The Ospreys are back !!

It's quite an achievement when you think of how desperate the situation was about 20 years ago where the main or sometimes only breeding took place at Loch Garten with the occasional other site getting a look in.

So a big thank you to all of the support staff around the country that make or have made the breeding of Ospreys such a success.

Thanks also to Nellie for keeping everyone well informed.

Thanks for those kind words, WN, it's fun following all the arrivals and how the nests progress during the breeding season.

A further update from Keilder and others. Because Nest 2 is in a position when there is no access the 3 chicks there will not be ringed, but seem to be doing well. Meanwhile at Nest 6 the two chick were ringed on the 8th, both are females, 1B2 named Fourlaws, and 1B3 named Farnley.

The Loch Garten chicks were ringed today, 1C2 is a male and 1C1 a female. The wardens have decided not to name them (yet?). There has been much discord about the naming of their mother, now officially named Asha!!😲

At Manton Bay all 3 chicks have taken their maiden flights, so are now fledglings, I guess, as is one of the chicks at Clywedog who flew for first time today.

Thank you, Nellie,  for the info on Loch Garten chicks being ringed,  so now I just have to hope that they remembered to clean the camera lens at the same time  !!

EDIT :~~

  Oh yes, the lens is clean !!  That was a job worth doing indeed  

And Mistle was feeding the young at 10:40 pm !!

There are many nests now where the chicks have been ringed, so it will be good to see in years to come if and when any return to their natal nest area.

Quite a number of the chicks have fledged in the past week, just now waiting for the pair at Loch Garten to take to the wing.

Lots of the monitored nests now have chicks that have fledged, including those at the Poole Harbour nest, now waiting for the two at both Llyn Brenig, and Loch Garten, and one of the pair at Loch Arkaig.  Unfortunately it would appear that the youngest chick at one of the Kielder nests, Kielder1A, has disappeared after it's fledgling flight, as so has his father, leaving the female adult to catch and feed her 3 other chicks by herself.

Things can go a but wayward at fledgling time, it’s a bit unpredictable, so let’s keep hoping that all is well!🤞

I missed this event, but the nest at Balgavie Loch collapsed on 20th July and the single chick was deposited on the ground but survived. Following the efforts of the local Raptor group and site wardens a platform was erected and the chick placed there. By all recent reports the family are back together and doing well. This is the link to an article about it, but can't seem to get it to work.😖

thecourier.co.uk//fp/news/angus-mearns/3521221/angus-osprey-chick-saved/?fbclid=IwAR2tPzkw7QbPoe6kM8etLOwjB9ykvfFDt-r-u-VkZXQx6S30jDxjFiHwAPU

Sad news I'm afraid.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62319599

Such sad news indeed, have been so busy over the last week that I missed this post.

Some good news now. Both chicks, or should I say young ospreys, at Loch Garten fledged today, the first there for 6 years. 

Virtually all of the surviving chicks at the monitored nests have now fledged, and those at Manton Bay will be soon be heading off on their migration. The eldest is 99 days old today and last year the first left at 106 days old.

Now some sad news, White YA, the male at Nest 1A at Kielder, and the youngest of the pair's chicks have not been seen for many days now. This was posted on the 30th July

"It’s now over 2 weeks since YA was last seen. And 11 days since 440/Farne left the nest. There is no sign of either osprey. Mrs YA is provisioning the remaining three youngsters well."

Tis life I'm afraid Nellie. These things happen. As long as it was natural causes and not through mans' wrongful actions one tends to accept it.