The Ospreys are back !!

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  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2018 #62

    Strange that this late there are still reports of Ospreys moving through Norfolk.  Normally they would have been long gone up north

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited May 2018 #63

    Sadly,  OP,    my  favoured  site  at  Loch  Garten  has  had/ is  having  another  catastrophic  nesting  year.

    Female  EJ  has  laid  three  eggs  eventually  but  her  new  male,  aka  George,  seems  to  be  a  right  Snowflake  of  a  bird.  EJ  brooding  and  calling  but  few  fish  being  brought,  so  eventually  nature  took  over  &  EJ  went  off to  catch  her  own  fish  leaving  the  eggs  to  cool.  More  or  less  continual  behaviour  this  year  so  no  likelihood  now  of  osprey  chicks  at  Loch  Garten.

    EJ  is  21  years  old  now  so,  sadly,  this  might  be  her  last  season  retaining  a  nest.  Very  few  reach  the  great  age  of  Lady  at  Loch  Of  The  Lowes,  some  28  years  I  believe.

     

  • JayOutdoors
    JayOutdoors Forum Participant Posts: 572
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    edited June 2018 #64

    Just checked the links on this thread to the nest cameras and found the 2 surviving youngsters at Rutland are well grown and ringed now.  The Welsh and Cumbria nests each appear to have 3 healthy looking youngsters also.  Nothing at Loch Garten unfortunately.

  • ABM
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    edited March 2019 #65

    Spring  &  The  OSPREY'S  are  coming.

    Not  long  'til  Brian  starts  wittering  on  about  EJ,  Wimpy  George  intruders  etc  etc  innocent

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
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    edited April 2019 #66

    The female osprey at Glaslyn near Porthmadog returned safely again (for the 16th successive year) on the 25th March, and her much younger 'husband' of the last couple of years, Aran, returned on the 1st April.  Let's  hope for another successful year of raising young for them both.

    She has hatched forty chicks, and 36 chicks of them have fledged.  She is a grandmother to 74 chicks in various other nest sites all around the country.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2019 #67

    We've had several over here on their way back to the nest sites.  Will be in Wales next week so will see several

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2019 #68

    Went to the Dyfi Osprey project today where we watched the male brought a fish for the female who sat on one of the roost perches and got stuck into it.  The male then returned to the river where he collected a very large branch for the nest.  

    We returned to our CL via the Clewydog reservoir and watched 2 more Osprey, one flying in from the Estuary and the others at on the nest.  Great day with a total of 4 seen.  Now looking forward to seeing more at Rutland Water this coming weekend.

  • ABM
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    edited April 2019 #69

    WHOOHOO  AT  LAST 

    oops  sorry for shouting but the First Osprey of 2019 has been seen on the Loch Garten nest earlier this morning.

    Some folk reckon it might be "Wimpy George" but an Osprey is an Osprey after all. smilecool

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2019 #70

    Rutland water today, female sat on 4 eggs whilst male caught 2;fish in quick succession, he offered one to the female who declined so he ate both.  Fingers crossed that all 4 eggs hatch

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #71

    Called in at Dyfi. The female is sitting on 3 eggs and Monty is doing his best to keep her happy.👍 Although he did have to fend off one of his younger brood from a couple of years ago which returned and wanted some action.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited May 2019 #72

    Looks as if we won't be so lucky up at Boat of Garten, as the nest is devoid of life. We'll find out more tomorrow hopefully. 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #73

    Still got Ospreys around/across Norfolk so there may be hope yet Nell.  One flew around Blakney yesterday 

  • ABM
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    edited May 2019 #74

    Very  little  hope  for  Loch  Garten  this  year  now cry.

    Just  a  pile of  twigs various,  covered  in  a  thin  layer of  grass  or  similar.  I  suppose  I  can  just  hope  that  it's  a  'fallow  year'  getting  ready  for  a  bumper  crop  in  2020  frown

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #75

    The Ospreys in Wales and Rutland water are all doing well.  Will make a brief visit to Wales to see them next week

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #76

    What of those Lakeland Ospreys?

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited May 2019 #77

    The pair at Foulshaw Moss are doing fine, sitting eggs I think. The pair at Bassenthwite do have at least one egg. There has also been at least 3 others seen in the Bass nest area. 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited May 2019 #78

    The wardens at the Garten were saying that they don't expect that there'll be any pairs laying there this year, but are hoping that a couple of young ones will pair up this month and will return to the site next year.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #79

    We're hoping to get along there later this month so thanks for update.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636 ✭
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    edited May 2019 #80

    Well they were back with a vengeance today! Drove down to Kincraig and up to the church that overlooks Loch Insh. Just as we got out of our car an Osprey flew overhead, and then we spotted 3 others higher up above our heads. The reason we'd come was to view the Osprey's nest on Tom Dubh island, and there we saw our 5th one, sitting on the nest. Perhaps a couple of those that were flying high will pair up and choose to settle over at Loch Garten....fingers crossed.

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited May 2019 #81

    No Ospreys apparently at Llyn Brenig. The camera nest has bee taken over by Black Backed Gulls. 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #82

    Will call in at Foulshaw Moss tomorrow as I understand that 1 of the chicks has hatched today.laughing They expect the other 2 to arrive shortly.

  • proterra
    proterra Forum Participant Posts: 46
    edited May 2019 #83

    There's a Osprey location and viewing point not far from Troutbeck Head site. It's on Bassenthwaite lake.

    We had good views of him feeding her on the nest

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #84

    Thanks. I know about that one as have been before. Will be paying a visit next week sometime to check on progress.

    As an aside it's good to see a lot more projects advertising Osprey areas. A big thanks must go to all of the volunteers who keep an eye on the birds and nests.

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited May 2019 #85

    Forgive an ignoramus but is an Osprey the same as a Sea Eagle that snatches lambs etc., or is it merely a 'fisherman'?

    I recall being at Loch Garten some 60 yrs. ago when the Ospreys were first settled there

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited May 2019 #86

    Sea Eagle is a much bigger bird with about 8 feet wingspan whilst the Osprey is about 5 feet span Redface and is mainly a fish taker but will take small mammals or birds on occasion if fish are scarce apparently. I've only seen them fish 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #87

    We've had both birds fly quite low over our heads when in Germany. Believe me when I say that an Osprey seems exceedingly small compared to a Sea Eagle! 

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #88

    Now this is a real sea eagle. What a stella bird at that! The osprey is a softy compared with this as is our very own White-tailed Sea Eagle!

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,586 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #89

    I think that's you in fancy dress Micky.laughing

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited May 2019 #90

    Yep, I wouldn't have looked out of place at today's London 7s! 

    What a bird mind, with attitude!  A real Foghorn Leghorn of the raptors!wink

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited June 2019 #91

    Totally forgiven, redface !!  It's the same as the difference between  the Golden Eagle  & the Buzzard --  when you've seen  the big 'un you just KNOW it !! { The buzzard is sometimes referred to as A Tourist Eagle for obvious reasons sealedwink }

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