The translocation diary, 2005 Click here for the story of the translocation during July Monday 1 August: a foster mother? The four young Ospreys released on Friday were carefully monitored over the weekend, both visually and by means of tail-mounted radios. 7A, 7B and 7C were spending most time on the artificial nest, AN1, while 7D preferred a perch on the other side of the wood on Lax Hill. There had been quite a lot of aggression shown towards them by 08(97), the non-breeding male and also, initially by U4, an unringed female that has been associating with 08 in recent weeks. On Saturday evening, and then again three times yesterday, there was an amazing turn of events - - - the unringed female brought fish and dropped it into the artificial nest! Presumably the food-begging calls of the juveniles had sparked her maternal instincts. This must be good news for the project - the youngsters are not needing to return to take the fish that we are putting out regularly on top of the pens and are receiving fish of different types and in the more natural surroundings of a nest. But also, it must increase the chances that this adult female will associate Rutland with breeding and return, perhaps to AN1, next year. Roy Dennis is delighted at this turn of events. He has seen similar "fostering" on rare occasions in Scotland, but it is pretty clear that translocated birds have never received this benefit before. The less good news was that 7D seems to have disappeared. She probably fed from the pens overnight but, throughout the day, there has been no sign of her. There was only a very weak short burst from her radio at mid-day suggesting that she may have been well to the west. Subsequent use the yagi (radio receiver) from many local hill tops and ridges revealed no further transmissions.   Wednesday 3 August John Wright was up at 5:30 with the yagi, checking on the positions of the three birds released yesterday. 7J was still in the wood to the north and 7N and 7E still safely on Lax Hill. They later transferred to the artificial nest from where it is easier to withstand 08's attentions. By mid afternoon 7J had returned to Lax Hill, U4 had delivered yet another fish and Tim Mackrill had gone on another expedition with the yagi to try to locate 7D's radio.	View from "the Outpost" Tuesday 2 August: more Ospreys released Careful observation of the behaviour of those Ospreys still in the pens has suggested that 7E, 7J and 7N are now ready for release. Yesterday afternoon they were taken from the pens and the development of their tail feathers confirmed that they were ready to go, so radios were mounted on their tails. Then this morning, with TV cameras and other members of the press in attendance, the pen front was opened. It was a VERY long wait but eventually in mid afternoon 7J flew off and away to the north. One of those that were released earlier joined her for a while as she explored over the Hambleton peninsula and then over the town of Oakham. She became lost to sight but her radio confirmed her direction and position, as she eventually landed in a distant wood where she stayed till evening. The flights of 7N and 7E were delayed still further, but eventually they took to the air, landing quite awkwardly but safely in the trees on Lax Hill. There, 7E was treated to a fierce session of dive-bombing from 08, presumably trying to drive her off. But 7E, very sensibly, remained on her perch, ducking as 08's outstretched talons whistled past again and again. Still no sign of 7D today. At least 3 more fish were delivered by U4.
7A and 7N on AN1 in the afternoon sun on 6 August	Saturday 6 August Little change to report except that 7A, 7B, 7C, 7E, 7J and 7N are gradually improving their flying skills around Lax Hill. From the public viewpoint excellent views can be had, particularly in the late afternoon when the light picks up the young Ospreys to perfection. In order to get to the viewpoint you need to come to the Birdwatching Centre at Egleton, get a permit and follow the footpath for about half a mile past several birdwatching hides to the south. Once there you will be able to borrow a telescope, rest your feet and just enjoy the spectacle. Unfortunately there is still no sight nor radio sound from 7D - hopes are fading for this female's survival now. The unringed adult female continues to drop fish into the artificial nest, much to the juveiles' delight, and the adult male 08(97) continues to assert his superiority from time to time. This afternoon he spent many minutes just gliding effortlessly above the juveniles. Finally he dropped down onto the freshly cut-up fish that we had put out, grabbed the head of a trout (to Ospreys the head is definitely the best part) and flew off with it for an easy meal.
Photo opportunities The close views of Ospreys are providing some good opportunities for pictures, as these two images from visitors to the reserve show. Neil Greenberry took this picture on 7 August. It shows U4 the unringed female and 08(97) in the air above Lax Hill. Shortly afterwards U4 delivered these fish remains to AN1 for the benefit of the juveniles.	Another picture by Roy Shilham, taken over Lyndon Reserve on 8 August
Thursday 11 August Three more Ospreys were released today. The one male 7S and females 7P and 7R were offered their freedom at about 10 am and all three seized the moment, leaving the pen even as the front was lowered. They all took strong short flights and landed expertly on AN1, the nearby artificial nest. Further short flights continued throughout the day. Only a single, much younger, female chick remains in the pens now. Monday 15 August Still nothing from 7D, but the other released young are getting much more adventurous with their flights, often being seen in the south arm of the reservoir, particularly from the Lyndon Visitor Centre and from Heron Hide. They regularly return to the release pen area to take the large pieces of trout that we are putting out for them twice each day. The late afternoon views from the view point in the marquee are often quite breathtaking.	Volunteer John Spencer using the "Yagi" to track the juvenile Ospreys
Monday 22 August During the week, the released juveniles (apart from 7D) have been regularly coming back to take fish from the feeding trays. But they have been less frequently in the vicinity of the pens, preferring instead to spend time on the quieter southern side of Lax Hill. Seven of them could be seen from the Lyndon Visitor Centre on Saturday afternoon. However, it could be that the most powerful flier, 7A, has now left on migration since her radio has not been detected since Saturday. Several of the juveniles have been seen to take dives into the water, but there have been no records of successful catches so far. Two juveniles on the feeding trays, as viewed from the Outpost	Wednesday 31 August 7A was away for just 3 days before returning to the easy supply of fish on Lax Hill, so for most of the week we have been recording 9 young Ospreys coming in to feed. However, yesterday their number was swelled as we were finally able to release the last chick. This one, given the ring number 33, was very much younger than all the others having been taken from a nest in Scotland where a pair of first-time breeding adults had laid eggs very late indeed in the season. This chick arrived in Rutland on 23 July (click for details) and initially needed hand feeding. Gradually it has grown and developed although it has always been way behind the other translocated juveniles and for 19 days has been alone in the pens It has been difficult to decide what its gender is, but when the vet came to check its readiness for release last week we changed our minds yet again and decided that she is in fact a he! In due course DNA analysis will confirm its gender. On release yesterday, 33 took a confident first flight lasting 23 minutes before landing non-too-expertly on AN1. Several more short flights have been recorded today. And, as this page is published, news comes in that he is feeding on fish taken to the artificial nest by one of the more experienced juveniles. The 2005 translocation diary continues here.

 

Where to see the Rutland Ospreys There is a special viewpoint in a marquee at the foot of Lax Hill where staff and volunteers are on hand to help visitors see the Ospreys and explain what is going on. Typically the perched and feeding Ospreys are about 300 yards from the viewpoint. A particularly good time to see them is the late afternoon or early evening. The viewpoint is open from 1pm to 5pm each day (weather and Ospreys permitting!) More distant views of the translocated young can often be had from both the Lyndon and Egleton Visitor Centres. To see adult Ospreys fishing, try the area off Normanton Church and the sailing club or, as previously, in the North Arm from Fisherman's Carpark. The public viewpoint at the foot of Lax Hill Italian visitors Recently we were pleased to welcome Dr Andrea Sforzi, Giuseppe Anselmi and Marco Madeddu) as visitors to the Rutland Osprey Project. They come from the Parco Regionale Della Maremma, an important wetland and maritime area on the west coast of Tuscany where a project is under way to encourage the Osprey to breed. There is a growing population of Ospreys on nearby Corsica and there are plans to translocate young birds from there to the Park of Maremma. Our visitors were interested to see the methods being used by us for holding, caring for and releasing Ospreys translocated from Scotland. You can read more about Project "Falco Pescatore" in the Park of Maremma by visiting their website at www.parco-maremma.it Osprey at sea An interesting email from Paul Neale: I am working on a construction vessel in the Dutch Sector of the Southern North Sea about 100 miles offshore. We are stationary alongside a oil platform. We have been watching a young Osprey for a couple of days which seems to have made a temporary home on the platform. We haven't seen a catch so far but he/she does make the occasional splash. It makes a great change from the usual offshore sights of platforms, rigs and vessels!

Ospreys at the Birdfair As the Birdfair moved from Friday to Saturday to Sunday, the weather gradually improved and so did the Osprey sightings. Most of the estimated 18,000 visitors will have had a good chance of seeing the birds. A special thankyou to the team of 35 project volunteers who in the Visitor Centre or the marquee gave up time to help people see the Ospreys and to talk about the project. Unseen by the visitors but often heard on the radio were the skilled stalwarts who worked in the close monitoring post, ("The Outpost"), identifying the juveniles by telescope and yagi as the birds came into view.   Friday was a disappointing wet day and the planned cruise was cancelled. However, the translocated youngsters have to eat and there were some good sightings from the viewpoint particularly in the evening, as they came to take fish from the feeding trays. Saturday was mainly cloudy but the visibility was good all day and the weather beautiful in the evening. 60 people set out on a cruise on the Rutland Belle and were lucky to be able to watch Osprey 08(97) looking for fish for about 45 minutes, very close to the boat. By Sunday the weather was excellent and for most of the day there were great views of Ospreys including occasional birds flying past the Anglian Water Visitor Centre and also over the showground.   A recent feature of the Birdfair has been a display of country crafts. John Shone of Rutland Willows, constructed a life-size replica Osprey using willow.

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