The Ospreys are back !!

And it goes on and on and . . . . . . .

A female peregrine has been found dead in the Clee Hill Area as well as the poisoned pigeon that was used as bait.  It is believed that the Male peregrine was also poisoned, but had not been found at the time the BBC published the information.

Nellie,  I've recently read MillieH's posts about hanging up her & her OH's Site Guides and certainly needed cheering up, so chanced my arm and looked up Carnyx Wild, Loch Garten.  Despite it being a right rubbish picture at least I've seen two osprey sitting on the nest in my very everso fave forest      For want of anything better to say ---  Woohoo, Yeehah   - Might just might even get the good book out and think about heading somewhere spectacular, if that is we are permitted that far over the northern border  !!

Try this link, ABM, it's for the RSPB Garten web page. Lots of photos of the pair, named Mistle and Axel by the correspondents, although not yet confirmed by the site wardens. They have bonded and mated frequently but Axel is not good at bringing the fish yet.

https://community.rspb.org.uk/placvestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/loch-garten-ospreys/276742/loch-garten-daily-obs-captures-may-2021#pifragment-4292=22

 

AH, thank you Nellie, 

Found the Problem with the lousy picture ~~ lightning strike took down the wifi, camera etc but although he did what a man's gotta do it is too late in the season for Carnyx man to climb to the nest and fix / change the camera -- so "merrily we'll limp along "  at least until any wobbleheads arrive & need ringing. They may then do a frantic camera swap at the same time, perhaps.

Here's as long summary of today exp!lots at LG, just for you ABM.

They really have been wonderful today.  A fish.  Nearly all the time one or 'tuther has been on nest.  They have shared the fish too

Just for the record. from about 10.00

 

10.47.54       Mistle returned to the nest, possibly defending against unseen intruder

10.48.00        Mistle looks behind her intently

10.50.18       Mistle reacts to unseen intruder that appears to fly around the nest.  She turns 360 degrees, shadow seen as osprey flies down and past the nest                     – carrying a fish?

                      Carrying a fish, blue Darvic on left leg and BTO on the right leg

10.51            Intruder still around

10.54              Mistle intruder calls and mantles again.  It's overhead, flash of wing on the top fish of the screen

10.55.17        Mistle takes off – after intruder, or to get away.

10.55.57        Mistle returns alert

10.57.47        Mistle mantles, calls

10.58.10        F unringed intruder tries to land, Mistle rises and attacks her, seeing her off

11.01.57        Mistle shakes her feathers.  Incident over?

11.20              Mistle calling for fish – is Axel within sight?

11.38              FISH  Axel arrives with a headless fish.  Just the one up to 18.03

11.38.36        Mistle takes off with the fish

11.41            Axel flies off

11.45            Osprey, Mistle?,  found on a tree

11.48.20        Cam pans and back to the nest

12.20            Cam pans again, and finds Mistle ? eating a fish on a tall dead pine

12.24.30         Cam pans again, back to branch of  open tree top- osprey preening.

12.24.52        Close-up – it's Mistle – weird   It's Axel, keeping guard!

12.33.03         Axel returns to the nest

12.35.57         Axel flies

12.38.35          Axel and Mistle return.  Leftover fish transferred with a struggle.  Axel takes it and flies off

12.42.57         Mistle is pottering

13.22               Mistle still sitting doing little.

13.37.20          Axel returns with the fish tail.  Mistle takes it.  The fish lies to the left of her talons

13.40               Axel flew off and returned to mate – it is quite windy.  I'm not sure whether it was a success

                        Axel flew off again and stayed away this time.

13.58.4           Axel returned, and wanders around the nest.

14.00.5           Axel flew off

14.09.18        Mistle picked up the tail end and started to eat.

14.11              Mistle flew off with the fish tail

14.12               Axel returned – where's the fish?!!

14.23.50         Mistle brought the fish tail back.  Axel pulled and tugged to get it from her grasp.  She hung on.  He had another go and she pecked him!

14.25.20         Axel it roaming the nest, and has another go at pinching the fish.  Mistle is having nothing of it.  Axel flew off.

14.28               Cam went roaming again, looking for Axel.

14.30              Found him on a tree perch                     

14.34.32         Back to the nest, and Mistle, just standing.

14.52.40         Mistle ate some more fish.  Raining.

15.18.07          Continuing to eat

15.26              She is down to the tail fin.  A shake of the head and it's gone.

15.29                A bit of twig moving, and towards the cup.

15.35.48          Axel lands on her back – and a successful mating with gusto!

                        Axel flew off.  Mistle flaps her wings and gives her feathers a shake before cleaning her bill on a handy piece of wood.

15.47.30          Mistle has flown

15.48.34          Axel returned

15.44.02         Axel had flown

16.14.58          Mistle has returned

16.16.40         Axel lands on her back – not sure whether it was successful. 

                        Axel flew off

16.59.36         Mistle has flown  ENS

17.04.54         Mistle landed on the far rim, looking very wet - it was raining earlier

                       Followed by Axel, who landed on 'our' side, he took looks wet.  It's continued to rain I assume.

17.10.49        Axel flew off

Mistel remains on the nest.

edit:  18.15  Mistle has flown

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you ~~ so much going on that  Brian won't need to read about moles at Duncton Wood tonight  will he  

And I seem to recall that we have been thro' this scenario with a young male osprey in the recent past  .

Much more going on there today, ABV, including the delivery of a huge fish. It does look promising, but we'll just have to wait and see, with fingers crossed.

ABV, this article should be of interest to you, and other Osprey watchers too I think. Although it relates specifically to the LoTL pair it general for most Ospreys

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2021/05/an-eggstraordinary-journey/

 

I missed it yesterday, but the first chick, in the observed nests, arrived yesterday at around 3 pm at the Manton Bay nest at Rutland.

 Indeed Nellie, just had a quick peep at the Manton Bay chick --  should have a sibling very soon if all goes well.  Makes getting up & playing on here early doors well worth the effort !

Did see the LG  'History Lesson'  reminding me of the very unofficial military protection scheme put in place a long time ago, and the resulting  loading of the NHS Services that occurred  . { If Only , , , , , , , , }