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03(98) AND 06(01),
BREEDING IN 2003
The
adult male
The translocated male, 03(98), with
its orange ring returned to Rutland Water for the first
time in 2000 when it was 2 years old. He was identified
near the release pens in late July and seen again until 1
September. He returned again in the spring of 2001 and
was seen regularly throughout that summer including some
sightings with an unringed female from 17 to 26 August.
In 2002, aged 4, he returned
and
by early May had built a nest
for himself on private land away from the reservoir. On
several occasions during August he attracted onto his
territory the unringed mate of 03(97), after her
unsuccessful breeding attempt that year.
This male returned to his nest site
this spring and did his best to attract a female, using
the typical Osprey display method. This involves catching
a fish and flying up very high with it, in the hope of
showing the fish to a passing female Osprey. At first his
efforts were not successful, but then on 28 April he
managed to attract a most unexpected mate.
The
adult female
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The female 06(01) is a
red-ringed two-year-old and unusual in many
ways. She was one of the translocated birds that
was fitted with a radio transmitter, enabling us
to track her initial migration. The full details
and map are on a separate page -
click
here.
Here are a list of her
unusual accomplishments:
she did not migrate to West Africa, but spent
her first winter in Portugal;
unlike other one-year old birds she returned
to the UK in June 2002;
she was not recorded in Rutland but went to
the north-east coast where radio
transmissions ceased;
most female Ospreys do not breed at their
natal site but she rturned to Rutland in
2003;
she is the first known two-year old female to
breed successfully in the UK;
she started incubation later than any other
known Osprey in the UK.
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06(01)
pictured at Rutland Water soon after fledging.
The antenna of the satellite radio was clearly
visible at that time. When she re-appeared in
2003 the transmitter had been shed, as was
intended. |
Breeding
in 2003
The female joined the male at the
nest site on 28 April but at first it seemed unlikely
that the pair would breed, particularly because of the
youth of the female. Then on 22 May she was seen sitting
low on the nest. This was very late by comparison with
most Scottish Ospreys and yet again we had reason to
doubt that there would be successful outcome. But the
male kept on supplying fish and the female kept on
sitting, until on Sunday 29 June we first became aware of
a change in the adults' behaviour. Rather than taking the
fish to a nearby branch to feed, the female remained on
the nest itself and was possibly tearing fish to present
to a chick.
Then came a very
anxious few days as the rain poured down.
When Osprey chicks hatch
they are weak, wet and relatively helpless. Most
of their body is covered in fine down , they
open their eyes just hours after hatching and
can actively take food from their parent's bill.
All that week we were able
to see the female covering the young and only
standing from time to time to tear and present
fish, so it seemed that one at least of the
young had survived.
Then, on 6 July, there was
a clear sighting of two tiny heads and, with the
coming of warmer weather, the heads were seen
repeatedly and more frequently.
By 21 July we were certain
that there were just two chicks in the nest -
both growing rapidly and being well fed and
cared for by their parents. Not bad for a pair
both breeding for the first time and for a
female who, according to the books, is too young
to breed anyway!
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©
Roy Dennis
The first egg hatching in a nest in
Scotland. |
+11(03).jpg) |
On 26 July aged about 4 four
weeks, the young birds were brought down from the
nest for ringing. They were younger and therefore
less well developed than the three youngsters at
the first nest site. (Click
here for a
comparison.) However, Roy Dennis and Tim Appleton
were convinced that these youngsters too were in
superb condition.
The birds were fitted with
yellow rings, numbered 11 and 22, and BTO metal
rings. Roy decided that 22 was probably male and 11
female. Pictured on the left, the female lay low on
the towel, while the male stood defiantly - his
ring is just visible in this picture.
The adults birds flew
overhead while the ringing took place and were
joined by at least one other Osprey, probably one
of the non-breeding males we have been identifying
in the area.
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By 10 August the young had
grown considerably and were wing flapping, though
still looking a long way off their maiden
flights.
A very interesting feature of
this nest site proved to be the frequency with
which it is visited by intruder Ospreys - that is,
non-breeding males. On one occasion four of them
dropped in, to the consternation of the mother
06(01) who spread her wings above the chicks and
gave the alarm call continuously. The male parent
was away, presumably fishing at the time.
To the amazement of the
observer the four males landed briefly close to the
nest and he was able to see some of their rings.
One was green-ringed 10(00), identified for the
second time this summer. Another was a red-ringed
male, number unknown, but one of "our" 2001
contingent. A third was white-ringed and probably
therefore 08(97) from Manton Bay. Unfortunately the
observer was unable to identify the fourth
bird.
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One
of the young sitting on the rim of the nest.
Photo: Ray Broad. taken from the monitoring
position using a digital camera and
telescope |
The
two juveniles on the nest on 11
September |
On 18 August volunteers John
and Sheila Davies observed first the young male,
22(03), and then the female, 11(03), taking their
first short flights. Both juveniles landed safely
side by side on a nearby perch. Later in the day
came some other short, but fairly well controlled
flights and the pair were safely back on the nest
by evening.
By 29 August the young were
making very confident longer flights in the nest
area and were seen soaring on thermals and
interacting with young Hobbies and the young
Ospreys from the other nest site. Both parents are
still present and both have been seen bringing fish
to the nest site where the young come to
feed.
By 11 September, at least one
of the juveniles had been seen trying to catch a
fish and one made a very professional job of
chasing off a Red Kite when it came over the
nest-site. However, the adult female, 06(01) had
started off on migration.
On 19 September both
juveniles were still present but by the next day
there was only one, together with the adult male.
The last sighting was on 21 September after which
the nest site was empty,
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Postscript
Unfortunately in
2004, although the male 03(98) returned, his mate did
not. 03(98) repaired the nest and even built a small
nearby "frustration" nest and was often seen in the
vicinity of the other breeding nest.
In 2005 and 2006, the male 03(98) too was not
seen and other non-breeding
males, 08(97) and 09(98), took over territorial rights at the
nest.
Home > Breeding > 2003: a second nest
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