Osprey Project

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

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20 July 1999	Today the young Ospreys at Rutland Water were vetted! Sue Thornton works as the Veterinary Officer with the Institute of Zoology at the Zoological Society of London and has checked the birds each year of the project. Sue's fascinating work is featured in the BBC TV programme, Zoo, which is currently being screened on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7.30. She deals with many of the animals at London Zoo ( we heard amazing stories about hippos and giraffes!) and earlier this year checked the translocated Red Kites before they were released in Yorkshire.
		Each of the young Ospreys received a thorough medical check. In addition they were weighed, their wings and tails were measured, their plumage condition was noted. Blood samples were taken which will be used both to check their health and to produce a DNA profile which will enable us to confirm their sex. Faecal samples have also been collected from each of the four pens since the birds arrived.
	Overall Sue judged that the nine birds were all in very good health. There is a considerable difference in size and state of development, due to the birds' different ages. Their development can be judged most easily by the length and condition of the tail feathers - a criterion which gives a very good indication, together with behaviour, of when they will be ready to be released. It looks at this stage as if some at least of the birds may be ready to fledge in about a week's time.

22 July 1999	Overnight on Tuesday, two more young Ospreys were brought down from Scotland to join the original nine at Rutland Water. They were introduced into the holding pens and given a thorough medical check by vet, Sue Thornton, on Wednesday morning. Both the new birds, numbered 10 and 11, developed a taste for Rutland trout and appeared to settle down quickly in their new surroundings. It had been hoped that a twelfth bird would also be arriving from Scotland. However, when Roy Dennis went to collect it from the nest he found that it had died of starvation. There was only one live chick in the nest which was left to be raised by its parents. Roy is still hopeful that he will be able to find another successful brood of young from which one bird may be removed.
	Additions to the website: Several close-up pictures of this year's birds taken by Tim Randall. A difficult question from Steve Lumb and an answer from the project team: Is the skill to catch fish innate, or is it taught by the parents - nature or nurture? Do you have questions about the project or comments about the website? Click the icon to send us an email.	Photo © Tim Randall

25 July 1999

A quite quiet weekend for the project, with little to report. (A Spoonbill arrived to feed in front of the Visitor Centre - but that's a different story!) The 11 young Ospreys continue to thrive and monitors have recorded lots of wing-stretching, hops with out-stretched wings and much inclination to look out at the world. Click here for details of this stage of the project. The plan is now for Roy Dennis to bring a twelfth chick down from Scotland in the middle of next week. During Roy's visit, radio transmitters will be fitted to some of the birds which will be released soon afterwards.

28 July 1999

Late last night Roy Dennis drove down to Rutland Water from Scotland bringing with him another young Osprey - number 12. During today, Roy prepared the seven most advanced youngsters for release. Four were fitted with satellite radios and three with a small radio tag attached to the central tail feather. The birds were also given a final health check, and measured and weighed for the last time. Roy was assisted by members of the project team and also by Ian Newton from the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, one the world's foremost raptor experts.