Osprey project: Update

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

News and updates published in July 2005

SUMMARY OF THE MONTH IN RUTLAND

At the single breeding nest the three chicks continued to grow and thrive. They were ringed on 7th July and we were fairly certain that there were two females and one male. This was confirmed as they reached full size and took their first flights (starting on 18th). By the end of the month they had begun to be seen exploring the reservoir.
Full story and pictures of this year's breeding are here.

Around the reservoir the adult Ospreys could often be seen in the air and catching fish, most frequently in either the north-west corner of the reservoir or the area off Normanton Church near the dam.

The weather was generally poor during the month and Osprey cruises during July were postponed and then cancelled.

Events at the breeding nest were overshadowed by the preparations for a further translocation of female chicks from Scotland. Permission was received on 24 June and it was all systems go to prepare for the birds' arrival less than three weeks later. A total of 11 young birds were received and the first four were released at the end of the month. A detailed diary of events is below.

Three other adult males 08(97), 09(98), 06(00) were present and regularly seen holding territories. The young unringed female, U4 was also seen regularly spending time mainly with 08(97). With the arrival of the young birds in pens on Lax Hill these adults were seen very frequently overhead and then interacting strongly with the released juveniles.

Tuesday 28th June

There was just over a fortnight between receiving permission for the translocation and the first birds arriving - a period of intense preparation. Once again the project volunteers rallied to the urgent call for help, making it possible for everything to be ready in time.

These pictures were taken on Tuesday 28th June and show the release pens being constructed in the workyard.

Bob, Brian, Bruce and Doug

Bruce, Doug, Bob, Brian, Dave, Martyn (with a hammer!)
and Norman
One day's work and the pens are ready to go up to Lax Hill

The artificial nest on Lax HIll
Thursday 30th June

The artificial nest on Lax Hill, known as AN1, was refurbished. This is the where, in previous years many of the translocated juveniles gathered when they took their early flights.
Many thanks to tree surgeons Gary, Andy and Lynsay (LDB Tree Care) for their high-level skills in enlarging the nest, clearing out years of debris (and goose droppings!) and erecting a "French Perch" alongside it.

The nest is now very clearly visible from the Vistor Centre and, more importantly the forward monitoring position ("The Outpost").

Friday 1st July

Three new part-time staff were appointed to the project team to help with the translocation. Adele Lloyd, Cat Barlow and Mick Lewin are all very experienced volunteers and are working for two days per week throughout the rest of the summer.

Adele Lloyd

Mick Lewin

Cat Barlow

Monday 4 July
A scaffolding firm arrived and erected a 5m high platform on Lax Hill on the position of the platform used in previous years.

Tuesday 5 July

Another hard day's work on Lax Hill. A big team of staff and vounteers transported the pens, in sections to the site and erected them on the scaffolding platform.

In addition five perches were erected near the pens for the released ospreys to use after their first flights. This involved felling 5 tall conifers in nearby woodland, trimming them, transporting them, digging holes and erecting them.

The release pens on Lax Hill where the young Ospreys
are being cared for.

Week 3-10 July
Roy Dennis began collecting female chicks from nests in Scotland. His licence allowed him to take one female from a thriving nest of two or three chicks. The chicks have to be of an age to be able the feed themselves, but not so old that they can fly.

Weekend 9-11 July
Barrie and Tricia Galpin travelled to Scotland in a hired van to collect the first consignment of chicks. En route there was just time to visit Osprey nests at the Loch of the Lowes (where the two chicks were just about to fledge) and Loch Garten where "Henry" was entertaining visitors as he brought sticks to the nest.

After an overnight drive, five female chicks were placed in the pens on Lax Hill at 2:30 am on 11 July.

Tuesday 12 July
A first press release was sent out, announcing this year's transloaction and the arrival of the young birds.

Wednesday 13 July

The first 5 birds settled down well and were feeding themselves with gusto on the local trout that is placed in the release pens twice each day. These five have ring numbers 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E.

The first two were older and more well developed and spent time sitting up on the perch at the front on the pens. 7C, 7D and 7E were slightly younger and were watching the world from the floor or from the nest within the pen.

7A and 7B enjoying their new view of the reservoir

The volunteer team who have been monitoring the breeding nest throughout the summer eagerly took on a rather different task, monitoring the chicks in the pens.
Are the chicks all feeding properly?

Are they getting more active within the pens and using the perches?

How many wing flaps and wing stretches does each one do?

When will they be ready for release?

The Outpost - the monitoring post may look a bit worse for wear, but not so the monitors!

Friday 15 July 2005
Roy Dennis brought 3 more young female Ospreys, 7J, 7N and 7P from Scotland, bringing the total of translocated birds this year to 8.

7C made the jump up onto the perch for the first time yesterday.

Also, for the first time yesterday, one of the adult Ospreys flew over for a close look at what was going on. It was the breeding male, 03(97), who himself was brought from Scotland 8 years ago.

Roy Dennis with Osprey 7J before she went into
the release pen

7A and 7B are often on the perch at the front of the pens
Monday 18 July
All eight young females were doing very well and tucking into the fresh Rutland trout that they are fed twice daily. The chicks had been grouped according to age and state of development. The younger ones were fed fish cut into very small pieces, while the older ones are more able to hold and tear larger pieces of fish.

Yesterday evening, the famous bachelor 08(97), came in and sat on the dead tree beside the pens. He was clearly interested in what he saw in the pens, as were the young females in him!

Friday 22 July

No real changes to report: all eight chicks were developing well with rather more use of the perches. Their wing flaps were recorded, as were the lengths of time that each chick spent feeding.

The adults birds continued to visit, making the Lax Hill area the most likely place to see adult ospreys in the air.

Saturday 23 July
Three more chicks arrived from Scotland and joined the others on Lax Hill. This is a pair of orphans, 7R and 7S, one female and one male. Roy Dennis has been monitoring this nest regularly and became concerned when the adult female disappeared. He applied for a variation of the licence so that, in this exceptional case, both chicks could be brought to Rutland. There were now 10 Osprey chicks being held in the pens on Lax Hill.

Another very young bird, initially in need of hand feeding, was held separately, until it was able to feed itself.

Osprey 7P meets the Prince
Monday 25 July
HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, paid a private visit to the Osprey Project and to Rutland Water Nature Reserve. He visited the monitoring position to see the three chicks flying around the successful breeding nest and spent some time talking to volunteers and staff. After a stop at one of the birdwatching hides on the reserve, the Prince went on to the monitoring position on Lax Hill where ten translocated chicks could be seen in the release pens. Finally he watched as one of the new arrivals from Scotland, a very feisty female chick, was fitted with its colour ring - 7P. The picture left shows the Prince and Tim Appleton holding the young female bird. In the background is Andy Brown of Anglian Water.

Despite high security, the royal visit had a real air of informality and we understand that a relaxed Prince Philip very much enjoyed his visit.

There are four, five or six birds in the pens who now look as if they may be ready to fly.

Tuesday 26 July
Another very important visitor. Vet Sue Thornton, who has worked with the project since 1997, gave each of the translocated birds a thorough check over and confirmed that four of them, 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are ready for release. The other six birds in the pens are all in good condition, but being younger, they must wait a little longer before their feathers will enable them to take their first flights.

Tiny tail-mounted radio transmitters were fitted to the four oldest birds and they were transferred to a single pen so that they can be given their freedom as soon as the weather is right.

Sue also checked the very young Osprey that is still being hand fed.

Tim Appleton and Tim Mackrill fitting a radio transmitter to 7C's central tail feather.

The four young females comtemplate freedom.
Weds/Thurs 27-28 July

Dire weather caused the cruise on 27th to be cancelled, and the planned first release to be postponed.

Friday 29 July

Today dawned with much better. Soon after 11am the front of the pen was lowered and 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D were offered their freedom but, as the picture shows, they thought long and hard before taking it.

Then, without warning, 7A launched herself into the air and embarked on the most amazing and lengthy first flight. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself as she spiralled, soared and power dived. She moved north, south and west with evident enthusiasm before, after a full 40 minutes she landed on the artificial nest, AN1.

Later during the day, the other three also flew, but with several short but certain flights rather than one magnificent gesture, like 7A's.

Three of the four later in the day

Saturday 30 July

Today the very young chick, that had needed initial hand feeding, was moved to the right-hand pen with 7P, 7R and 7S. It is now confidently feeding itself though it is still considerably smaller than its three companions.

A feature of today has been the aggression shown towards the four newly fledged youngsters by two adult birds. 08(97) and an unringed female have been repeatedly around Lax Hill and have made several spectacular attempts to dive-bomb the juveniles. There has been no physical contact but the adults are certainly keen to ensure the youngsters know their place.

RETURN TO: Top of this page | Home page | Update page | News for August 2005

Monday 4 July A scaffolding firm arrived and erected a 5m high platform on Lax Hill on the position of the platform used in previous years. Tuesday 5 July Another hard day's work on Lax Hill. A big team of staff and vounteers transported the pens, in sections to the site and erected them on the scaffolding platform. In addition five perches were erected near the pens for the released ospreys to use after their first flights. This involved felling 5 tall conifers in nearby woodland, trimming them, transporting them, digging holes and erecting them.	The release pens on Lax Hill where the young Ospreys are being cared for.
Week 3-10 July Roy Dennis began collecting female chicks from nests in Scotland. His licence allowed him to take one female from a thriving nest of two or three chicks. The chicks have to be of an age to be able the feed themselves, but not so old that they can fly.	Weekend 9-11 July Barrie and Tricia Galpin travelled to Scotland in a hired van to collect the first consignment of chicks. En route there was just time to visit Osprey nests at the Loch of the Lowes (where the two chicks were just about to fledge) and Loch Garten where "Henry" was entertaining visitors as he brought sticks to the nest. After an overnight drive, five female chicks were placed in the pens on Lax Hill at 2:30 am on 11 July.
Tuesday 12 July A first press release was sent out, announcing this year's transloaction and the arrival of the young birds. Wednesday 13 July The first 5 birds settled down well and were feeding themselves with gusto on the local trout that is placed in the release pens twice each day. These five have ring numbers 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E. The first two were older and more well developed and spent time sitting up on the perch at the front on the pens. 7C, 7D and 7E were slightly younger and were watching the world from the floor or from the nest within the pen.	*7A and 7B enjoying their new view of the reservoir*
The volunteer team who have been monitoring the breeding nest throughout the summer eagerly took on a rather different task, monitoring the chicks in the pens. Are the chicks all feeding properly? Are they getting more active within the pens and using the perches? How many wing flaps and wing stretches does each one do? When will they be ready for release?	*The Outpost - the monitoring post may look a bit worse for wear, but not so the monitors!*

*Osprey 7P meets the Prince*	Monday 25 July HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, paid a private visit to the Osprey Project and to Rutland Water Nature Reserve. He visited the monitoring position to see the three chicks flying around the successful breeding nest and spent some time talking to volunteers and staff. After a stop at one of the birdwatching hides on the reserve, the Prince went on to the monitoring position on Lax Hill where ten translocated chicks could be seen in the release pens. Finally he watched as one of the new arrivals from Scotland, a very feisty female chick, was fitted with its colour ring - 7P. The picture left shows the Prince and Tim Appleton holding the young female bird. In the background is Andy Brown of Anglian Water. Despite high security, the royal visit had a real air of informality and we understand that a relaxed Prince Philip very much enjoyed his visit. There are four, five or six birds in the pens who now look as if they may be ready to fly.
Tuesday 26 July Another very important visitor. Vet Sue Thornton, who has worked with the project since 1997, gave each of the translocated birds a thorough check over and confirmed that four of them, 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are ready for release. The other six birds in the pens are all in good condition, but being younger, they must wait a little longer before their feathers will enable them to take their first flights. Tiny tail-mounted radio transmitters were fitted to the four oldest birds and they were transferred to a single pen so that they can be given their freedom as soon as the weather is right. Sue also checked the very young Osprey that is still being hand fed.	*Tim Appleton and Tim Mackrill fitting a radio transmitter to 7C's central tail feather.*
*The four young females comtemplate freedom.*	Weds/Thurs 27-28 July Dire weather caused the cruise on 27th to be cancelled, and the planned first release to be postponed. Friday 29 July Today dawned with much better. Soon after 11am the front of the pen was lowered and 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D were offered their freedom but, as the picture shows, they thought long and hard before taking it. Then, without warning, 7A launched herself into the air and embarked on the most amazing and lengthy first flight. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself as she spiralled, soared and power dived. She moved north, south and west with evident enthusiasm before, after a full 40 minutes she landed on the artificial nest, AN1. Later during the day, the other three also flew, but with several short but certain flights rather than one magnificent gesture, like 7A's.
*Three of the four later in the day*	Saturday 30 July Today the very young chick, that had needed initial hand feeding, was moved to the right-hand pen with 7P, 7R and 7S. It is now confidently feeding itself though it is still considerably smaller than its three companions. A feature of today has been the aggression shown towards the four newly fledged youngsters by two adult birds. 08(97) and an unringed female have been repeatedly around Lax Hill and have made several spectacular attempts to dive-bomb the juveniles. There has been no physical contact but the adults are certainly keen to ensure the youngsters know their place.