DAILY UPDATE (LG nest) Sunday 17 June 2012

It's raining again, and EJ is doing duty as an umbrella

#1 seems determined to wriggle about and escape! You can just see its tail poking out to the left here.

The full feed from Odin's 14.30 fish:

Well I shall have to love you and leave you all now, as I have things to do. I think I've had enough of watching here on this sad day too. Will check in later tonight.

Currently rain is falling, and EJ is sheltering her chicks. All are quiet.

Nice to see some old faces (meant in the nicest possible way) and some new (welcome).

A sad day and difficult to both read and occasionally view.  I am grateful to Scylla and Moffer (welcome back) for the videos, which were harrowing in the extreme.  Both last year and this have brought awful breeding conditions.  Many nests failed in 2011 because of the winds and the rain.  And we know of the plight at Dyfi this year.  I know that the tragic demise of C3 was awful, but I feel that EJ and Odin will now raise two healthy chicks which will fledge and migrate.  I understand that nests of two chicks is the norm, so we have been fortunate to witness the fledging of three chicks in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010, and two in 2011 and 2008 (thanks to Chloe and Tiger's stats).  It will be interesting to follow the progress of the year of 2012, particularly C2.  

I visited LG briefly last weekend and was told that ringing was likely in w/b 25 June.  I also called in at Vane Farm (now RSPB Loch Leven).  It was the opening of the 'new' Centre and I was greeted by the LG webcam on a screen in the entrance and a smiling Caroline Rance, who not only remembered me from visits to LG but also my name - wonderful, and thank you Caroline.  I checked out the new website and found that the Site Manager has worked at LotL.  Osprey have been seen fishing on the loch recently.  I was told by one volunteer that he had watched an osprey take a fish from the Loch while three boats full of hapless fishermen could only look on in envy.  Mmm another possible site to see osprey in the future???

Thank you too to all those who have wonderfully contributed to the Summary.  All so well written and descriptive.

Through the 'veil' on the cam I can see EJ covering the chicks and can hear drops of rain.  All very peaceful now, and no squabbling during feeding either.

I agree, Cooky, though I realise this is a very difficult day for all on the forum.  We must not turn our sadness into "scolding" the Loch Garten staff and RSPB. It is very hard to accept (we all tend to root for an "underdog"), but Nature will have its way.  

Let's remember how fortunate we are to be able to view these wonderful birds in their natural setting and habitat.  That wouldn't be possible without RSPB's efforts

Tuning to hear the sad, sad news. :((

The worst unprovoked aggression I have seen. I'm glad it is over for #3. I would be interested to know if the body will be recovered, and whether any analysis will show Aspergillosis. I still feel privileged to view the cam and participate on this Forum. Thanks to all the faithful for their observations and documentations - you are the staunch keepers of the Truth of Nature. Osprey and Humans alike, we are not freed from our own faults.

Raining again on the streaked over cam.

Hopefully the rain will clean the lens, then make a sharp exit.

It is a sad day. As Annette et al have said, this kind of behaviour is very evident in humans as well as in the osprey world - if expressed in a different way.  Reading the posts on here and on the facebook blogs would support that fact. There is no doubt in my mind that attacking LG, the RSPB and other bloggers because they hold different opinions from one's own is an illustration of that. Yes, a sad day for more than one reason.

Hi shorty. youv'e hit the nail on the head. thanks

Heather B said:

It is a sad day. As Annette et al have said, this kind of behaviour is very evident in humans as well as in the osprey world - if expressed in a different way.  Reading the posts on here and on the facebook blogs would support that fact. There is no doubt in my mind that attacking LG, the RSPB and other bloggers because they hold different opinions from one's own is an illustration of that. Yes, a sad day for more than one reason.

We, as humans, are an argumentative bunch and I think that this tendency heightens when we are feeling grief.  Everybody reacts to tragedy differently, as shown on today's DU - the point is that everyone posting on here cares about the birds and that it is of enormous value to everyone, ospreys included, to have this place where everyone can voice an opinion and start discussions.  If nobody did this, our magnificent ospreys - and many other birds - would lose out, big time.