at about 6 weeks, when they can feed themselves, if given fish. Human contact is avoided as much as possible.
thanks for the link, jsb
More osprey pictures.
http://www.luotio.com/osprey/o_pics.html
I bet nobody could design a machine that could do this....the evolution of the osprey, must have been a very complex process. The most unusual osprey photo I have seen and it would be over so quickly that that a high-speed photo is the only way to see this in action.
http://pixdaus.com/single.php?id=153263&from=embed2
jsb : Truly awesome photo. One of my favourites.
FAB
JSB thanks you are coming up with so many gems. This is an absolutely wonderful photograph. Another one for my folder.
Margobird
Sue C thanks for asking. Bruising nearly gone but I can hardly believe it slipped again in the garden, wet grass and wellies do not go well together I am beginning to think. No damage done but as they say things come in threes so this should be it. Have had a lot of pleasure looking at the info about ospreys this afternoon which has been posted by JSB. Marvellous photographs.
JSB, thank you so much for that link. Superb photograph.
An expanding population of ospreys in Cape Cod. An interesting story of how the local people dubbed "citizen scientists" have found ospreys nesting almost in their back yards and look after them by helping relocate to man-made safer nesting sites. They discovered that the birds prefer the high life and are only interested in moving, if the new nest is the same height or higher that their present spot.
http://www.barnstablepatriot.com/home2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19605&Itemid=34
Thanks jsb another great osprey success story.
Thanks JSB a wonderful story accompanied by a stunning photograph.