Osprey Project

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

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3 September 1999	There were five Ospreys recorded at Rutland Water today and one of these was probably a sub-adult. This means that birds 08 and 11 may have begun their migration. This will probably be the last weekend this year when you will be sure to see Ospreys at the reserve. Today the birds were sitting on the perches on Brown's Island and were very visible from the Anglian water Birdwatching Centre.	SATELLITE DATA THIS EVENING (18:00): S08, the Scottish juvenile is still in the area around its nest site, S09 and S10 the adult males are also still in the area in which they were caught. Detailed maps show how they have moved around. No other data received.  All the map pages have been updated today.
	After the death of Bird R02(1999) its radio transmitter was recovered and found to be still in working order. Roy Dennis was at Rutland Water yesterday and decided to try to fit the transmitter onto one of the five remaining juveniles. At 7:00am this morning, bird 06 was trapped as it came in to feed in front of the release pens. The bird was weighed and measured and appeared to be in excellent condition. The colour ring had become very muddy and difficult to read so this was cleaned and the radio transmitter attached to her back. She flew off strongly and soon afterwards was observed sitting in front of Heron Hide, carefully preening her feathers.
	R06 flies away
	Originally we had hoped to have satellite transmitters on a family group: a Rutland Water juvenile, its siblings and parents in Scotland. The unfortunate demise of R02 has brought this a little closer ,since R06 came from the same nest as S08 and their mother is is S07. The "family tree" shown here shows the family relationships of the satellite-tagged birds.
		(One slight problem - following our existing labelling system, we must call the new recruit to the satellite brigade R06 - not to be confused with S06!)

4 September 1999	There were four Ospreys recorded at Rutland Water today plus one other bird, possibly a Scottish Osprey though sightings of its ring were inconclusive. Again the birds were sitting on the perches on Brown's Island and were very visible from the Anglian water Birdwatching Centre.	SATELLITE DATA THIS EVENING (20:00): R03, R04 and S06 all in the same areas as previously S09 has begun to move south and was over Upper Teesdale this aftrernoon More inconclusive data from R05 seems to confirm its position in SE France. No other data received Map pages have been updated.
	Roy Dennis reports from Scotland: S10 Update - the youngest chick (of three young reared by this pair in 1999) was still at its nest site waiting for food at 1700 hours on 3rd September - so male S10 is still bringing fish to the last chick (other two have migrated) - satellite data shows foraging behaviour which can be up to 15 kms from nest site.

5 September 1999	Comings and goings! It's that time of the project when it is difficult to decide which birds have migrated and which have just gone on long flights. In the misty morning birds R06, 07, 10 and 12 were all located by yagi readings and then by visual sightings. By the middle of the afternoon birds 7 and 12 were out of yagi range - the last records were of faint signals high to the south. Are they off? Then suddenly there were two birds food-begging loudly on AN1, an artificial nest high above the release pens - a place which no Ospreys have used for some time. Tim Mackrill and Noel , a volunteer, headed for the Outpost and were soon able to pick out their ring numbers - 09 and 11! Tim felt that the birds looked and sounded very hungry (empty crops) so food was put out for them as soon as possible. Bird 09 had been last sighted a week ago on 29 August, when its feeding was abruptly interrupted by the unwelcome arrival of the hot air balloon. Bird 11 had been absent since 1st September. Where have they been since then? An adult female Osprey was reported at Eyebrook Reservoir (about 10km south) today.
		SATELLITE DATA THIS EVENING (20:00): Sun-seeking trio? The young Scottish female, S01, is Near Segovia, NW of Madrid. Bird R04, after two days near Les Landes, has also gone W of Madrid, Sierra de Grados. Since S06 was still at Monfragüe yesterday this means that there are three birds within a radius of 80km. Very interesting! R03 is still on the Brittany coast. S10 still in the Strath Spey area, perhaps still providing food for its last chick. No other data received today Map pages have been updated.   The map shows the flights of (from left to right) S06, S01 and R04. All three are females.