“WATCH OUT, THERE’S AN OSPREY ABOUT!!”
June 30, 2012 in Wildlife Village by nickthegreek
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This week’s round up of the nests sees our Osprey “fatlings” all continuing to thrive, and seemingly growing right before our eyes!!The season moves on apace, and already we’ve reached the ringing/tracking stage at some of the nests, an area of great sensitivity for many people, and a topic that will constantly provoke debate. I feel it unnecessary to labour the point in this post, other than to say that it will continue to divide opinions, and loyalties in many cases.
For the purposes of my post, I would prefer to celebrate the continuing growth, in size, and in health, of our many chicks around our favourite nests.
Closest to home, SWT have announced that Lady & Laddie’s chick will, after suggestions to the contrary, indeed be tagged & ringed sometime next week. The chick itself looks a picture of health, its plumage progressing nicely, and becoming increasingly aware and interested in its immediate surroundings – with more than just an occasional foray to the edge of the nest!! Our distorted camera angle view perhaps exaggerates how precarious this seems, but it can be somewhat unnerving at times!!
At VAL GALL’S estate, Val reports XL & M’s pair of chicks to be feeding well, even given some fairly inclement spells of Scottish weather!! Also, and excitingly so, she reports of a Goshawk’s nest, with 2 well grown and healthy chicks, both of which will be close to fledging – exciting, because, as we all know, Goshawks are a threatened species, so fingers crossed that this nest proves a successful one, so adding to the population. 
At LOCH GARTEN, both chicks have been tagged & ringed, with DYFI, like LOTL, to make their decision/announcement next week, and at Glaslyn, all three chicks have also been ringed. Concluding the round up for this week, at RUTLAND, (the inspiration for the header title!) much evidence of the advantages of (at least) ringing, in the positive identification of a number of Ospreys hatched from the area in 2010, making northerly migration to their home turf! 28(10) has been a frequent visitor over the past 2 weeks, and also sighted have been 11(10) & 30(10), the latter being the first MANTON BAY chick to return. So, birds from SITES B & N, and Manton Bay, have all been sighted in the area. Whilst this can undoubtedly be a nuisance to the nesting residents, it remains a positive and encouraging sign that young birds are making speculative nest sighting trips, particularly in the search for established sites, given Ospreys propensity for seeking out bespoke “ready made” homes to settle into, rather than expend all that much needed energy starting from scratch!! 
RUTLAND'S 11(10)
00.08 The chick is sleeping and Lady s on the other side of the nest looking out at the loch 00.11 Lady tucks her head under her wings
00.26 The chick is preening now and Lady sleeps 00.45 Lady preening and the chick is sound asleep for now 00.53 The chick is awake and gets up for a stretch and wing flap andLady still preens before settling back down 01.30 Both sleeping 01.44Getting windy, but both Lady and the chick still sleeping 01.53 Lady wakes and stretches her wings, then preens 01.55 Lady tucks her head back between her wings and goes back to sleep 02.08 Lady preening again and the chick still sound asleep 02.13 The chick wakes and has a big wing stretch 02.19 The chick preens now while Lady has a poop shot 02.35 Lady and the chick are having a preening session 02.51 Both have finally settled again and go back to sleep 03.17 Lady is awake looking out towards the loch and the chick is preening again 03.35 Its getting light now 3.48 Both the chick and Lady are awake now. The chick stretches then watches Mum before having a poop shot 04.00 The chick has went back to sleep and Lady sitting still looking around 04.10 Day camera switches over now 
04.25 Lady flies off and Laddie flies straight in followed by Lady 04.19 Laddie’s off now 04.52 The chick preens again 05.15 Lady has been walking around the nest for the last 12 minutes, looking down at the nest, then picking up things and eating them, definitely not fish 05.33 Laddie arrives with empty talons again 05.34 Off he goes again 05.37 He’s back with a clump of Moss 05.42 He’s off again now 05.45 He’s back with yet another clump of moss 05.48 And away he goes again 05.51 He’s back again with another clump of moss 05.53 Lady’s had enough and off she flies leaving Laddie with a vacant look on his face 05.54 Laddie tries to move some threads of moss/grass and disturbs the chick who stands up straight and pecks at Dad. Poor Laddie just backs away up to the edge of the nest 05.55 The chick lays behind Laddie, then stands up and looks around 05.56 Lady’s back and she moves some twigs 05.57 Laddie’s off. The chick walks up to the edge of the nest and flaps its wings 06.25 Lady shelters the chick. I cant make it out on the webcam, but I assume it has started raining 06.27 Chick snuggles under mum as I log on. it looks cold and rather windy. 
06.58 No change. Lady is sitting facing the camera, uncomfortably sheltering her offspring who just now stretches out a wing and then they both shuffle back to their original position. 07.21 Lady still partly covering juvie, can’t see if it’s raining. 07.58 Now Lady is standing to the side and the juvie is pecking about in the middle, looking very osprey-like 08.06 Juvie head bobbing and showing us it’s lovely head markings. I do wish the camera was clearer though. Now playing with sticks and football with the eggs. 08.13 Now it’s very near the rim of the nest at the back but still on the mossy step below and looking out at the loch stretching its wings. It clambers back down to the middle 08.11 The chick wanders up to the edge of the nest and looks about then comes back down 08.20 Laddie arrives with two small clumps of moss in each talon 08 23 Lady and Laddie preen and the chick is trying to focus on something outside the nest. Laddie flies off 08.51 Lady flies off 08.54 Lady arrives chirping at the chick and has brought a small branch in with her which she positions right away 09.07 In flies Laddie again with another branch 09.08 Laddie is off again 09.10 And he’s back with a twig this time 09.11 And off again 09.15 He’s back with another twig. Its fish they want not twigs!! 
09.17 And off he flies again. I wonder what will be next 09.21 Yes, he’s back with moss this time 09.24 HD Camera comes on now and Laddie s off and back again with another twig 09.25 And he’s off again 09.26 LADY BRANCH MOVING – CHICK PREENING 09.29 LADY HAS LEFT THE NEST 09.30 CHICK ALONE ON THE NEST PREENING 09.33 LADY BACK 09.45 CHICK VERY CLOSE TO THE EDGE – AGAIN!! 09.52 BOTH LADY AND CHICK LYING DOWN NOW 10.01 CAMERA JUST PANNED THE LOCH, NOW BACK ON THE NEST 10.10 RAINING AT LOWES – CLOSE UP OF LADY WITH THE RAINDROPS ON HER SHELTERING CHICK 10.32 BOTH LADY AND CHICK LOOKING OUT FROM THE EDGE OF THE NEST NOW 10.56 LADY AT THE EDGE OF THE NEST. CHICK LYING DOWN. STOPPED RAINING, BUT SOUNDS VERY WINDY 12.16 Lady and Laddie both on nest – didn’t see him come in 12.32 Lady trying to cover Juvie from the rain. 12.56 Fish delivery, small live one, Lady grabs it and starts feeding juvie 
13.16 Lady flies off the nest 14.05 Lady and the chick relax on the nest and lovelt view of the birds down on the loch 14.07 Lots of birds down on the loch now 14.11 Lady on the side of the nest but only her wings and tail are visable, the chick looks as though it may be sleeping 14.54 Juvie is so beautiful. 15.36 FISH DELIVERED BY LADDIE. Lady straight on it and feeding juvie. Laddie flies off. 15.40 Every bite that Lady pull off of the fish the chick is chirping away, begging for it. 15.44 The chick refuses it food and walks backward towards the edge of the nest and does a poop shot. It this is starting to copy Mum now 15.46 The chick is picking up scraps of fish now and Lady is cleaning her beak on the branches 15.47 Lady flies off 15.48 The chick watches something, maybe Mum, then scratches its head. It looks at though it is stomping it foot but its not 15.50 The chick spots something again and chirps, in flies Mum 15.52 Lady starts shouting again wanting more fish as that one was just a snack for them 15.54 Both Lady and the chick are standing in the nest and Lady still shouting 18.06 Both adults on the nest – Laddie has just flown away 
18.12 Looks like it could be raining again at the Loch – Lady is trying to protect juvie 19.53 Lady sheltering her chick again, it looks as though it is raining again 20.26 Fish delivery, but a tiny one 20.29 Lady feeding the chick 20.48 Lady sat in the nest looking over the loch and chick sitting beside her with its head down 21.24 Lady still trying to cover the chick from the rain, but the chick has other ideas it wants to see whats going on 22.02 Lady still partially covering the chick and doesn’t seemed to have moved since I last checked 22.23 Lady and Rocket sitting in the nest cup – not sure whether is is raining or not – no I think it is just windy 22.36 Large fish delivery 22.37 Fish delivery – is it a fresh one – surely he hasn’t just caught it – it looks a good size though – Lady soon on it – what a good Lad he is 23.56 Both are still having a good feed from the fish before bedtime 23.19 Lady still eating the fish. I think the chick has had enough now 23.38 Lady sitting on the side of the nest and it looks as though the tail is left. The chick is sound asleep now All screenshot ©SWT http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/#____________________________________
The Dyfi Osprey Project and the Scottish wildlife Trust have kindly given their permission for us to post still and video images from their webcams. To visit their sites please click on the relevant link. Loch of the Lowes. Dyfi Osprey Project.
