The Ospreys are back !!

A quick check back on the posts from Poole indicate that both salt and fresh water fish have been delivered to the nest, Bass and probably Rudd.

There have been more hatching recorded today.At Loch Arkaid the 3rd chick hatched at 16:36 today; at a new nest in Cumbria where the female is Blue W1 (Merin) a Dyfi 2015 offspring a chick was seen in 22nd; at Poole a second egg is staying to chip at Alyth the second chick emerged late yesterday, and at Keilder Nest 4 has 2 chicks hatch today and at Nest 6 there is at least 1 chick, seen today.

There has been an interesting intruder at Llyn Brenig, where Blue 041 a 2022 male from  Threaves was seen at 14:02 today.

 Quick round-up of the recorded nest hatching so far.

Manton Bay, 1 chick.

Aylth, 2 chicks, 2nd on 23rd May

Loch Arkaid, 2 chicks both on 22 May

Poole Harbour, 2 chicks, the 2nd on 24th

Dyfi, 3 chicks, the 3rd at 05:31 on 24th

Llyn Brenig, none yet

Llyn Clywedog, 3 chicks, the 3rd at 18:18 on 24th

Foulshaw, 2 chicks on 24th and 26th

Keilder Nest 7, 3 chicks; Nest 4, 3 chicks; Nest 6. 1 chick, at least.

Batteries Loch, 1 chick at least

Just a quick round-up from some of the nests

At both Loch Garten and Loch of the Lowes there is the potential of two new pairs for the nests.

At Poole there are 4 chicks which are being fed by both of their parents.

At Kielder there are 3 chicks in each of Nest 6, Nest 5A, Nest 7 and Nest 4.

There are 3 chicks at Loch Arkaid.

At Foulshaw there are 2 chicks but it looks as if the first egg was infertile.

I will update the Welsh ones later in the week.

It looks likely that the UK population will increase again this season and apparently young/new pairings this year are exploring new nest sites and territories. Some finding and building potential future nests themselves without human assistance. We must not forget that as apex species the numbers will always be relatively small but thankfully all seems well and the future looks promising.

Micky, there have been quite a few losses this year already, with only 1 chick at Manton Bay, none at Loch of the Lowes with the loss of Laddie, the 3 eggs at Loch Gartan being destroyed by the intruding male, KL5 (Klive) and a Foulshaw the first egg of 3 has not hatched. So perhaps this year there may not be as many chicks as only be previous few.

In Wales the news looks good. At Glasly there are 3 chicks, as there are at Dyfi and Clwydog, where a second nest has at least 1 chick. Today also saw the hatching of the second egg at Llyn Brenig.

Thanks nellie, having just returned from visiting the Welsh sites and what I was being told by the wardens my understanding was about these populations. Interesting to read your contributions about the English populations particularly although fairly mixed here it seems at the moment. Having said that my comments were more to do with those first time migrant returnees. Am I correct in my assumption that the intruder you mentioned is one of these? If so, such is nature I’m afraid but hopefully the number and spread of these breeding birds will continue in the long run despite this as I was being informed. Some good and some not so good years it seems and positive, some neutral and some negative news is inevitably over the decades but thankfully they grace our skies as a wild bird species once more and on the whole the picture is looking rosier.

Some bad news from Keilder and The Borders, because of the miserable weather, rain, cold and high winds, that they have been having up there.

Keilder Nest 6 and 4 have only one chick left at each, and Nest 5A there is probably only 2 alive now. 

Border Ospreys have also suffered badly as the 3 eggs were exposed for 21 hrs and are probably unviable. https://borderospreys.co.uk/home/a-new-year-a-new-website/

A wonderful piece on tonight’s SpringWatch about the history of the Osprey reintroduction programme since its inception decades ago. What a hero Roy Dennis is and what a fantastic job he has done to reintroduce not just ospreys but several other apex raptors over the last 50 years. The man is a legend. He has shown what can be done in the name of rewilding despite the actions of those ill informed sceptics, dissenters and doubters.
Well worth a catch up on iPlayer if you didn’t see it.

 Thanks for that micky, I will have to have a look at that.

Update from Keilder today confirms that No.3 chick in Nest 5A had died, a victim of the cold wet weather there.  There is at least 1 chick in Nest 2, and the sole chick in Nest 4 is eating well, thankfully.

A possible explanation as to the Brenig ‘incident’. 
https://www.birdguides.com/news/drone-nearly-knocks-osprey-chick-from-nest/?utm_campaign=1191983_Weekly%20News%20from%20BirdGuides%2017%2F06%2F2024&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotdigital&dm_i=73DM,PJQN,ZVCQL,3E9Q3,1

What ever was the root cause of the distressing event surely no drones what so ever should have been flown close by. Bit like a chain reaction, one stupid action could have that ripple effect.